Ricardo was a dentist who started to paint his face so that kids would not be afraid of him as he worked on their teeth. He became famous when a local TV channel interviewed him. The name Cepillín means little (tooth) brush, "cepillo" ("de dientes") in Spanish.
With Televisa he had a show called El Show de Cepillín. This show was an educational, comedy and interview shows with guests such as Lou Ferrigno (who was Hulk on the popular TV show). The show was a success in Mexico as well as Chile and Puerto Rico. He arguably became the most famous clown in Mexico.
Cepillín also recorded children songs. The most popular songs were La feria de Cepillín (Cepillín's Fair), Tomás ("Thomas") and En el bosque de la China ("In China's forest") and La Gallina Cocoua. Cepillín also helped younger artists to acquire fame such as singer Yuri who took a role in his movie Milagro en el circo ("Miracle in the circus").
Cepillín is currently on a show on Multimedios Television as well as touring with the circus show that bears his name. His last album sold more than one million units in the first three months. On May 24, 2005 he had a heart attack and had to be hospitalized in Puebla, after complaining of chest pain during a presentation with his circus. He has currently been contracted for another talk show ("Cepillín's Live") with Multimedios Television beginning sometime in June 2006. The show will feature both of his son's Ricardo and Roberto Guajardo.
On July 13, 2006 he had a second heart attack and had to be hospitalized in San José Hospital in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Luckily, Cepillín is in recovery.
Habia una vez un barco chiquito
Cepillin Lyrics
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Esta es la historia de las tres caravelas
La Niña, la Pinta y la Santa María
Ay, no, no, no, no, no
Esas eran de don Cristóbal Colón
No, yo voy a cantar el barco chiquito
El barco de Cepillín
Había una vez un chiquito barco
Había una vez un barco chiquito
Tan chiquito, tan chiquito, que no podía navegar
Pasaron una, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete semanas
Pasaron una, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete semanas
Pasaron una, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete semanas
Y los víveres, y los víveres empezaron a escasear
O sea, raza, que se estaba acabando, pues la comida
Que no había ni agujas, ni cabrito
Ni carne seca de la tía Lencha, ja, ja
Pura tortilla de harina
Y si la historia no les parece larga
Y si la larga no les parece historia
Y si la historia no les parece larga
Volveremos, volveremos, volveremos a empezar
Había una vez un barco chiquito
Había una vez un chiquito barco
Había una vez un barco chiquito
Tan chiquito, tan chiquito, que no podía navegar
Pasaron una, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete semanas
Pasaron una, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete semanas
Pasaron una, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete semanas
Y los víveres, y los víveres empezaron a escasear
O sea, que se acabó el lonche
No había ni lonches de huevo, no había nada
Ya les dije, ni machaca
Ni cabrito, ni machito, ni nada
Pura tortilla de harina, ja, ja, ja
Y bolas de leche
Y si la historia no les parece larga
Y si la larga no les parece historia
Y si la historia no les parece larga
Volveremos, volveremos, volveremos a empezar
Había una vez un barco chiquito
Había una vez un chiquito barco
Había una vez un barco chiquito
Tan chiquito, tan chiquito, que no podía navegar
The song "Habia una vez un barco chiquito" by Cepillin tells the story of a small boat that is unable to navigate due to its size. The lyrics repeat the same verse multiple times, with slight variations, to reinforce the idea of the boat's small size and the challenges that come with it. The verses also mention the shortage of food and supplies on the boat, which adds to the comedic effect of the song.
The song is meant to be light-hearted and humorous, but it also touches on themes of resource scarcity and survival. The repetition of the lyrics creates a sense of monotony and desperation, highlighting the struggle of being stuck on a boat with limited resources. The exaggerated descriptions of the limited food supply add to the humor of the song, but also serve as a reminder of the harsh realities of sailing.
Overall, "Habia una vez un barco chiquito" is a playful song that uses repetition and exaggeration to tell a story of survival and perseverance in challenging circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Había una vez un barco chiquito
Once upon a time, there was a small boat
Había una vez un chiquito barco
Once upon a time, there was a little boat
Había una vez un barco chiquito
Once upon a time, there was a tiny boat
Tan chiquito, tan chiquito, que no podía navegar
So small, so small, it couldn't sail
Pasaron una, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete semanas
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven weeks passed
Y los víveres, y los víveres empezaron a escasear
And the provisions, the provisions began to run out
O sea, raza, que se estaba acabando, pues la comida
In other words, folks, the food was running low
Que no había ni agujas, ni cabrito
There were no needles, no kid (goat)
Ni carne seca de la tía Lencha, ja, ja
No dry meat from Aunt Lencha, ha ha
Pura tortilla de harina
Just flour tortillas
Y si la historia no les parece larga
And if the story doesn't seem long to you
Y si la larga no les parece historia
And if the long story doesn't seem like a story to you
Y si la historia no les parece larga
And if the story doesn't seem long to you
Volveremos, volveremos, volveremos a empezar
We'll start again, we'll start again, we'll start again
No había ni lonches de huevo, no había nada
There were no egg sandwiches, there was nothing
Ya les dije, ni machaca
I already told you, no dried beef
Ni cabrito, ni machito, ni nada
No kid (goat), no ram, no nothing
Pura tortilla de harina, ja, ja, ja
Just flour tortillas, ha ha ha
Y bolas de leche
And balls of milk
Writer(s): Gonzalez Ricardo
Contributed by Jordan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.