Biography
María Isabel Granda Larco was born on 3 September 1920, in a copper mining area in the region of Apurímac. She began singing at 12 years old, in the school choir at the exclusive girl's school Colegio Sophianum, in San Isidro. At this age she sang as a soprano (an operation later gave her the deep voice for which she is remembered). However, she wasn't well known until after her divorce, a scandal in contemporary Lima's conservative Catholic society.
Early in her career her work was expressive and picturesque – evoking the romantic and beautiful neighborhood of Barranco in Lima, with its grand French houses with impressive entrances and winter gardens. Some of her most famous songs from this period are "Lima de Veras", "La flor de la Canela", "Fina Estampa", "Gracia", "José Antonio", and "Zeñó Manué", to name a few. She broke the conventional rhythmic structure of the waltz, later broke convention with her poetic cadences as well. Later in her career she wrote songs dedicated to the Chilean Violeta Parra and to Javier Heraud, a Peruvian poet who died in 1968.
Towards the end of her career, Chabuca Granda incorporated Afro-Peruvian rhythms into her work. Afro-Peruvian music, while popular, was not considered "high art" due to the prevalent racism and devaluation of Afro-Peruvian culture. She masterfully blended the suggestive and colorful rhythms into her work, enriching Peruvian popular music.
She died of heart problems in a clinic in Miami, in the United States, in 1983. Her voice and compositions are known far from the borders of her country, and her popularity has introduced the world to the fine and sensitive character of Peruvian music.
Chabuca Granda continued to make her presence felt a decade after her death, when Caetano Veloso used her song, "Fina Estampa", as the title track of an album released in 1994, while her song, "Maria Lando", written with Cesar Calvo, provided the North American breakthrough for Peruvian vocalist Susana Baca the following year.
Granda's song "La Flor De La Canela" has become an anthem for the city of Lima. Granda worked with a lengthy list of influential guitarists including Oscar Aviles, Martin Torres, Lucho Gonzalez, Alvaro Lagos, and Felix Casaverde.
Bello durmiente
Chabuca Granda Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y recorriera toda la gama de verdes que te adornan
Y el gris soberbio manto de tu costa
Que al subir por los cerros, en colores se torna
Me empinaría en tu más alta cumbre
Para estirar mis brazos y abrazarte
Y en esa soledad, pedirte humilde
Y es un derroche de amor, el suelo mío
Y es que es el hijo del sol, el Perú mío
Es un gigante al que arrullan sus anhelos
Bello durmiente que sueña frente al cielo
Este, su sueño, comparten tres amadas
Desnuda costa, ilusionada
Exuberante, la selva apasionada
Y una tímida sierra enamorada
Y es un derroche de amor el suelo mío
Y es que es el hijo del sol, el Perú mío
Es un gigante al que arrullan sus anhelos
Bello durmiente que sueña frente al cielo
¡Te amo, Perú!
Y recorriera toda la gama de verdes que te adornan
Y el gris soberbio manto de tu costa
Que al subir por los cerros en colores se torna
Me empinaría en tu más alta cumbre
Para estirar mis brazos y abrazarte
Y en esa soledad, pedirte humilde
Que devuelvas mi beso, al yo besarte
¡Generoso Perú!
¡Bello durmiente!
The song "Bello Durmiente" by Chabuca Granda is a heartfelt love letter to Peru. The first stanza begins by expressing the singer's love for the country and how she would like to travel across all the different shades of green that adorn it. She also mentions the coast, which appears gray but becomes colorful when viewed from the mountains. The next stanza speaks of the intense desire to embrace Peru from its highest peak and to ask it to return the singer's love.
The following stanzas describe Peru as a sleeping beauty that dreams of its three beloved regions: the uninhibited coast, the passionate jungle, and the bashful highlands. The chorus repeats the sentiment that the land is generous and majestic, cradled by its own desires.
Overall, the song paints a portrait of a deeply devoted love for one's country, expressed in romantic terms that highlight the beauty of its landscapes and cultures. It speaks not only of the singer's love for Peru but also of the pride and affection many Peruvians feel for their land.
Line by Line Meaning
¡Te amo, Perú!
I love you, Peru!
Y recorriera toda la gama de verdes que te adornan
I would travel through all the shades of green that decorate you
Y el gris soberbio manto de tu costa
And the proud gray cloak of your coast
Que al subir por los cerros, en colores se torna
That turns into colors when climbing up the hills
Me empinaría en tu más alta cumbre
I would climb your highest summit
Para estirar mis brazos y abrazarte
To stretch my arms and embrace you
Y en esa soledad, pedirte humilde
And in that solitude, humbly ask you
Que devuelvas mi beso, al yo besarte
To return my kiss when I kiss you
Y es un derroche de amor, el suelo mío
And my land is a lavish display of love
Y es que es el hijo del sol, el Perú mío
Because my Peru is the child of the sun
Es un gigante al que arrullan sus anhelos
It's a giant that is lulled by its dreams
Bello durmiente que sueña frente al cielo
A beautiful sleeper that dreams in front of the sky
Este, su sueño, comparten tres amadas
And three beloved regions share this dream
Desnuda costa, ilusionada
The naked coast, full of hope
Exuberante, la selva apasionada
The passionate jungle is exuberant
Y una tímida sierra enamorada
And a timid mountain range in love
¡Generoso Perú!
Generous Peru!
¡Bello durmiente!
Beautiful sleeper!
Writer(s): Chabuca Granda, Isabel Granda Y Larco, And Isabel Granda
Contributed by Gabriella Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alainaranibar5261
jajaja ese te amo Perú me hizo llorar cuando vives lejos del Perú duele mas estas canciones ,que bello tema.
@pamellalinda1
Una joya que describe exactamente mi Perú!! Desde España como extraño mi tierra!!
@user-xg1ys4mf4i
Hermosa composición, aún más bella la interpretación. Chabuca nos hace más peruanos q nunca. Hay q estar muertos para no sensibizarse con tremendo tesoro musical.
Te amo Perú!!!!
@charosalazar2067
Esta hermosa canción me emociona mucho te amo Peru BELLO DURMIENTE Dios bendiga mi Patria donde están mis recuerdos de miles de momentos mi adolescencia siempre te recordaré sus calles su gente mi familia ❤🙏🙏♥️🇵🇪🇵🇪🇵🇪🇵🇪🇨🇺♥️🌹🌹🌹
@javier2983
La extraordinaria canción BELLO DURMIENTE de Chabuca Granda, sintetiza al Perú, su riqueza cultural y su aun esperanza de despertarse con orgullo y dignidad.... Grande Chabuca, orgullosos todos los peruanos de tu amor al Perú.... Que dificil es ser peruano, verdad?
@lupisem7
Es un rezo a la belleza del Perú , tesoro hermoso 😊
@ElRobloxiano-ts8qr
hay mamá que bonito se desmaya
@arturosepulveda3460
Chabuca, grande desde Chile la amó
@MichaelCorleone-co7bf
Lloré al escuchar el "Te amo Perú..."
@felipeormeno3433
Dios perdura y cuida esta música para las nuevas generaciones, que están confundidos por la música de hoy.