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.
Ese arar en el mar
Chabuca Granda Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Viviré adormecida, liberada
No ansiaré la respuesta
Pues no habré preguntado
No habré de perdonar
Ni habré ofendido
Extrañaré la rumia de mis sueños
Ese constante hacer un alguien de algo
Ese afán de castilos en el aire
Extrañaré la rumia de mis sueños
Y la dulce molienda y la esperanza
Ese constante hacer un alguien de algo
Ese afán de castillos en el aire
Ese arar en el mar de los ensueños
Ese eterno soñar
La adolescencia...
Extrañaré la rumia de mis sueños
Y la dulce molienda y la esperanza
Ese constante hacer un alguien de algo
Ese afán de castillos en el aire
Ese arar en el mar de los ensueños
Ese eterno soñar
La adolescencia...
The lyrics of Chabuca Granda's song Ese Arar En El Mar reflect on the idea of life and its transience. The song begins with the singer contemplating the idea of forgetting everything - of living in a state of oblivion where one is free from the burden of memories, questions, and forgiveness. In this state of mind, the singer realizes that she will miss the routine of her dreams, the sweetness of hope, and the desire to create something out of nothing. She acknowledges the futility of this desire and the inherent emptiness of it all.
The second half of the song is dedicated to the idea of "arar en el mar" or "plowing the sea" - a metaphor for chasing impossible dreams, for longing for something that cannot be attained. The singer talks about the eternal dreaming of adolescence, the constant yearning for castles in the air, and the desire to be someone, something. This inner conflict between the impossible and the desire for it is what the singer will miss the most.
Overall, the lyrics of Ese Arar En El Mar are poignant and thought-provoking, asking the listener to reflect on the brevity of life, the struggle of desire, and the power of dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Cuando ya se me olvide, habré olvidado
When I forget, I'll be living without any memory of my past.
Viviré adormecida, liberada
I will live in a dreamlike state, free from the burdens of my past.
No ansiaré la respuesta
I won't crave answers to questions I never asked.
Pues no habré preguntado
Because I never asked the questions in the first place.
No habré de perdonar
I won't have to forgive anyone because I won't have any grudges.
Ni habré ofendido
I won't have offended anyone because I won't have any memory of my actions.
Extrañaré la rumia de mis sueños
I will miss the endless rumination of my dreams.
Y la dulce molienda y la esperanza
And the sweet process of working towards my hopes and dreams.
Ese constante hacer un alguien de algo
The constant striving to become someone and do something.
Ese afán de castillos en el aire
The eagerness to build castles in the air.
Ese arar en el mar de los ensueños
That act of plowing on the sea of dreams.
Ese eterno soñar
The eternal act of dreaming.
La adolescencia...
The time of youth and innocence.
Writer(s): Isabel Granda Y Larco, Chabuca Granda
Contributed by Alexandra M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@AnaAvilesBMTH
Cuando ya se me olvide, habré olvidado
viviré adormecida, liberada
no ansiaré la respuesta
pues no habré preguntado,
no habré de perdonar
ni habré ofendido.
Extrañaré la rumia de mis sueños
y la dulce molienda
y la esperanza
ese constante hacer un alguien de algo
ese afán de castilos en el aire
Extrañaré la rumia de mis sueños
y la dulce molienda
y la esperanza
ese constante hacer un alguien de algo
ese afán de castillos en el aire
ese arar en el mar de los ensueños
ese eterno soñar
la adolescencia...
Chabuca Granda
@dav9766
Hola, tengo 17 años y no podría estar más enamorado de la música de Chabuca, mil gracias!
@palomaperez6083
Yo la escuchaba, cuando era adolescente, 60-70, con mi hermana y mi prima, sabiendo por esta canción que olvidaría, los pesares adolescentes.
Hoy tengo 69 la rescato por qué es una caricia para el alma.
@orlandofurioso3654
Millones de visualizaciones en videos sin alma y esto que es maravilloso no lo mira nadie.Viva Chabuca por siempre.Desde las islas canarias un saludo.
@rikardobullyngbanznikkief4801
esta es la canción que quiero oír cuando este viejo para agradecer a Dios por a ver estado aquí con sus males y felicidades
@gloriaconsuelo165
Mi dama bella.... sólo tú haces qy todas las células de mi cuerpo se enerven al escuchar las hermosas letras que brotan de tu alma. Tu voz nos va contando paulatinamente la historia...
@vascocadavez9956
A riqueza musical e cultural do Peru com certeza é invejada por seus vizinhos. Bravo Chabuca!
@mariaelizabethzapatavega6583
Belleza de canción, todas las canciones de Chabuca son hermosas.😍
@danieljacobo1525
Que hermosa cancion, a mis 51 años nunca la habia escuchado..
@MIGUITARRAYYO2109
Yo lo escuché por el 2009 y la pude sacar en guitarra. Ahora forma parte del repertorio en reuniones familiares
@taniagonzalez1794
Acabo de decubir a la señora Chabuca, hermosa música 💜🎶🎵