Isabel Vargas Lizano was born in San Joaquín de Flores, Costa Rica. She goes by Chavela, which is a nickname for Isabel. At only 14, she fled her native country due to lack of musical career opportunities, seeking refuge in Mexico, where an entertainment industry was burgeoning. For many years she sang on the streets but in her thirties she became a professional singer. In her youth, she dressed as a man, smoked cigars, drank heavily, carried a gun and was known for her characteristic red jorongo, which she still dons in performances.
Her first album, Noche de Bohemia (Bohemian Night), was released in 1961 with the professional support of José Alfredo Jiménez, one of the foremost singer/songwriters of the Mexican cancion ranchera. Vargas has recorded over eighty albums thereafter. She was hugely successful during the 1950s, 1960s and the first half of the 70s, touring in Mexico, the United States, France and Spain and was close to many prominent artists and intellectuals of the time, including Juan Rulfo, Agustín Lara, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Dolores Olmedo and José Alfredo Jiménez. She partly retired in the late 1970s due to a 15 year-long battle with alcoholism, which she has described in her autobiography (Y si quieres saber de mi pasado [And if you want to know about my past], published in 2002) as "my 15 years in hell" At 81 years old, she publicly declared that she was a lesbian.
Vargas returned to the stage in 1991, performing at the venue "El Habito" in Coyoacan, Mexico City.She debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2003 at the age of 83 at the behest and promotion of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, a long-time admirer and personal friend of Vargas.
In April 2012 she released her latest album "Luna Grande" a tribute to Spanish poet Federico García Lorca.
Amar Y Vivir
Chavela Vargas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Porque no he de decirlo si fundes tu alma con el alma mia
Que importa si despues me ven llorando un dia
Si acaso me preguntan dire que te quiero mucho todavia.
Se vive solamente una vez
Hay que aprender a querer y a vivir
Hay que saber que la vida
Llorando de penas
No quiero arrepentirme despues
De lo que pudo haber sido y no fue
Quiero lograr esta vida
Teniendote cerca de mi hasta que mueras
In this song, Chavela Vargas talks about her love for her partner, and how they have merged their souls together. She questions why she shouldn't express her love for them to others, and mentions that it does not matter if people see her crying one day; if they ask, she will tell them that she still loves her partner deeply. She believes that we only live once and must learn to love and live without regret. Life is fleeting, and we must make the most of it while we have the chance. She does not want to look back and wish for what could have been; instead, she wants to cherish and hold her partner close to her until death do them apart.
The song's message about living life to the fullest and embracing love without fear is powerful and timeless. It is a reminder for listeners to make the most of every moment they have with their loved ones and not to be afraid to express their emotions. The song's emotional depth and Chavela Vargas's raw and powerful voice make it a beautiful and poignant tribute to the power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Porque no han de saber que te amo vida mia
Why shouldn't they know that I love you my life?
Porque no he de decirlo si fundes tu alma con el alma mia
Why shouldn't I say it if you merge your soul with my soul?
Que importa si despues me ven llorando un dia
What does it matter if they see me crying one day?
Si acaso me preguntan dire que te quiero mucho todavia.
If they ask me, I will say that I still love you very much.
Se vive solamente una vez
We only live once
Hay que aprender a querer y a vivir
We must learn to love and live
Hay que saber que la vida
We must know that life
Se aleja y nos deja
Leaves us, and moves away
Llorando de penas
Crying with sorrows
No quiero arrepentirme despues
I don't want to regret later
De lo que pudo haber sido y no fue
Of what could have been but wasn't
Quiero lograr esta vida
I want to achieve this life
Teniendote cerca de mi hasta que mueras
Having you close to me until you die
Contributed by Levi K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nemy Jiménez
Hermosura de canción. Grande Chavela.
Rossiel Raffo
UNA DE LAS CANCIONES DE MI MADRE. QUÉ RECUERDOS TAN BONITOS. MUCHAS GRACIAS, ESTIMADO AMIGO. TE FELICITO.
Nina Zarate
No quiero arrepentirme después, de lo que pudo haber sido y no fue... quiero gozar esta vida teniéndote cerca de mi, hasta que muera.