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.
Desdeñosa
Chavela Vargas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Esa tu sonrisa de color de rosa
Siempre me facinan aunque me hacen daño
Porque eres muy linda pero desdeñosa .
Esas tus miradas de fulgor extraño
Esa tu sonrisa de color de rosa
Siempre me facinan aunque me hacen daño
Brindame el encanto de tus bellos ojos
El sensual embrujo que en ti se adivina
Para que en mi vida tan llena de abrojos
Seas como una estrella que a mi alma ilumina
Brindame el encanto de tus bellos ojos
El sensual embrujo que en ti se adivina
Para que en mi vida tan llena de abrojos
Seas como una estrella que a mi alma ilumina
The lyrics of Chavela Vargas's song Desdeñosa express the singer's fascination and attraction to a person who is both beautiful and aloof. The singer describes the subject of the song as having "miradas de fulgor extraño" (strange and radiant gazes) and a "sonrisa de color de rosa" (smile as pink as a rose), which always captivate them even though they cause pain. The person is described as "desdeñosa," meaning they are distant and indifferent, which creates a sense of conflict for the singer. Despite the subject's coldness, the singer still longs for their attention and affection.
In the second verse, the singer pleads with the subject to share their "encanto" (charm) and "sensual embrujo" (sensual spell) with them. They desire for the subject to brighten their life with their beauty and presence like a star that illuminates their soul. The lyrics convey a sense of yearning and admiration for a person who is both alluring and unattainable.
Line by Line Meaning
Esas tus miradas de fulgor extraño
I am mesmerized by the strange brightness in your eyes
Esa tu sonrisa de color de rosa
Your smile is as lovely as a rose
Siempre me facinan aunque me hacen daño
I am captivated by you, even though it hurts me
Porque eres muy linda pero desdeñosa
You are so beautiful, but you hold yourself above me
Brindame el encanto de tus bellos ojos
Give me the charm of your beautiful eyes
El sensual embrujo que en ti se adivina
The enchanting seduction that emanates from you
Para que en mi vida tan llena de abrojos
So that in my life so full of obstacles
Seas como una estrella que a mi alma ilumina
You can be like a star that illuminates my soul
Contributed by Henry B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@elenaalejandragonzalez3192
Cuántas borracheras me he puesto con esta canción,me fascinas Chavela Vargas...te quiero y te extraño,algún día me encontraré contigo y espero que me cantes está canción y las de José Alfredo Jiménez...😢
@janetzie
Esas tus miradas de fulgor extraño
Esa tu sonrisa de color de rosa
Siempre me facinan aunque me hacen daño
Porque eres muy linda pero desdeñosa
Esas tus miradas de fulgor extraño
Esa tu sonrisa de color de rosa
Siempre me facinan aunque me hacen daño
Porque eres muy linda pero desdeñosa
Bríndame el encanto de tus bellos ojos
El sensual embrujo que en ti se adivina
Para que en mi vida tan llena de abrojos
Seas como una estrella que a mi alma ilumina
Bríndame el encanto de tus bellos ojos
El sensual embrujo que en ti se adivina
Para que en mi vida tan llena de abrojos
Seas como una estrella que a mi alma ilumina
@adaluciana111
Viva musica! Viva Mexico!
@piiojosa
❤️❤️❤️❤️