Llegó a ser un popular compositor e intérprete, muy conocido entre los amantes de la música cubana. Comenzó tocando la guitarra, el clarinete y el bongó. Fue el inventor del armónico, un instrumento de siete cuerdas, entre la guitarra española y el tres cubano. También tocó la tumbadora.
Comenzó su carrera musical muy joven cuando compuso sus primeras canciones y tocaba en grupos de Santiago con su conocido armónico. Pero su fama internacional le llegó en 1997 con su participación en el disco Buena Vista Social Club, el cual ganó varios premios Grammy. Compay Segundo apareció también en la película del mismo nombre realizada posteriormente por Wim Wenders.
En los últimos años actuó ante millones de espectadores y grabó nueve discos. No pudo cumplir su sueño de llegar a la edad de 116 años, en la cual murió su abuela. Falleció en La Habana debido a una insuficiencia renal con 95 años.
La canción más importante de Compay Segundo es "Chan Chan".
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Compay Segundo (November 18, 1907 – July 13, 2003), was a Cuban musician and songwriter.
Segundo was born Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz and brought up in the city of Santiago de Cuba. He became a songwriter and performer, well-known to fans of Cuban music. He was also the inventor of the armónico, a seven-stringed guitar-like instrument.
In his early years he played the guitar, the clarinet and the bongos. He also played the congas.
His curious stage name derives from the fact that he played second voice in a popular duet of the 1950s called Los Compadres (compadre, or compay for short, in Cuba means "baptism brother", but as a colloquialism is used also to designate a good friend).
However, international fame only came in 1997 with the release of the Buena Vista Social Club album, a hugely successful recording which won several Grammy awards. Compay Segundo appeared in the film of the same title, made subsequently by Wim Wenders.
His most famous composition is "Chan Chan", the opening track on the Buena Vista Social Club album, whose four opening chords are instantly recognizable all over the world. "Chan Chan" was recorded by Segundo himself various times as well as by countless other Latin artists.
At a fiesta he sang to Presidente Fidel Castro, who took his pulse and joked about his vitality despite his 90-plus years. "Who could have imagined that?" he asked when he found himself at the Vatican City, performing "Chan Chan" before Pope John Paul II. He explained his longevity simply: mutton consommé and a drink of rum.
He predicted that he would live to be 115, but died of kidney failure in Havana, twenty years short of his ambition, and three days before Celia Cruz.
Oui Parle Francais
Compay Segundo Lyrics
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Petit ta mué
Bonne soir, Monsieur
Oui, Monsieur
Madame gros du vendre
Oui, Monsieur
Madame gros du vendre
Cest pas comme ça
Cest pas comme ça
Oui parle Français
Ay, que guime la
Solombí bué combi
Oui parle Français
Oui parle Français
Oui parle Français
Oui parle Français
Compay Segundo's song "Oui Parle Francais" is a joyful celebration of language and culture. The French language is used as a symbol of sophistication and cosmopolitanism, as the singer greets society ("Bonne soir la societe") and addresses a "Madame" who sells wholesale ("Madame gros du vendre"). The repetition of "Oui, Monsieur" adds to the playful and flirtatious tone of the song.
The chorus, "Oui parle Français," is a mandinga, a refrain that is repeated throughout the song. It reminds us that language is not only a tool for communication but also a marker of identity, history, and power. The lyrics also contain a nonsense phrase "Ay, que guime la Solombí bué combi," which adds to the song's whimsical and improvisational quality.
The song captures the spirit of Compay Segundo's music, which blends African, Spanish, and Cuban influences to create a unique style that has enchanted audiences worldwide. It is a testament to the power of music to connect people across cultures, languages, and borders.
Line by Line Meaning
Bonne soir la societe
Good evening, society
Petit ta mué
Little you moved
Bonne soir, Monsieur
Good evening, sir
Oui, Monsieur
Yes, sir
Madame gros du vendre
Madam, big seller
Oui, Monsieur
Yes, sir
Madame gros du vendre
Madam, big seller
Cest pas comme ça
It's not like that
Cest pas comme ça
It's not like that
Oui parle Français
Yes, speak French
Ay, que guime la
Oh, how I like it
Solombí bué combi
Solombí, drink kombi
Oui parle Français
Yes, speak French
Oui parle Français
Yes, speak French
Oui parle Français
Yes, speak French
Oui parle Français
Yes, speak French
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AXIMO FRANCISCO AKA COMPAY SEG REPILADO MUNOZ, FRANCISCO REPILADO MUNOZ, MAXIMO FRANCISCO REPILADO MUNOZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind