Daniel Santos was born and raised with his three sisters in Trastalleres, a poor section of Santurce, in San Juan (Andy Montañez would later be raised just two streets from Santos' childhood house). He attended Las Palmitas Elementary School. Although he was doing well in school his father took him out of school when he was in the fourth grade and forced him to shine shoes because his family was facing a bad economic situation. In 1924, his family immigrated to New York City looking for a better way of life. When his parents enrolled him in school, he had to start from the first grade again because he did not know enough English. Santos joined his high school's choir but he dropped out of high school in his second year and moved out of his parents apartment.
Santos moved into a small low rent apartment; here, one day, while he was taking a shower, he started to sing "Te Quiero, Dijiste" (You said I Love You). A member of the Trio Lirico was passing by and heard him sing, he then knocked on Santos' door. The trio member invited Daniel to join the trio and he accepted. Santos debuted with them on September 13, 1930, he sang in various social events and was paid a dollar for every song that he sang
Santos struggled while living on his own in New York. In one occasion, he was stabbed once by a loan shark who lent him USD$52.00 and demanded payment soon after. When he recovered from the stab wound he made sure to find the loaner and hit him with a lead pipe, quote, "Fifty-two times. And I counted them!".
Santos joins Pedro Flores
In 1938, Santos was working at the Cuban Casino Cabaret in Manhattan. He did a little bit of everything, from singing to being the master of ceremonies to waiting on tables. On one occasion, he was singing "Amor Perdido" (Love Lost), without knowing that the composer of the song Pedro Flores was in the audience. Flores liked what he heard so much that he invited Santos to join his group "El Cuarteto Flores" which also included Myrta Silva and in the future would also include Pedro Ortiz Davila "Davilita".
Santos recorded many songs with the Cuarteto Flores and started to gain fame. Among songs that he recorded were:
* "Perdon" (I'm Sorry),
* "Amor" (Love),
* "El Ultimo Adios" (The Last Good-bye),
* "Borracho no Vale" (Being Drunk don't Count) and many others.
In 1941, due to Puerto Rico's political relationship with the United States, most young Puerto Ricans were being drafted into the United States Army. Santos recorded "Despedida" (My Good-bye), a strongly emotional farewell song written by Flores from the viewpoint of an Army recruit who had to leave behind his girlfriend and his ailing mother. The song became an instant hit. Santos recalled in an interview once that he had to hold back tears while recording the song, since his draft papers had just arrived and he would soon have to live a situation similar to what the song's lyrics described, but that a friend started mocking him at the control booth, to which he decided to curse him on the spot, trading the word mama'o (an expletive in Puerto Rican Spanish) for mamá (mother). This incident produced two mannerisms that Santos eventually adopted in his singing style: chopped delivery (almost syllable by syllable, as suggested by Flores) and stretched last vowel in the last verse of each stanza, in almost every song he recorded afterwards.
"Linda"
In 1942, before Santos was drafted and sent to fight in World War II, he recorded his greatest hit "Linda", written specially for him by Flores after a former Dominican girlfriend of Santos', and sang for a while with Xavier Cugat's orchestra. He was later stationed in Okinawa and South Korea, where he had to defend himself constantly from racial attacks from fellow battalion members.
Political activist
After returning from the war, and partly because of the prejudice he experienced within the Army ranks, Daniel became active in the Puerto Rican Independence Movement and identified himself with the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and its president Pedro Albizu Campos. His devotion for Albizu lasted all through his life, to the point of commissioning, later in his life, a full-sized statue of Albizu for his Florida estate.
Together with Davilita, he recorded "Patriotas" (Patriots) and "La Lucha por la Independencia de Puerto Rico" (The Fight for Puerto Rico's Independence) which was adopted from one of Juan Antonio Corretjer's poems. Santos called for Puerto Rico's independence through his music and as a consequence of his actions, he had problems with the FBI and the United States State Department whenever he wanted to travel abroad.
In the 1950s Santos traveled between Cuba and New York making presentations. He composed the song "Sierra Maestra", which Fidel Castro adopted as the official hymn of the movement of July 26 and which was always transmitted through "Radio Rebelde" (Rebel Radio) every morning. Santos continued to perform in Cuba even after Castro and his men overthrew Cuba's president Fulgencio Batista. However, when he heard that Castro was planning to train children for the military, Santos became disillusioned and left Cuba for good. During that same decade Daniel composed:
* "El Columpio de la Vida" (The Swing of Life),
* "Patricia",
* "El Preso" (The Prisoner) and
* "Bello Amor" (Beautiful Love) as well as 400 other compositions.
Santos was in a bad economical and emotional state after he left Cuba. He was invited to sing for the Sonora Matancera, which was contracted to work in "Radio Progreso". His luck improved, and he again gained fame and fortune. However, Santos spent most of his earnings on alcohol and women. He had 12 children and had been married 12 times. He made sure that he didn't marry a Puerto Rican woman, quote-unquote, "because I fear them, man!" (near the end of his life he did marry a Puerto Rican, Ana Rivera, who eventually became his companion in old age through one of his longer marriages and eventually his widow). He had also spent time in jail in Cuba, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.[2]
Later years
During the last years of his life, Santos toured the United States and Latin-America to sell-out crowds.
Daniel Santos died on November 27, 1992 at his ranch, "Anacobero's Ranch", in Ocala, Florida. He is buried at what is virtually Puerto Rico's national pantheon, the Saint Mary Magdalene of Pazzis cemetery in Old San Juan, physically close to Pedro Albizu Campos and Pedro Flores. Due to the scarcity of empty space in the cemetery, when fellow Puerto Rican singer Yayo El Indio died, he was also buried in Santos' tomb.
DESPEDIDA
Daniel Santos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Porque pronto mevoy para la guerra
Y aunque vaya a pelar en otras tierras
Voy a salvar mi derecho,mi patria y mi fe.
Ya yo me despedi de mi adorada
Y lepedi por dios que nunca llore
Que recuerde porsiempre mis amores que
Solo me parte el alma y me condena
Que deje tan solita a mi mamá
Mi pobre madrecita que esta viva
Quien en mi ausencia la recordara.
Quien me le hara un favor si necesita
Quien la socorrera si se enfermara
Quien le hablara de mi si preguntara
Con este hijo querido quisas volvera
Quien me le resara si ella se muere
Quien pondra una florera en su spultura
Quien se condolera de mi amargura si
Yo vuelvo y no encuentero a mi mama.
The song "Despedida" by Daniel Santos is a poignant farewell from a young man who is leaving to join a war effort. He informs the "muchachos" (the boys) that he is leaving them soon and although he will be fighting in faraway lands, he is doing so to safeguard his rights, homeland, and faith. He has already said goodbye to his beloved, asking her never to cry and to always remember their love because he will never forget her.
The singer also expresses his anguish over leaving his mother alone. The thought that his mother will be without him troubles him deeply. He wonders who will take care of her if she falls ill, who will speak to her about him if she asks, and who will pray for her if she passes away. The idea that he may not be able to return to his mother is agonizing to him, and he wishes to find someone who would be there for her if he cannot.
The song is charged with emotion, and the singer's voice exudes sorrow and a readiness to fulfill his duty. The lyrics offer insight into the perspective of those who leave their loved ones to fight for their country, and the sacrifices that come with such a decision.
Line by Line Meaning
Vengo a decirle adios a los muchachos
I am here to bid farewell to my comrades
Porque pronto mevoy para la guerra
Because I am leaving for war very soon
Y aunque vaya a pelar en otras tierras
Even though I will be fighting in foreign lands
Voy a salvar mi derecho,mi patria y mi fe.
I will defend my rights, my country, and my faith
Ya yo me despedi de mi adorada
I have already said goodbye to my beloved
Y lepedi por dios que nunca llore
And I asked her not to cry for me
Que recuerde porsiempre mis amores que
That she always remembers my love
Yo ya de ella nunca me olvidare.
I will never forget her
Solo me parte el alma y me condena
It breaks my heart and condemns me
Que deje tan solita a mi mamá
To leave my mother so alone
Mi pobre madrecita que esta viva
My poor mother who is still alive
Quien en mi ausencia la recordara.
Who will remember her in my absence
Quien me le hara un favor si necesita
Who will do her a favor if she needs it
Quien la socorrera si se enfermara
Who will take care of her if she gets sick
Quien le hablara de mi si preguntara
Who will talk to her about me if she asks
Con este hijo querido quisas volvera
Maybe with this dear son, she will come back
Quien me le resara si ella se muere
Who will pray for her if she dies
Quien pondra una florera en su spultura
Who will put flowers on her grave
Quien se condolera de mi amargura si
Who will sympathize with my sorrow if
Yo vuelvo y no encuentero a mi mama.
I return and do not find my mother.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MANUEL NAVIO FLORES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gabriel Sánchez
Vengo a decirle adios a los muchachos
Porque pronto me voy para la guerra
Y aunque voy a pelear en otras tierras
Voy a salvar mi derecho, mi patria y mi fe.
Ya yo me despedí de mi adorada
Y le pedí por Dios que nunca llore.
Que recuerde por siempre mis amores
Que yo de ella nunca me olvidaré.
Solo me parte el alma y me condena
Que dejo tan solita a mi mamá.
Mi pobre madrecita que es tan vieja
¿Quién en mi ausencia la recordará?
¿Quién me le hará un favor si necesita?
¿Quién la socorrera si se enfermara?
¿Quién le hablará de mí si preguntara
Por este hijo que nunca quizás volverá?
¿Quién me le rezará si ella se muere?
¿Quién pondrá una flor en su sepultura?
¿Quién se condolerá de mi amargura
Si yo vuelvo y no encuentro a mi mamá?
Elba Hernández Flores
Martin g *
Este comentario recién lo léelo
Y creme Martin
( Así se llama mi hermano mayor )
Que me quedé muda
Y las lágrimas rodaron inmediatamente !!
Se estremecio mi corazón
Una oración por todos esos jóvenes y familias
Que mi padre Dios tenga misericordia de esta
humanidad
Un saludo de cd Juárez Chihuahua
Dayana Peña
Esta canción me la cantó mi papá una vez y desde ese entonces estoy tan enamorada de la letra que tiene un gran valor sentimental para mi.❤
Mell Caravajal
Mi padre, aún con 90 años y Alzheimer no olvidó la letra de esta canción. Me salen lágrimas sede lo más profundo de mi corazón cuando la escucho y me imagino a papi cantarla
Recopimemes
la música es maravillosa, nos transporta y nos hace recordar momentos profundos he inolvidables y tu papá así lo demostró 💪🎼🎼
Sara Elia Gutiérrez
así estoy en este momento con mi madre y su demencia. Se emocionó y cantó
Jazz in LPs
Me hizo llorar tu comentario Mell, mucha fuerza.
Carlos Pizuty
Mell.saludos..fuerza niña..solo esta clase de musica nos remueve el sentimiento.DIOS BENDIGA TU FAMILIA.
GoT Dante
😭💔ayer falleció mi abuelita adorada
María del Rosario Estrada Benítez
Esta canción es un tributo a mi padre, que tiene 18 años que está con Dios. El lloraba al escucharla pues fué militar y quería mucho a su mamá.
diego lara🐕⚽
esta canción también era su favorito de mi padre hace 11 años que me dejó pero siempre lo llevo conmigo dónde quiera que valla
Gabriel Sánchez
Vengo a decirle adios a los muchachos
Porque pronto me voy para la guerra
Y aunque voy a pelear en otras tierras
Voy a salvar mi derecho, mi patria y mi fe.
Ya yo me despedí de mi adorada
Y le pedí por Dios que nunca llore.
Que recuerde por siempre mis amores
Que yo de ella nunca me olvidaré.
Solo me parte el alma y me condena
Que dejo tan solita a mi mamá.
Mi pobre madrecita que es tan vieja
¿Quién en mi ausencia la recordará?
¿Quién me le hará un favor si necesita?
¿Quién la socorrera si se enfermara?
¿Quién le hablará de mí si preguntara
Por este hijo que nunca quizás volverá?
¿Quién me le rezará si ella se muere?
¿Quién pondrá una flor en su sepultura?
¿Quién se condolerá de mi amargura
Si yo vuelvo y no encuentro a mi mamá?