Daniel Viglietti (Daniel Alberto Viglietti Indart, Montevideo, Uruguay, 24 … Read Full Bio ↴Daniel Viglietti (Daniel Alberto Viglietti Indart, Montevideo, Uruguay, 24 July 1939 – 30 October 2017) was an Uruguayan folk singer, guitarist, composer, and political activist. He is one of the main exponents of Uruguayan popular song and also of the Nueva Canción of the 1960s and early 1970s.

He founded, in 1971, the recognized independent record label Ayuí/Tacuabé in order to promote and support valuable Uruguayan musical expressions, along with other musicians like José "Pepe" Guerra, Braulio López, Coriún Aharonián, Myriam Dibarboure, María Teresa Sande and Edgardo Bello,

He has performed the works of Cuban Nueva Trova stars Silvio Rodríguez and Pablo Milanés and Brazil's Chico Buarque and Edu Lobo and has worked with Cuban composer and arranger Leo Brouwer. His recordings are widely available, especially "Trópicos" (1972).

Viglietti was imprisoned in 1972 by his own government. He was supported by the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre as an international man of conscience, a voice for peace, and an opponent of the fascism and tyranny that plagued South America in the 1970s. Rumors about possible mistreatment against him forced the authorities to bring him out in front of television cameras to show that, in particular, his hands were fine. However, Viglietti spoke out that his treatment in police custody was much better than what other political prisoners received. He was a peer of the late Chilean poet and folk singer Victor Jara and composer and activist Violeta Parra.

negrita martina
Daniel Viglietti Lyrics

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Escuche, negrita Martina
La copla chiquita que el rey va a dejar
Y ponga motita en la almohada
Que usté está cansada de tanto esperar

Su madre está en el arroyo
Lavando la ropa de amita Leonor
Su padre ha vuelto cargado:

No vendió un plumero, te trajo una flor

Martina, Melchor ya lo sabe:
Tu no comes rosas tu precisas pan
Rey mago de los niños pobres
No te trajo harina, tan sólo canción

Abrace, negrita Martina
La copla chiquita que el rey le dejó

Y ponga motita en la almohada
Que usté está cansada de tanto esperar

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Daniel Viglietti's song "Negrita Martina" vividly portray a story of struggle, resilience, and the longing for better days. The song opens with the singer addressing Negrita Martina, urging her to listen to the small folk song that the king is going to leave. This sets the scene for a tale of hope and waiting for better times, symbolized by the mention of putting a little tuft on the pillow, indicating Martina's weariness from waiting for change and improvement in her life.

The mention of Martina's mother washing clothes in the stream for the wealthy Amita Leonor and her father returning home empty-handed, having failed to sell a feather duster but bringing Martina a flower instead, highlights the harsh realities of economic struggle and the juxtaposition of poverty and generosity. The father's gesture of bringing a flower instead of flour, symbolizing the basic necessity of food, adds a layer of poignancy to the narrative, emphasizing the family's dire circumstances.

The lyrics further delve into the theme of unfulfilled needs and the disparity between the haves and the have-nots, as highlighted by Melchor's realization that Martina doesn't eat roses but needs bread. Melchor, portrayed as a symbol of compassion and empathy for the poor children, brings only a song instead of the much-needed flour, showcasing the stark contrast between the luxury of flowers and the necessity of sustenance. This juxtaposition serves to underscore the stark inequalities and injustices faced by those living in poverty.

In the final verse, Martina is encouraged to embrace the small folk song left by the king, symbolizing the resilience and strength she must find in the face of adversity and unmet expectations. The repetition of the phrase "que usté está cansada de tanto esperar" (you are tired of waiting so long) further emphasizes Martina's weariness and longing for a better future. The song encapsulates a poignant tale of endurance, sacrifice, and the enduring human spirit in the face of adversity, resonating with listeners through its evocative depiction of hope in the midst of struggle.

Line by Line Meaning

Escuche, negrita Martina
Listen, dear Martina

La copla chiquita que el rey va a dejar
The little verse that the king is going to leave

Y ponga motita en la almohada
And place a little tassle on the pillow

Que usté está cansada de tanto esperar
As you are tired of waiting so long

Su madre está en el arroyo
Your mother is by the stream

Lavando la ropa de amita Leonor
Washing the clothes of aunt Leonor

Su padre ha vuelto cargado:
Your father has returned loaded

No vendió un plumero, te trajo una flor
He did not sell a feather duster, he brought you a flower

Martina, Melchor ya lo sabe:
Martina, Melchor already knows it

Tu no comes rosas tu precisas pan
You don't eat roses, you need bread

Rey mago de los niños pobres
King of the poor children