“Outstanding Ecuadorian-born, New York-based si… Read Full Bio ↴Introducing Eljuri …
“Outstanding Ecuadorian-born, New York-based singer-songwriter Eljuri… Fusing socially conscious lyrics with blistering guitar rock, she blended missionary fervor with impeccable musicianship.” –CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
Cecilia Villar Eljuri born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and raised in New York has always demonstrated a singular focus.
Daughter of Ecuadorian Paco Villar, the revered pioneer of radio, television and theater and Olga Eljuri a composer of great renown in Ecuador, Cecilia’s career was nurtured from an early age. She was immersed in music and the arts.
From an early age, Eljuri was writing songs, playing guitar and sneaking into shows to hear her favorite bands. She started performing professionally when she was 17 with The Trouble Dolls, filling historic New York rock clubs like CBGB's and The Bitter End.
Musically restless, she formed the band, Grupo Fiesta (1998). Drawing from her latin roots, her music, lyrics and arrangements began to resonate with that style.
Defiant and tenacious, and in search of an outlet for her own musical perspective, Eljuri released her solo debut En Paz (2008) under the indie label Manovill Records in the U.S. and a year later in Mexico under the prestigious label Discos Intolerancia.
En Paz is enriched by the contributions of guest musicians that reinforce it with intense and dynamic sounds including the reggae riddims section of the legendary Jamaican duo Sly & Robbie, and the highly respected rock maven Johnette Napolitano, lead singer of the alternative rock band Concrete Blonde. The album gained critical attention by the force of Eljuri’s universal truths and global rhythms.
This exceptional guitarist sponsored by Gibson has been compared to Carlos Santana by many periodicals including Global Rhythm, The New Yorker and Al Borde.
Sensitive and committed, of Latin blood and heart, composer and lyricist, leader of all the projects in which she has been involved, Cecilia has toured in Mexico for three years as a power trio with her accompanying musicians Alex Alexander on drums and Keith Golden on bass. Eljuri performed at various festivals and forums such as UNAM, UCM, many clubs in and around Mexico City, reaching the heights of the 2010 Ollinkan Festival and Vive Latino Festival 2011 on the emerging independent artist Intolerante stage.
In August 2011, on her first tour in Colombia, South America she was invited to open for Dr. Krápula as part of the social campaign: Smoke-Free Parks and Beaches with live appearances in Bogota, Santa Marta and Cartagena.
Eljuri’s sophomore solo album Fuerte is produced by Grammy winner Gustavo Borner and co-produced by Cecilia Villar Eljuri. This powerful collection of songs is enriched by the presence of prominent invited guest musicians including once again the famous Jamaican reggae duo, drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare who lend their talent and enthusiasm to Eljuri’s song “Empuja”. Eljuri also collaborates on a few songs with the highly respected independent rockers Mario Muñoz and Sergio Acosta Leon of Colombia’s “Doctor Krápula”. The bonus track on the album is a remix of Eljuri’s song “Paloma” by Mexico’s celebrated electronica group “Kinky”. Fuerte was released April 17, 2012 by the labels Manovill Records in the U.S. and Discos Intolerancia in Mexico.
"The highlight of the evening was a performance that mixes power pop with Latin music Cecilia Villar Eljuri played big wah-wah guitar lines… the rest of the band spiced the music with hot Santana-flavored samba that set the jampacked room ablaze."— NEW YORK TIMES
Billboard magazine says, Eljuri has "... a sound that electrifies Latin styles...This is rock/dance music at its best."
Noche Latina says “She’s Joan Jett, PJ Harvey, Julieta Venegas, Tori Amos, and Andrea Echeverri all rolled into one…”
“Eljuri writes catchy four minute standards… with hooks that would make Sheryl Crow blush” and as “a deep-rooted instrumentalist – her guitar playing reminiscent of a young Carlos Santana.”
–GLOBAL RHYTHM Magazine
La Lucha
Eljuri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Úsalo bien para anunciar
Excusas, excusas, excusas
Con mi guitarra
Y la palabra
Canto para la lucha con mi guitarra
Y la palabra
Tienes la pluma para expresar, expresar dolores
Poesía y prosa para denunciar
Horrores, horrores, horrores
Con mi guitarra
Y la palabra
Canto para la lucha con mi guitarra
Y la palabra
Canto para la lucha cha cha cha
Es tiempo de poner freno
Vamos por mal camino
Es tiempo de poner freno
Vamos por mal camino
Es tiempo de poner freno, vamos por mal camino
Tienes tus ojos para vigilar, vigilar excesos
Úsalos bien para investigar
Abusos, abusos, abusos
Con mi guitarra
Y la palabra
Canto para la lucha con mi guitarra
Y la palabra
Canto para la lucha cha cha cha
Con mi guitarra cha cha cha con mi guitarra
Canto para la lucha cha cha cha
The lyrics to Eljuri's song La Lucha call on listeners to use their voice, pen and eyes to speak out against injustices and abuses of power. The first verse highlights the power of speech, urging people to use their voice to explain things and make announcements, instead of making excuses. The chorus emphasizes the power of music and lyrics, as the singer uses her guitar and words to sing for the fight. The second verse suggests that people can also use their writing skills to express pain and suffering, to call out atrocities and horrors. The song then shifts focus to the need to be watchful and vigilant, using one's eyes to investigate wrongdoing and abuses.
The repeated use of "con mi guitarra y la palabra" ("with my guitar and the word") throughout the song emphasizes the combined power of music and lyrics in fighting against social injustices. The cha cha cha added at the end of the verses gives the song a lively and catchy rhythm, making it easy for listeners to sing along and feel inspired. The repeated line "Es tiempo de poner freno, vamos por mal camino" ("It's time to put on the brakes, we're heading down the wrong path") serves as a warning to society that if we don't take action against injustices, things will only get worse.
Overall, Eljuri's La Lucha is a call to action to stand up against social injustices and make our voices heard. It is a reminder that we can use the power of music and words to effect change, and that it's time to take responsibility for our own part in building a more just society.
Line by Line Meaning
Tienes tu voz para explicar, explicar las cosas
You have your voice to explain, explain things. Use it well to announce excuses, excuses, excuses.
Con mi guitarra
Y la palabra
Canto para la lucha con mi guitarra
Y la palabra
Canto para la lucha
With my guitar and my words, I sing for the struggle. With my guitar and my words, I sing for the fight.
Tienes la pluma para expresar, expresar dolores
Poesía y prosa para denunciar
Horrores, horrores, horrores
You have the pen to express, express pains. Poetry and prose to denounce horrors, horrors, horrors.
Es tiempo de poner freno
Vamos por mal camino
Es tiempo de poner freno
Vamos por mal camino
Es tiempo de poner freno, vamos por mal camino
It's time to put a stop to it. We are on the wrong path. It's time to put a stop to it. We are on the wrong path. It's time to put a stop to it, we are on the wrong path.
Tienes tus ojos para vigilar, vigilar excesos
Úsalos bien para investigar
Abusos, abusos, abusos
You have your eyes to watch, watch excesses. Use them well to investigate abuses, abuses, abuses.
Con mi guitarra
Y la palabra
Canto para la lucha con mi guitarra
Y la palabra
Canto para la lucha cha cha cha
Con mi guitarra cha cha cha con mi guitarra
Canto para la lucha cha cha cha
With my guitar and my words, I sing for the struggle. With my guitar and my words, I sing for the fight. Cha cha cha. With my guitar cha cha cha, I sing for the fight cha cha cha.
Lyrics © Anara Publishing Limited
Written by: Cecilia Villar Eljuri
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind