“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
Sed
Eljuri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cuando el circulo se cierra
Más me duele
Tengo sed, sed de vivir
Tengo sed, sed de vivir
El mundo no es blanco y negro
Tengo sed, sed de vivir
Tengo sed, sed de vivir
Usan miedo para amenazarme, pero no me doblegara
Hay poco que puede alarmarme, la libertad no me quitarán
Tengo S-E-D, sed de vivir
No son héroes
Lo que queda es
El odio y el mal
El odio y el mal, el odio y el mal
Usan miedo para amenazarme
Pero no me doblegaran
Hay poco que puede alarmarme la libertad no me quitarán
Breathe, all the way in, all the way out
No me quitarán
In the first verse of Eljuri's song "Sed," we see the theme of the circle of life and how it can cause pain when it is complete. The singer is expressing that something/someone has come to an end, and it's causing them pain. This idea then moves to the chorus where they express their desire to live and that they have "sed" (thirst) for it. The lyrics, though simple, express the idea that life can be difficult and painful, but it's worth fighting for because the thirst for living makes it all worthwhile.
The next verse then moves to a comparison of the world. The singer sees that the world isn't as simple as black and white, and innocent people are being sacrificed. The line, "Usan miedo para amenazarme, pero no me doblegará" (They use fear to threaten me, but I won't fold) shows that despite the struggles, they're willing to fight for their freedom and not let fear control them. The idea of feeling "S-E-D, sed de vivir" (T-H-I-R-S-T, thirst for living) is repeated again, emphasizing this desire to live and not give up.
In the last verse, the singer sees that there are no more heroes left, only hatred and evil. Despite this, they won't let fear control them, and the freedom they feel is something that can't be taken away. The song ends with the line "No me quitarán" (They won't take it away), reiterating their determination to keep fighting.
Line by Line Meaning
La vida es, un circulo
Life is a cycle
Cuando el circulo se cierra
When the cycle ends
Más me duele
It hurts me more
Tengo sed, sed de vivir
I am thirsty, thirsty for life
Tengo sed, sed de vivir
I am thirsty, thirsty for life
El mundo no es blanco y negro
The world is not black and white
Sacrificando, a la gente, inocente
Sacrificing innocent people
Usan miedo para amenazarme, pero no me doblegara
They use fear to threaten me, but I won't yield
Hay poco que puede alarmarme, la libertad no me quitarán
There is little that can frighten me, they won't take my freedom
Tengo S-E-D, sed de vivir
I have T-H-I-R-S-T, thirst for life
No son héroes
They are not heroes
Lo que queda es
What remains is
El odio y el mal
Hate and evil
El odio y el mal, el odio y el mal
Hate and evil, hate and evil
Breathe, all the way in, all the way out
Take a deep breath
No me quitarán
They won't take me
Lyrics © Anara Publishing Limited
Written by: Cecilia Villar Eljuri
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind