Born in the "City of Palaces" (Mexico City), Eugenia Leon discovers her musical calling at the College of Sciences and Humanities in Naucalpan, where she lent her voice for the compositions of her schoolmates.
During the turbulent 70's, young people started to identify with the musical movement known as La Trova, singing about Latin American life, liberty, and soul.
Those influences defined her style and her future path, and she never looked back.
When she turned 18, she decided to study at the National School of Music. Those were hard times, constantly switching jobs, and learning from life's blows and surprises.
Encouraged by her sister, Eugenia Leon formed a musical group called "Victor Jara", with a totally Latin American folk style. Afterwards, she forms the group Sanampay, with the same roots. She left Sanampay in 1982 to pursue a solo career, based on a repertoire of songs from contemporary Mexican composers, and including also boleros and music from Brazil.
She releases her first recording in 1983, "Asi te quiero", and traveled all over Mexico with a small group of musicians playing in various gigs.
Eugenia Leon's career took a definite turn in 1985, when she entered the OTI International Festival at Seville (Spain) representing Mexico, with Marcial Alejandro's song "El Fandango Aqui". As a devastating earthquake hits Mexico City on September 19th, right while she's competing at the Festival, Eugenia transformed the pain of her people into strength, and turned her voice into the utmost expression of courage and hope. She was awarded First Place in the competition.
Since then, she has recorded more than 20 albums, all diverse and unique. Among the composers that have given her songs are Fito Paez, David Haro, Joan Manuel Serrat, Marcial Alejandro, Armando Manzanero, Jose Alfredo Jimenez, Francisco Gabilondo Soler and Maria Grever. She has also explored diverse styles such as mariachi, bolero and tango. In 1998, the government of the Mexican state of Veracruz granted her the Agustin Lara award, as homage for her excellent interpretation of the songs of the famous composers.
Commemorating her 30 years as singer, Eugenia Leon staged a concert at the National Auditorium in Mexico City (the largest venue in the country) on November 1st, 2003, selling it out completely. The concert was a spectacular show with Mariachi Vargas and the Orquesta Sinfonica de las Americas, enthralling the audience with samples covering Eugenia's entire career and musical repertoire.
Eugenia Leon is the best Mexican singer according to many, while others also consider Eugenia's concerts and recordings to be a guarantee of high quality. In any case, Eugenia helps to make sure that the musical spirit of Mexico will remain alive and well.
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Eugenia León got her start in the New Song Movement, Latin America's equivalent to the rise of Bob Dylan and company in North America and Europe. With a repertoire that pairs contemporary composers with the creators of the traditional music of Latin America and Mexico, Ms. León is not locked in to any one genre. Rather she seeks to nurture her music with elements of theater, cabaret, and opera. Her association with actors, poets, painters, and writers imparts a distinct and rich dimension to the production and staging of her music.
In 1985, her rich voice and assured stage presence guaranteed her the top prize at the OTI International Song Festival in Spain. Since then she has participated in other prestigious events such as the Pan Pacific Music Festival in Japan, the Kennedy Center’s AmericArtes Festival in Washington, DC, the Latin Festival in New York City, Expo Seville in Spain, and the Americas Summit in Cartagena, Colombia. Ms. León was also invited to entertain the thousands of women gathered for their global summit in Beijing, China.
Back home in Mexico, audiences know that Eugenia León's musical style transcends the trendy ups and downs of the world of commercial music, and she regularly packs the top venues of the nation meeting demands of fans expectant of quality songs passionately delivered. This performer/audience relationship, she believes, leads to ever higher levels of musical culture in a country fairly bursting with song. The end of an Eugenia León concert often finds the entire crowd on it's feet applauding, at once, the Mexican popular music culture, and the artist who has given it a new voice.
With her roots deep in Mexican culture, she has also taken on the task of reaffirming the ties with other Latin American cultures. Her recent live recording of Tangos has renewed Mexico's love affair with this genre.
Along these lines, she paid homage to Mexico's most dearly loved children's song composer, Francisco Gabilondo Soler’s Cri Cri (Mister Cricket) with a shimmering recording of many of his most frolicsome melodies. Accompanied by the Baja California Symphony Orchestra, Eugenia León has gifted a new generation of Mexican children with the imagination and identity of this joyfully playful tunesmith.
CHIQUILIN DE BACHIN
Eugenia León Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
De angelito con blue jean
Vende rosas en las mesas
Del boliche de bachín
Come luna y pan de hollín
Cada día en su tristeza
Que no quiere amanecer
Lo madruga un seis de enero
Con la estrella del revés
Y tres reyes gatos roban sus zapatos
Uno izquierdo y el otro también
Chiquilín dame un ramo de voz
Así salgo a vender
Mis vergüenzas en flor
Baléame con tres rosas
Que duelan a cuenta
Del hambre que no te entendí
Chiquilín
Cuando el sol pone a los pibes
Delantales de aprender
Él aprende cuanto cero
Le quedaba por saber
Y a su madre mira, yira que te yira
Pero no la quiere ver
Cada aurora en la basura
Con un pan y un tallarín
Se fabrica un barrilete
Para irse y sigue aquí
Es un hombre extraño
Niño de mil años
Que por dentro le enreda el piolín
The lyrics of "Chiquilín de Bachín" by Eugenia León paint a vivid picture of a young boy living a difficult and melancholic life. The opening lines describe how this boy, with a dirty face, appears as an angel in a blue jean outfit, selling roses in a dimly lit bar known as "boliche de bachín." The imagery of the moon shining on the grill while he consumes moonlight and bread of soot sets a somber tone, hinting at the boy's harsh reality and the contrast between his innocence and the gritty environment he inhabits.
As the lyrics progress, we learn more about the boy's daily struggles and deep-rooted sorrow. It is revealed that he refuses to embrace the new day and is awaken on Epiphany Day with his life turned upside down. The mention of three stray cats stealing his shoes, both left and right, symbolizes his constant sense of loss and displacement in the world. Through these details, the song delves into the boy's ongoing battle against adversity and the relentless cycle of hardships he faces.
The chorus of the song, where a plea is made to "Chiquilín" to provide a bouquet of voice to sell one's shame in the form of flowers, adds an emotional depth to the narrative. The act of offering roses that inflict pain, in exchange for nourishing the hunger that remained unspoken, reflects the boy's inner turmoil and his need for solace and understanding. The bittersweet nature of this request underscores the boy's vulnerability and yearning for compassion amidst his harsh reality.
The final verses of the song further portray the boy's resilience and resilience in the face of adversity. Despite his difficult circumstances, he finds creative ways to cope, such as crafting a kite from trash, bread, and noodles to escape his current reality, all the while carrying the weight of his age-old sorrows within him. The mention of him being a "strange man, a child of a thousand years" highlights his complex and enduring spirit, trapped in a world that constantly entangles him in its troubles. Overall, "Chiquilín de Bachín" explores themes of resilience, sorrow, and the enduring human spirit in the face of hardship and adversity.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Astor Pantaleon Piazzolla, Horacio Ferrer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind