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.
El gusto
Eugenia León Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pero igual seguiré cantando a la vida
Hasta que las calacas me gruñan
Date gusto vida mía
Que yo me daré otro tanto
Que yo me daré otro tanto
Date gusto vida mía
No vaya a ser que algún día
El gusto se vuelva llanto
El gusto se vuelva llanto
Date gusto vida mía
Date gusto vida mía
Que yo me daré otro tanto
No vaya a ser que algún día
El gusto se vuelva llanto
Me duele ay! me duele
Por eso canto
Y esta vida es un camote
Y el que no lo traga se hoga
Cantando el gustito estaba
Cuando se quedó dormido
Cuando se quedó dormido
Cantando el gustito estaba
Su mamá lo despertaba
Y él se hacía el desentendido
Para ver si lo dejaba
Otro ratito conmigo
Este gusto es el demonio
Que a los muertos resucita
Que a los muertos resucita
Este gusto es el demonio
Salen de la sepultura
Moviendo la cabecita
Moviendo la cabecita
Este gusto es el demonio
Este gusto es el demonio
Que a los muertos resucita
Salen de la sepultura
Moviendo la cabecita
Cantando el gustito estaba
The lyrics of Eugenia León's song "El gusto" convey a message of embracing life and finding joy in the small pleasures, even in the face of adversity and loneliness. The song begins with the assertion that the singer is free, even though she may be alone, and she will continue singing to life. The mention of "calacas" refers to skeletal figures associated with the Day of the Dead in Mexican culture, symbolizing the inevitability of death. Despite this reminder, the singer urges herself to indulge in life's pleasures, suggesting that she will do the same. There is a fear expressed that one day, these pleasures may turn into sorrow, but the message remains to relish and savor life while it lasts.
The second part of the song takes a slightly different turn, expressing pain and using vivid imagery to describe life as a "camote" (sweet potato), implying its difficulties. The act of singing is presented as a solace, a way to cope with the pain. The lyrics mention a child who falls asleep while singing and pretends not to hear his mother waking him up, perhaps attempting to prolong his moment of joy. The song then introduces the idea that this pleasure, "el gusto," is like a demon that resurrects the dead, causing them to move their heads from their graves. The repetition of this phrase reinforces the idea that indulging in life's pleasures can bring a sense of vitality even in the face of mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Libre aunque sola
Free even though I am alone
Pero igual seguiré cantando a la vida
But I will keep singing to life anyway
Hasta que las calacas me gruñan
Until the skeletons growl at me
Date gusto vida mía
Enjoy yourself, my life
Que yo me daré otro tanto
Because I will give myself the same
No vaya a ser que algún día
In case one day
El gusto se vuelva llanto
The pleasure becomes tears
Me duele ay! me duele
It hurts, oh! it hurts
Por eso canto
That's why I sing
Y esta vida es un camote
And this life is a struggle
Y el que no lo traga se hoga
And those who can't handle it drown
Cantando el gustito estaba
I was singing the little pleasure
Cuando se quedó dormido
When he fell asleep
Su mamá lo despertaba
His mother would wake him up
Y él se hacía el desentendido
And he pretended not to understand
Para ver si lo dejaba
To see if she would leave him
Otro ratito conmigo
A little while longer with me
Este gusto es el demonio
This pleasure is the devil
Que a los muertos resucita
That resurrects the dead
Salen de la sepultura
They come out of the grave
Moviendo la cabecita
Moving their little heads
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Silvestre Vargas Vázquez, Rubén Fuentes Gassón
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Iliana Corral Beltrán
Excelente voz
Hans Angel
Me encanta esta mujer
Gigi
Maravillosa!
Iliana Corral Beltrán
La mejor