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.
La Paloma
Eugenia León Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Estábamos en la Guerra de Intervención
La danza de la paloma hacía furor
En medio de los desastres de la nación
Maximiliano con todos sus traidores
Se creían invencibles los invasores
El presidente Juárez y sus patriotas
No se desanimaban con las derrotas
Se vino el invasor por toda la nación
Ay destruyendo nuestros hogares
Sin tener compasión
El año 94 así pasó
Estábamos en la lucha de sucesión
La danza de las monedas hacía furor
A los dioses de la guerra y la corrupción
Si a tu frontera llega una paloma
Cuida que no sea buitre
Lo que se asoma
Cuánta falta nos hace Benito Juárez
Para desplumar aves neoliberales
No te quiebres país
Aquí está mi canción
Que un águila y una serpiente
Defienden la nación
Ay palomita de ayer y hoy
Contra el racismo y la intervención
Vuela paloma a las fronteras
Quita una estrella a su bandera
Que no queremos imperialismos
Estamos hartos de su cinismo
Que nuestros aires son soberanos
Somos chinacos y mexicanos
The lyrics of Eugenia León's song "La Paloma" tell the story of two significant periods in Mexican history: the War of Intervention in 1864 and the struggle for succession in 1894. In both instances, foreign powers posed a threat to the nation, but the Mexican people remained resilient and determined to defend their homeland.
The first verse mentions the year 1864, a time when Mexico was in the midst of the War of Intervention. The "danza de la paloma" (the dance of the dove) became popular despite the nation's turmoil and destruction caused by the invading forces led by Maximiliano and his traitors. Despite a series of defeats, President Juárez and his patriots refused to lose hope.
The second verse moves forward to the year 1894, during the struggle for succession. This time, the "danza de las monedas" (the dance of the coins) represents the greed, corruption, and influence of war gods and corrupt politicians. The lyrics emphasize the importance of being vigilant and not allowing vultures disguised as doves to enter the country's borders.
The chorus repeats the plea for a strong national leader, referencing Benito Juárez, who was known for his resistance against foreign intervention. The song calls for unity and perseverance, asserting Mexico's sovereignty and rejecting imperialism and cynicism. The term "chinacos" refers to common Mexican people of mixed indigenous and mestizo heritage, emphasizing their connection to the nation.
Overall, "La Paloma" is a call to action, urging Mexicans to stand against racism, foreign intervention, and corruption, and to defend their country with unity and pride.
Line by Line Meaning
El año sesenta y cuatro, válgame Dios
In the year sixty-four, oh dear God
Estábamos en la Guerra de Intervención
We were in the Intervention War
La danza de la paloma hacía furor
The dance of the dove was causing a sensation
En medio de los desastres de la nación
Amidst the nation's disasters
Maximiliano con todos sus traidores
Maximilian with all his traitors
Se creían invencibles los invasores
The invaders believed themselves invincible
El presidente Juárez y sus patriotas
President Juarez and his patriots
No se desanimaban con las derrotas
They were not discouraged by defeats
Se vino el invasor por toda la nación
The invader came across the entire nation
Ay destruyendo nuestros hogares
Oh, destroying our homes
Sin tener compasión
Without having any compassion
El año 94 así pasó
The year 94 passed like this
Estábamos en la lucha de sucesión
We were in the succession struggle
La danza de las monedas hacía furor
The dance of the coins was causing a sensation
A los dioses de la guerra y la corrupción
To the gods of war and corruption
Si a tu frontera llega una paloma
If a dove arrives at your border
Cuida que no sea buitre
Make sure it's not a vulture
Lo que se asoma
What is looming
Cuánta falta nos hace Benito Juárez
How much we need Benito Juarez
Para desplumar aves neoliberales
To pluck neoliberal birds
No te quiebres país
Do not break, country
Aquí está mi canción
Here is my song
Que un águila y una serpiente
That an eagle and a serpent
Defienden la nación
Defend the nation
Ay palomita de ayer y hoy
Oh little dove of yesterday and today
Contra el racismo y la intervención
Against racism and intervention
Vuela paloma a las fronteras
Fly dove to the borders
Quita una estrella a su bandera
Take away one star from their flag
Que no queremos imperialismos
Because we don't want imperialism
Estamos hartos de su cinismo
We are tired of their cynicism
Que nuestros aires son soberanos
Because our airs are sovereign
Somos chinacos y mexicanos
We are chinacos and Mexicans
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alfons Weindorf, Freddy Quinn, SEBASTIAN DE YRADIER, VICTOR BACH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@angelabescobedo1966
No soy mexicana,pero defiendo este país como si lo fuera,mis hijos llevan sangre mexicana!!! Bella interpretación de esta gran Señora Eugenia León y viva México claro que si
@felipehernandez342
la canción mas bella del mundo
@Pachino89
Soy Colombiano y tengo el ojo aguado.VIVA MÉXICO!
@esperanzacampero2177
Si algo admiro del pueblo mexicano es su amor al país y su folclor
@user-nh6up4xw2x
❤❤❤❤❤❤
@ggusstavo1
La canción desgarra el alma y la voz magistral de Eugenia Leon, combinación perfecta, viva Mexico!
@Sandra-vc8ph
Hermosa voz ❤️hermosa mujer y hermosa canción 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
@connyrivera9379
Wowww que voz más grandiosa tiene esta sra 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿🤲🙏🏻
@normavazquez6847
Y yo lloró al acordarme de mi abuelita ( Q.e.p.d).que lloraba al escucharla, al igual que a mi mama.
@irmamendoza2057
SÍ SEÑORA, ¡¡¡VIVA MÉXICO Y TODOS LOS MEXICANOS!!!👏👏👏