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.
Tatuaje
Eugenia León Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Para darte el coraje de seguir el viaje al anochecer
Para ser interminablemente tu esclava
A la que tomas, hieres, niegas, más no apartas
Quisiera jugar en tu cuerpo como bailarina
Que loca te alucina, salta y te ilumina al anochecer
Y en los músculos exhaustos de tu brazo
Dormir saciada al fin, marchita, muerta de cansancio
Pesar sobre ti como cruz
Y en un abrazo partirte en mil pedazos
Verte en mi regazo al anochecer
Yo quiero ser la cicatriz risueña y corrosiva
Marcada a frío, a hierro, a fuego en carne viva
Quiero ser tu paz, dolor, sirenas y serpientes
Que te lastiman todo, todo, todo, más no sientes
In Eugenia León's song "Tatuaje," the lyrics express a strong desire to deeply connect with someone on a physical and emotional level. The singer wants to stay in the other person's body like a tattoo, symbolizing a permanent mark, providing courage, and accompanying them on their journey through the night. The longing to be continually present and devoted to the other person is depicted through the metaphor of being an eternal slave. The contradictory emotions of being taken, hurt, denied, but never separated from the other person are expressed.
The singer further expresses a desire to play on the other person's body like a dancer, bringing them joy and excitement in an almost frenzied state, both jumping and lighting them up during the night. The idea of finding rest and satisfaction in the exhausted muscles of the other person's arm suggests a deep sense of intimacy and trust.
The lyrics also portray a desire to burden the other person, almost like a heavy cross, and to embrace them tightly to the point of breaking into a thousand pieces. The longing to see the other person in their embrace at the end of the day suggests a longing for closeness and the comfort of having them close.
The verse following asserts a desire to be the playful and corrosive scar that marks the other person, made through the coldness, iron, and fire that is etched into their raw flesh. The longing to be everything for the other person, their peace, pain, sirens, and serpents, indicates a desire to be fully experienced and embraced, even in the face of potential harm.
Line by Line Meaning
Quiero quedarme en tu cuerpo como tatuaje
I want to stay on your body like a tattoo, symbolizing a permanent presence in your life
Para darte el coraje de seguir el viaje al anochecer
To give you the courage to continue the journey, especially during the dark and difficult times
Para ser interminablemente tu esclava
To willingly and unfailingly be your devoted servant
A la que tomas, hieres, niegas, más no apartas
Whom you take, hurt, deny, but cannot completely separate from
Quisiera jugar en tu cuerpo como bailarina
I desire to play on your body like a dancer, bringing excitement and joy to your life
Que loca te alucina, salta y te ilumina al anochecer
As a crazy performer, I mesmerize you, jumping and illuminating your nights
Y en los músculos exhaustos de tu brazo
And in the exhausted muscles of your arm
Dormir saciada al fin, marchita, muerta de cansancio
I want to sleep fully satisfied, worn out, and dead tired
Pesar sobre ti como cruz
To weigh upon you like a burden, just like a cross you carry
Y en un abrazo partirte en mil pedazos
And in an embrace, shatter you into a thousand pieces
Verte en mi regazo al anochecer
To see you in my embrace during the darkness of the night
Yo quiero ser la cicatriz risueña y corrosiva
I want to be the playful and corrosive scar that marks you
Marcada a frío, a hierro, a fuego en carne viva
Engraved in coldness, iron, and burning fire on raw flesh
Quiero ser tu paz, dolor, sirenas y serpientes
I want to embody your peace, pain, enchanting melodies, and dangerous temptations
Que te lastiman todo, todo, todo, más no sientes
That hurt you entirely, everything, but you don't feel it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ruy Guerra, Chico Buarque
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Salvador Cruz
Maestra!! Faltan muchos de sus discos en Spotify entre ellos este, Puño de Tierra, Tirana... LOS NECESITO!
Oscar Guerrero
Tengo TODOS de Eugenia desde el 1ro en Vinyl . Solo CORAZON MEXICANO con Ramon Vargas me falta .
Marga Dutemple
Si, a mí también me gustaría escucharte en Spotify, creo que Mar adentro tampoco está y era, antes de este, mi preferido
ngc15
Tatuaje, sólo para intensos, que bella canción de Chico Buarque, con tu voz hermosísima Eugenia, realmente me hace estremecer, preciosa voz gracias Eugenia y tus músicos hermosos también <3
Martha Lieja
de acuerdo además no cialquiera entiende esta canción
Liliana Castañón
MARAVILLOSO DISCO EUGENIA!!! MI PREFERIDO SIN DUDA!!!! GRACIAS GRACIAS GRACIAS UN GRAN ABRAZO!!!! AMO TU DISCO LO DISFRUTO MUCHISIMO!!! SALUDOS CON MUCHO CARIÑO>>> BESOS
Guss Davila
GRACIAS EUGENIA, QUE MANERA DE INTERPRETAR, LA MÚSICA ES FENOMENAL
Cesar Pantoja
Una de sus mejores interpretaciones!!! La amo!!!!!
Guillermo Madrid
no existe una canción en que Eugenia no imponga su estilo único y embellece todavía mas con su hermosa voz.
Hooligan Daft Punk
el intro de la cancion me encanta es como estar en un momento romántico con el amor de tu vida <3