Leonardo " Flaco" Jiménez began performing, at the age of seven, with his father, Santiago Jimenez, who was a pioneer of conjunto music and began recording at age fifteen as a member of Los Caporales. He played in the San Antonio area for several years, and then began working with Douglas Sahm in the 1960s. Sahm, better known as the founding member of the Sir Douglas Quintet, played with Jiménez for some time. Flaco then went on to New York City and worked with Dr. John, David Lindley, Peter Rowan, Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan. He appeared on Cooder's world music album Chicken Skin Music and on the Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge. This led to greater awareness of his music outside America and, after touring Europe with Ry Cooder, he returned to tour in America with his own band, and on a joint bill with Peter Rowan. Jiménez, Peter Rowan and Wally Drogos were the original members of a band called The Free Mexican Airforce.
Jiménez won a Grammy Award in 1986 for Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio, one of his father's songs. He was also a member of the Tejano fusion group Texas Tornados, with Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. The Texas Tornados won a Grammy Award in 1990, and Jiménez earned one on his own in 1996, when his self-titled album Flaco Jiménez won the Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Performance. In 1999, Flaco earned another Grammy Award for Best Tejano Performance for Said and Done (released by Barbed Wire Records), and one for Best Mexican-American Performance as a part of supergroup Los Super Seven. Jiménez has also won a Best Video award at the Tejano Music Awards and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard Latin Magazine for "Streets of Bakersfield" with Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens.
Jiménez appeared in the movie Picking Up the Pieces, with Woody Allen and Sharon Stone, and also featured on the soundtrack. His music has featured in the soundtrack for other movies such as Y Tu Mamá También, The Border, Tin Cup, and Striptease. The Hohner company collaborated with Jiménez to create the Flaco Jimenez Signature Series of accordions.
His brother, Santiago Jiménez, Jr., is also an accomplished accordionist who has recorded extensively.
Jiménez's latest CD, Ya Volvi De La Guerra, was issued in 2009 by Fiesta Records.
Los Laureles
FLACO JIMENEZ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que rosas tan encendidas!
Si piensas abandonarme mejor quitame la vida;
Alza los ojos a verme
Si no esta comprometido.
Eres mata de algodon!
Que vives en el capullo;
Cuando te llenas de orgullo
De ver a mi corazon
Enredado con el tuyo!
Eres rosa de castilla
Que solo en mayo se ve
Quisiera hacerte un invite,
Pero la verda no se
Si tiene quiйne te lo evite,
Mejor me separare
Por "ai" va la despedida,
Chinito por tus quereres
La perdicion de los hombres;
Son las benditas mujeres
Y aqui se acaban cantando
Los versos de los laureles.
This ranchera is a standard for all
mariachis and dates back to the 1920's
or 1930's. It is supposed to have been
written by Consuelo Vel醩quez; it was
common, especially during the Mexican
Revolution in 1910, for women to write
songs and include the couplets that men
customarily used. This would explain the
line, la perdicion de los hombres son las
maldites mujeres (cursed women), in the
original version. L. Are.
The Laurels
Written by Joselй"‰ez
Ay, how green the laurels are!
What fiery roses!
If you're thinking of leaving me better
to take away my life;
Lift your eyes to look at me
If you are not engaged to be married.
You are a sprig of cotton
That lives in the bud;
Ay, what sadness I feel
When you fill yourself with haughtiness
Upon seeing my heart
Entangled with yours!
You are a rose from Castille
That can only be seen in May
I would like to invite you,
But in truth I don't know
If there is someone in the way
Better that I go away.
So goes the farewell
Chinito, to your affections
The Blessed women
Are the ruin of men;
And here ends the singing
Of the verses of the laurels
The song Los Laureles is a classic Mexican ranchera that dates back to the early 1900s. The song's lyrics contemplate the idea of unrequited love and betrayal. The singer sings about the beauty of nature, including the green laurel trees and fiery roses, before expressing fear of their partner abandoning them. They confess that they would rather die than be left by their lover. The lyrics also mention how the singer's heart is intertwined with their lover's and the sadness they feel when their lover becomes proud. The song ends with the singer bidding farewell to their lover, acknowledging how women can be the ruin of men.
One interesting interpretation of the lyrics is that they reflect the time period during which they were written, which was characterized by the Mexican Revolution. The line "la perdicion de los hombres son las maldites mujeres," which translates to "cursed women are the ruin of men," may have been a reflection of the societal attitudes towards women during that period. Additionally, the lyrics are also believed to have been written by a woman, Consuelo Velézquez, who was known for writing romantic songs.
» Los Laureles is a Mexican folk melody from the 19th century first popularized by the Mexican Revolution.
» The song has been covered by many artists, including Linda Ronstadt and Flaco Jiménez.
» Los Laureles is one of the most popular songs to inspire dancing in a traditional Mexican wedding.
» The lyrics to Los Laureles are based on traditional Mexican poetry known as decimas.
» The song is said to have been written by a woman, Consuelo Velézquez, during the Mexican Revolution.
» The melody for Los Laureles is very similar to that of a Puerto Rican song called "Caminante" by Rafael Hernández.
» In 1995, Linda Ronstadt recorded a version of Los Laureles for her album Frenesi.
» The song's popularity has led to it being featured in several films, including the 1954 drama Tlayucan and the 1985 comedy El año de la peste.
» Los laureles, also known as sweet bay, are native to the Mediterranean region and have long been associated with victory and honor in many cultures.
Chords:
Unfortunately, the chords are not available at this time.
Line by Line Meaning
Ay, que laureles tan verdes!
Oh, how green those laurels are!
Que rosas tan encendidas!
What fiery roses!
Si piensas abandonarme mejor quitame la vida;
If you're thinking of leaving me, it's better to take away my life.
Alza los ojos a verme / Si no esta comprometido.
Lift your eyes to look at me, if you are not engaged.
Eres mata de algodon! / Que vives en el capullo;
You are a sprig of cotton, that lives in the bud.
Ay, que tristeza me da / Cuando te llenas de orgullo
Oh, how sad I feel when you become full of pride.
De ver a mi corazon / Enredado con el tuyo!
Upon seeing my heart entangled with yours!
Eres rosa de castilla / Que solo en mayo se ve
You are a rose from Castilla that only can be seen in May.
Quisiera hacerte un invite, / Pero la verdad no se
I would like to invite you, but honestly I don't know
Si tiene quiéne te lo evite, / Mejor me separare
If someone is in the way, it's better that I go away.
Por 'ai' va la despedida, / Chinito por tus quereres
Thus goes the farewell, Chinito, for your affections.
La perdicion de los hombres; / Son las benditas mujeres
The ruin of men lies in the blessed women.
Y aqui se acaban cantando / Los versos de los laureles.
And here end the singing of the verses of the laurels.
Contributed by John V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.