Portabales was born José Guillermo Quesada del Catillo in the province of Rodas, in the former department of Las Villas.
At age 11, Portabales began work as a printer's assistant in Cienfuegos.
In 1928, he made his radio debut on the station CMHI, and from then on divided his time between his work as a printer and performing.
In the beginning, Portabales sang a variety of styles -- canción, tango, bolero, son until he discovered that his listeners enjoyed the guajira the most. He thereby refined the style and developed his signature salon guajira style in which he depicted in bucolic terms the life of the Cuban guajira (the rural campesino). Portabales sang and played guitar, accompanied bass and percussion. His guajiras have a gentle, lilting rhythm, mixing elements of the traditional son and the bolero.
Portabales continued to perform and perfect the guajira in eastern Cuba (the Orient) until invited to Puerto Rico in 1936. Portabales became instantly enamored of the neighboring Caribbean island and remained there for several years, singing in theaters, clubs and on the radio. In 1939, he married the puertoriqueña Arah Mina López, a journalist who joined him as toured Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, New York, and Tampa.
In 1940, Portabales returned to Havana to perform on stage and on radio with the Trio Matamoros. He also made a successful tour of United States and took an extended stay in Baranquilla, Colombia.
In 1953, Portabales finally settled for good in Puerto Rico, where he continued to record and perform and from where he made occasional tours of the continent. During the 1960s, he expressed his opposition to the Cuban Revolution in several compositions in discreetly poetic terms.
Portabales' career was tragically cut short when he died at age 59 in a traffic accident on Puerto Rico in 1970.
El Arroyo Que Murmura
Guillermo Portabales Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cuando sus rayos de plata, atraviesan la espesura.
El sinsonte de voz pura, que alegra el monte y el llano.
La palma de verde guano que al son del viento se mece,
Y que suspirar parece, ese es el punto cubano.
Escarba la codorniz al pie de los altos güines
Y cantan los tomeguines en las gavias del maiz.
El vigilante judío por todo el potrero vuela
Y canta la gallinuela en las márgenes del río.! Ah!.
Compositor: Jorge Anckermann
Subida por: Pacoordiales
The lyrics of Guillermo Portabales's song, El Arroyo Que Murmura, paint a vivid picture of a moonlit Cuban landscape. The murmuring brook, illuminated by the silver rays of the moon that penetrate the thick foliage, provides a soothing backdrop to the landscape. The pure voice of a mockingbird, the waving palm tree that seems to sigh in the breeze, and other birds such as the quail, the tody, and the gallinule, add to the harmony of the scene. The lyrics also describe the activities of different birds and animals in the surroundings. The quail is rummaging for food at the base of the tall sugar cane, while the bobwhites sing in the cornfields.
The song is evocative of a simpler, more rustic life, where nature was a constant companion, providing solace and comfort. It speaks about the beauty of nature and how it influences the lives of people living in the countryside. It is a song that reinforces the connection between humanity and nature.
Line by Line Meaning
El arroyo que murmura y que la luna retrata,
The babbling brook that the moon reflects upon,
Cuando sus rayos de plata, atraviesan la espesura.
When its silver rays pierce through the thicket.
El sinsonte de voz pura, que alegra el monte y el llano.
The pure-voiced mockingbird that brightens the mountains and plains.
La palma de verde guano que al son del viento se mece,
The palm tree with green fronds that sway to the tune of the wind,
Y que suspirar parece, ese es el punto cubano.
And seems to let out a sigh - that's the Cuban essence.
Escarba la codorniz al pie de los altos güines
The quail digs at the base of the tall trees,
Y cantan los tomeguines en las gavias del maiz.
And the tody birds sing in the cornfields.
Se agazapa la perdiz en el verdoso macío,
The partridge crouches in the lush foliage,
El vigilante judío por todo el potrero vuela
The watchful hawk soars all over the pasture,
Y canta la gallinuela en las márgenes del río.! Ah!.
And the gallinule sings on the riverbanks! Ah!
Writer(s): Jorge Anckermann
Contributed by Brooklyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@pintorespanol6123
Waoo magnifica melodia.. ojala alguien pueda exponer los detalles historicos de este tema y de su compositor origila. Saludos y admiracion a la gran Cuba, por sus grandes e invaluablkes aporte a la musica latina y del mundo. desde Republica Dominicana.
@sergyvolodimirov3153
Wonderful music folk and song ,the nice expression voice and orange.