Born at a dance in San Luis, Cuba, near the city of Santiago de Cuba, Ferrer's mother died when he was 12, leaving him orphaned and forcing him to sing on the streets (busk) to earn money. The next year, Ferrer joined his first ever musical group, a duet alongside his cousin called Jóvenes del Son (Spanish: Youth of el Son). They performed at private functions and the two youths managed to scrape together enough money to live.
Over the next few years, Ferrer would perform with many musical groups, including Conjunto Sorpresa and Orquesta Chepin-Choven.
The leader of the latter composed one of Ferrer's biggest hits, "El Platanal de Bartolo".
In 1953 Ferrer started to play with Pacho Alonso's group in Santiago. In 1959 the group moved permanently to Havana, renaming themselves Los Bocucos, after a type of drum widely used in Santiago.
With Alonso, Ferrer primarily performed guarachas, sones and other sorts of up-tempo songs. However, he yearned to sing boleros. It was not until almost 40 years later, with the release of Ry Cooder's Grammy Award winning, Oscar nominated Buena Vista Social Club recording in 1999, that Ibrahim Ferrer's talent as a bolero singer would become widely known.
In 1996, Ferrer took part in the World Circuit sessions, when it was announced than an old-style bolero singer would be required. In that year, he recorded the album A Toda Cuba le Gusta with the Afro-Cuban All Stars, an album nominated for a Grammy Award.
In 1998 he recorded an album for the Cuban label EGREM, Tierra Caliente: Ibrahim Ferrer con Los Bocucos. It features Ferrer's unique voice and phrasing, band leader Roberto Correra's rich, intricate arrangements and excellent lead trumpet, and tight, rhythmic playing by the Bocucos. The album's is in the style of son-jazz big band fusion.
In 1999 Ry Cooder recorded Ferrer's first solo album, shown above.
In 2000 Ferrer famously received a Latin Grammy for "best new artist" - at the age of 72.
In 2001 he appeared on the track Latin Simone on the self-titled debut album of the virtual-band Gorillaz.
Ferrer toured internationally in Europe in 2005, after releasing his second solo recording, Buenos Hermanos, in 2003.
He was an adherent of the Santería faith, a blending of traditional African religions and Catholicism. He died of multiple organ failure on 6 August 2005 at CIMEQ hospital in Havana, Cuba, after returning from a European tour. He was 78.
Uno
Ibrahim Ferrer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
El camino que los sueños
Prometieron a sus ansias
Sabe que la lucha es cruel
Y es mucha pero lucha y se desangra
Por la fe que lo empecina
Uno va arrastrándose entre espinas
Y en su afán de dar su amor
Lucha y se destroza hasta entender
Que uno se ha quedao' sin corazón
Precio de un castigo que uno entrega
Por un beso que no llega
O un amor que lo engañó
Vacío ya de amar y de llorar
Tanta traición
Si yo tuviera el corazón
El corazón que di
Si yo pudiera como ayer
Querer sin presentir
Si es posible que a tus ojos
Que me gritan tu cariño
Se cerraran con mis besos
Sin pensar que eran como esos
Otros ojos, los perversos
Que hundieron mi vivir
Si yo tuviera el corazón
El mismo que perdí
No olvidarán la que ayer
Lo destrozó y pudiera amarte
Me abrazaría a tu ilusión
Para llorar tu amor
Pero, Dios te puso en mi camino
Sin pensar que ya es muy tarde
Y no sabré cómo quererte
Déjame que llore
Como aquel que sufre en vida
La tortura de llorar su propia muerte
Buena cómo eres salvaría
Mi esperanza con tu amor
Uno está tan solo en su dolor
Y uno está tan ciego en su penar
Pero un frío cruel
Que es peor que el odio
Punto muerto de las almas
Tumba horrenda y de mi amor
Maldigo para siempre y me robó
Toda ilusión
Si yo tuviera el corazón
El mismo que perdí
No olvidará la que ayer
Lo destrozó y pudiera amarte
Me abrazaría a tu ilusión
Para llorar tu amor
The song "Uno" by Ibrahim Ferrer is a moving musical ballad that touches on themes of hope, perseverance, and heartbreak. The song speaks to the struggles of an individual who is on a quest to find their dreams and ideal life, but they are met with obstacles and challenges that seemingly bring them down. The lyrics convey the idea of someone who is willing to fight, bleed, and sacrifice to achieve their goals, despite the cruelty of the world and the uphill battle they continuously face. They are willing to crawl through thorns and give their all, but they still end up with a broken heart.
The second verse speaks to the pain of betrayal and the emptiness that it brings. The singer speaks of the cost of sacrificing everything for someone who does not reciprocate their love, leaving them with a hollow feeling, devoid of love or tears. They long for the ability to love again and trust without fear, but the wounds from their past have made them unresponsive, unsure, and unsafe. The singer speaks of the potential of finding love, of rekindling a passion that was once lost, but the fear of being hurt again holds them back. The lyrics end with the singer lamenting over lost opportunities and how the cruelty of the world has ravaged their heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Uno busca lleno de esperanzas
One searches full of hopes
El camino que los sueños
The path that the dreams
Prometieron a sus ansias
Promised for his desires
Sabe que la lucha es cruel
He knows that the fight is cruel
Y es mucha pero lucha y se desangra
And it's a lot, but he fights and bleeds
Por la fe que lo empecina
For the faith that stubborns him
Uno va arrastrándose entre espinas
One goes crawling through thorns
Y en su afán de dar su amor
And in his eagerness to give his love
Lucha y se destroza hasta entender
He fights and destroys himself until he understands
Que uno se ha quedao' sin corazón
That one has been left without a heart
Precio de un castigo que uno entrega
Price of punishment that he delivers
Por un beso que no llega
For a kiss that doesn't come
O un amor que lo engañó
Or a love that deceived him
Vacío ya de amar y de llorar
Empty of love and tears
Tanta traición
So much betrayal
Si yo tuviera el corazón
If I had the heart
El corazón que di
The heart that I gave
Si yo pudiera como ayer
If I could, like yesterday
Querer sin presentir
Love without foreseeing
Si es posible que a tus ojos
If it's possible that in your eyes
Que me gritan tu cariño
That scream your affection to me
Se cerraran con mis besos
They closed with my kisses
Sin pensar que eran como esos
Without thinking they were like those
Otros ojos, los perversos
Other eyes, the wicked ones
Que hundieron mi vivir
That sank my living
No olvidarán la que ayer
They won't forget the one who yesterday
Lo destrozó y pudiera amarte
Destroyed it and I could love you
Me abrazaría a tu ilusión
I would embrace your illusion
Para llorar tu amor
To cry for your love
Pero, Dios te puso en mi camino
But, God put you in my way
Sin pensar que ya es muy tarde
Without thinking it's already too late
Y no sabré cómo quererte
And I won't know how to love you
Déjame que llore
Let me cry
Como aquel que sufre en vida
Like the one who suffers in life
La tortura de llorar su propia muerte
The torture of crying for his own death
Buena cómo eres salvaría
Good as you are, you would save
Mi esperanza con tu amor
My hope with your love
Uno está tan solo en su dolor
One is so alone in his pain
Y uno está tan ciego en su penar
And one is so blind in his suffering
Pero un frío cruel
But a cruel coldness
Que es peor que el odio
That is worse than hatred
Punto muerto de las almas
Dead end for souls
Tumba horrenda y de mi amor
Horrendous tomb of my love
Maldigo para siempre y me robó
I curse forever and was robbed
Toda ilusión
All the illusion
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Enrique Discepolo, Mariano Mores
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ana Maria Monteiro
Espetacular!
itzaheros
*.* OMG es una hermosa canción cuaaaaantaaa poesíaaaaa que lloro de conmoción!!
bibiana bossio
Que maravilla!
Dixie Pena
Me gusta mucho!!!
rafaela billini
me encanta!
iYuma1217
Muy buena canción
Diana Echeverri
Qué belleza!!!!!.
Tomás Córdova
Enrique Santos Discepolo, Señores y señoras!
anarelle
La canción original es un tango del genial compositor argentino Mariano Mores.
Kravitz Lenny
가사 해석좀 부탁드려요.