1) Born in Cuatro Caminos (Madrid) 1969, his musical influences come more from the pop than from traditional song-writters. His influences are ABBA, Michael Jackson, James Taylor, The Eagles, Tracy Chapman, Nanci Griffith, Suzanne Vega and Emmylou Harris.
He begins to study English Philology, and in 1991 it will spend months in London, where it begins to dedicate himself to music. When he returns to Spain he started singing in the Madrid subway and in El Retiro park, then singing on pubs and coffees like the mythical Libertad 8, where he meet other singers like Pedro Guerra.
In 1994 he records his first LP, that will count with the collaboration of artists like Ana Belén, Víctor Manuel, Luis Pastor, Pedro Guerra or Rogelio Botanz. Songs like "La edad del porvenir" or "Uno, dos, tres, cuatro", will catapult him to the fame. Also it will record a cover of the song "Las casas de cartón", theme from the venezuelan songwritter Alí Primera.
In 1999, his LP "Tres", where he experiences with electronic sounds and "more radical" letters, will undergo the censorship from part of the main musical radios.
After the edition of "Tres" it has a series of problems with the record house EMI-Chrysalis (which criticized one of the songs of the disc) reason why breaks with it. Its following disc was published with DRO; one is "Grandes éxitos", singing covers from other artists.
2) Javier Álvarez (born 1956, Mexico City) is a Mexican composer who is known for creating works that combine a variety of international musical styles and traditions that often utilize unusual instruments and new music technologies. His works have been performed throughout the world by such ensembles as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the London Sinfonietta, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Mexico City Philharmonic, and the Orchestre National de France among others. He also notably composed the music for Guillermo del Toro's acclaimed 1993 horror film Cronos. Composer John Adams stated, "The music of Javier Alvarez reveals influences of popular cultures that go beyond the borders of our own time and place."[1]
A graduate of the Royal College of Music and City University London, Álvarez has received numerous prizes and honors including a Mendelssohn Scholarship, the Lionel Robbins Award, a Gemini Fellowship, the ICEM Prize (1987), Austria’s Prix Ars Electronica (1993), and awards at the Bourges International Festival. From 1993-1999 he was a Fellow of the Mexican Endowment for the Arts and Culture. He was a founding member of Sonic Arts Network and served as the Artistic Director of the Society for the Promotion of New Music in 1993. He has been a member of the music faculties of the City University London, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Malmö Music Academy, the Royal College of Music, and the University of Hertfordshire. He lived in England from 1982 through 2007 and now resides in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico where he is the founding director of the Musical Arts Department of the Escuela Superior de Artes de Yucatán.
Uno
Javier Álvarez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tengo la impresión de que el cielo se me cae y la idea de irme hoy
No sé bien qué es la libertad ni tampoco ser feliz
Alguien hoy me llamó chaval gilipollas me sentí
No quiero tener que huir
"Patria sumisión, hazte un hombre maricón", sabias frases con que crecí
"Qué hay de malo en ir, pásatelo bien, aprovecha, ve a aprender..."
A ser dulce, humilde y un poco loco y no a hombre quiero tender
Aunque hombre ya nací
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, uno, dos, tres, cuatro,
Paso ligero yo te lo mando
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, uno, dos, tres, cuatro,
Firme, ponte recto, yo te lo mando
No está nada mal que te enseñen a temer por si el coco viene una vez
Las garras a ofrecer, la sonrisa a proteger y la lágrima contener
El calor aprieta, el amigo se va y seguimos sin cambiar
Respetar el miedo conduce a más, por su aro hay que pasar
Y te tienes que callar...
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, uno, dos, tres, cuatro...
The song Uno by Javier Álvarez seems to be an introspective piece, starting with the lines “En la inmensidad de que el día va a empezar se nos nubla la visión/Tengo la impresión de que el cielo se me cae y la idea de irme hoy.” It talks about the feeling of being lost and unsure of what the future holds. The lyricist confesses that he doesn't quite know what freedom means yet or how to be happy. The line "Alguien hoy me llamó chaval gilipollas me sentí" expresses that the words from people around us can hurt and affect how we feel about ourselves.
The next part of the song talks about how society imposes certain expectations and values onto people, especially young men. The phrase "Patria sumisión, hazte un hombre maricón" refers to the traditional masculine values of a 'patria' where one's fidelity to one's country is used to reinforce the idea of what it means to be a man. The lyricist admits that he doesn't want to follow the traditional masculine ideas since they restrict him to not explore different experiences that would make him happy.
The chorus that repeats several times throughout the song gives a marching rhythm to the lyrics, as if giving instructions. The lines about teaching one to fear and the forced patriotism hint at indoctrination at a young age. However, the lyrics suggest that students should "pasatelo bien," have fun, and be a little wild instead of blindly following traditional oppressive values.
Line by Line Meaning
En la inmensidad de que el día va a empezar se nos nubla la visión
We become lost in thought as the day dawns before us
Tengo la impresión de que el cielo se me cae y la idea de irme hoy
I feel like the world is falling apart and want to escape
No sé bien qué es la libertad ni tampoco ser feliz
I don't really understand freedom or happiness
Alguien hoy me llamó chaval gilipollas me sentí
Someone called me a stupid kid and it hurt
No quiero tener que huir
I don't want to have to run away
"Patria sumisión, hazte un hombre maricón", sabias frases con que crecí
"Patriotic submission, become a sissy man", wise words I grew up hearing
Guerra sé que hay cuando me ordenan besar la bandera que no elegí
I know there is a war when they order me to kiss a flag I didn't choose
"Qué hay de malo en ir, pásatelo bien, aprovecha, ve a aprender..."
"What's wrong with going out, having fun, taking advantage, learning..."
A ser dulce, humilde y un poco loco y no a hombre quiero tender
To be kind, humble and a little crazy and not try to fit into the typical male stereotype
Aunque hombre ya nací
Even though I was born a man
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, uno, dos, tres, cuatro,
One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four,
Paso ligero yo te lo mando
I order you to march lightly
Firme, ponte recto, yo te lo mando
Stand straight, I order you to
No está nada mal que te enseñen a temer por si el coco viene una vez
It's not a bad thing to teach you to fear in case the monster comes
Las garras a ofrecer, la sonrisa a proteger y la lágrima contener
Offer your claws, protect your smile and hold back the tears
El calor aprieta, el amigo se va y seguimos sin cambiar
The heat intensifies, the friend leaves and we continue without change
Respetar el miedo conduce a más, por su aro hay que pasar
Respecting fear leads to more, we must pass through its ring
Y te tienes que callar...
And you have to be quiet...
Writer(s): Javier Alvarez Fernandez
Contributed by Xavier O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
yonkipop
joder que joya!!! que jovenes fuimos, y que jovenes seguimos sintiendonos!!!!! aupa Javi,,,eres grande entre los grandes,,,nunca te olvide,,,,
Shibuie
Qué elenco de músicos lleva JA. J. Álvarez estaba algo verde aquí pero también nos proponía un folk-pop de fractura fresca. Su segundo disco -más intimista- me gustó algo más pero este primero es un joyita de disco. Muy bien Javier. Me encanta.
anaaa84
que buena!! Y pedazo de músicos que llevaba!! Vaya recuerdos, hacía un montón que no escuchaba esta canción...
Gabriel Seguí
Pedazo de directo sencillo pero buenisimo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
alex javier pinzon reyes
De mis temas preferidos
Mariavictoria giron ortega
Felicidades para Javier alvarez
Almudena Aldapatto
Ese javitxu,que genial eres coño!!
Cantautor
dios k weno essssss
snowersnower
first english comment
Julio Antonio González Martín
Ostia tu... pero si a este progre le he oido cantar el novio de la muerte. No entiendo nada