Catalan singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat got involved in music at the age of 17, when he got his first guitar, to which he dedicates one of his earliest songs, "Una guitarra."
In early 60's the young artist participated in a pop band playing along with classmates at Barcelona's Agronomy School, doing mainly Beatles stuff and Italian 'pop-of-the-era' songs translated to Spanish.
In 1965, while singing in a radio show called Radioscope, host Salvador Escanilla helped him to get a record deal with local label Edigsa where he recorded his first EP, as well as became part of Els Setze Jutges, a group of Catalan artists aiming to promote a renaissance of Catalan culture after Spanish Franco's dictatorship and make it spread into popular classes.
Joan Manuel Serrat's first live stage performance in 1967 at the Catalan Music Palace, established definitely his name as one of the most important artists inside the 'Nova cançó' ('New Song') movement in Catalonia.
Next year, Spain originally entered Serrat in the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 to sing "La, la, la", but he asked to sing it in Catalan, to which the Spanish authorities would not agree. This would be the first time he came into conflict with the language politics of Francoist Spain, because of his decision to sing in his native Catalan language, repressed by Franco. After the incident, Serrat was hurriedly substituted by Massiel, who won the contest with her Spanish-language version. By that time Serrat's songs were banned and his records burned in the streets. He then traveled to South America and participated in the Rio de Janeiro's World Music Festival, where he took first place with the song "Penélope."
In 1969 Serrat released an album containing songs with texts of Antonio Machado, a well known Spanish poet of late 19th-early 20th century. This album gave him immediate fame in all Spain and Latin America though, in spite of this, his decission to sing in Spanish was still criticized in some nationalistic Catalan circles.
The release of 1971's Mediterráneo LP consolidated the artist worldwide. In 1976, Joan Manuel Serrat was acclaimed for the first time in the U.S.A. while performing in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York.
In late 1974, Serrat was exiled in Mexico due to his condemnation of arbitrary executions under Franco's regime. It wasn't until Franco's death (November 20, 1975) that Serrat was able to return to his homeland.
In January of 1995, the Spanish government gave him a medal for his contribution to the Hispanic culture. That same year, a tribute album called Serrat, Eres único was made to honor his career, featuring artists such as Diego Torres, Ketama, Rosario (Flores), Joaquín Sabina, and Antonio Flores. In the year 2000, the Spanish Association of Authors and Editors (SGAE) awarded him with one of ten Medals of the Century.
In October 2004 he revealed that he had been undergoing treatment for cancer of the bladder and in November that year he cancelled a tour of Latin America and the USA in order to undergo surgery in Barcelona, where he still lives. By that time, his wonderful song "Mediterráneo" was selected as the most important song of the 20th century in Spain.
His recovery was satisfactory, and in 2005 he went on a tour again ("Serrat 100×100") around Spain and Latin America with his lifelong producer and arranger, Ricard Miralles.
A second volume of Serrat, eres único was also released this year, featuring Alejandro Sanz, Estopa, and Pasión+Vega. Around the same time, Cuban artists such as Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo Milanés, Chucho Valdez, and Ibrahim Ferrer came together to make another tribute CD, Cuba le canta a Serrat.
Source: Wikipedia®
Bendita Música
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suavemente entre las cuerdas
Y atacó con toda naturalidad
Mi, fa, mi, re, do, re, mi, fa
Y uno por uno
Desgranó cada pasaje
Con preciso y afilado bisturí
Y contagió a los cuatro vientos
Las risas y los lamentos
De la sangre puesta en pie
Sol, la, sol, fa, mi, re, do, re
Cual grillo en celo
Que reclama su pareja
Señalando: ¡estoy aquí!
Fa, re, si, la,
Fa, do, si, la, sol, sol, la, si
Déjalo todo y sígueme
Trinaba mágica
La voz del músico
Pariendo música
Música
Bendita música
La, do, si, si
La, sol
La
A consecuencia
De una osada pirueta
Que el intérprete salvó con frialdad
Mi, fa, mi, re, do, re, mi, fa
Mi corazón
Echó a volar como un cometa
Presintiendo que rondabas por allí
Fa, sol, fa, mi, re, do, re, mi
Y con la angustia y el talento
Del último movimiento
Anduvo buscándote
Sol, la, sol, fa, mi, re, do, re
Y en los impares
Del segundo anfiteatro
Te encontró y volvió a por mí
Fa, re, si, la,
Fa, do, si, la, sol, sol, la, si
Déjalo todo y sígueme
Trinaba mágica
La voz del músico
Pariendo música
Música
Bendita música
La, do, si, si
La, sol
La
The song "Bendita Música" by Joan Manuel Serrat is a beautiful tribute to the power that music has over us. From the very first verse, Serrat paints a picture with his words of a musician gently placing his bow on the strings of his instrument and then attacking the notes with ease and precision. Each passage is taken apart, examined and then put back together in a masterful manner. The musician's talent and skill are contagious, spreading laughter and sorrow to all who hear.
The second verse describes the emotions that this music brings about. It is like a mating call, calling out to anyone who might hear it to come and join in. The music is so powerful that it causes the heart to fly like a comet, chasing after whatever magic the musician is creating. Despite the anguish that comes with being so deeply moved, the chase for this beauty never stops. The final chorus is a call to abandon everything and follow the voice of the musician who is giving birth to the music. The beauty of music is celebrated, bringing listeners together under its spell.
Line by Line Meaning
Apoyó el arco
He gently rested the bow against the strings
Suavemente entre las cuerdas
Softly between the strings
Y atacó con toda naturalidad
And attacked with complete ease
Mi, fa, mi, re, do, re, mi, fa
E, F, E, D, C, D, E, F
Y uno por uno
One by one
Desgranó cada pasaje
He picked apart every passage
Con preciso y afilado bisturí
With a precise and sharp scalpel
Fa, sol, fa, mi, re, do, re, mi
F, G, F, E, D, C, D, E
Y contagió a los cuatro vientos
And spread to the four winds
Las risas y los lamentos
The laughter and the sorrow
De la sangre puesta en pie
Of the blood standing up
Sol, la, sol, fa, mi, re, do, re
G, A, G, F, E, D, C, D
Cual grillo en celo
Like a cricket in heat
Que reclama su pareja
Demanding its partner
Señalando: ¡estoy aquí!
Pointing: I am here!
Fa, re, si, la, fa, do, si, la, sol, sol, la, si
F, D, B, A, F, C, B, A, G, G, A, B
Déjalo todo y sígueme
Leave everything behind and follow me
Trinaba mágica
Magical singing
La voz del músico
The musician's voice
Pariendo música
Giving birth to music
Música
Music
Bendita música
Blessed music
La, do, si, si
A, C, B, B
La, sol
A, G
La
A
A consecuencia
As a result
De una osada pirueta
From a daring turn
Que el intérprete salvó con frialdad
That the performer saved with coolness
Mi, fa, mi, re, do, re, mi, fa
E, F, E, D, C, D, E, F
Mi corazón
My heart
Echó a volar como un cometa
Took off like a comet
Presintiendo que rondabas por allí
Sensing that you were around there
Fa, sol, fa, mi, re, do, re, mi
F, G, F, E, D, C, D, E
Y con la angustia y el talento
And with anguish and talent
Del último movimiento
Of the final movement
Anduvo buscándote
Went searching for you
Sol, la, sol, fa, mi, re, do, re
G, A, G, F, E, D, C, D
Y en los impares
And in the odd numbers
Del segundo anfiteatro
Of the second balcony
Te encontró y volvió a por mí
Found you and came back for me
Fa, re, si, la, fa, do, si, la, sol, sol, la, si
F, D, B, A, F, C, B, A, G, G, A, B
Déjalo todo y sígueme
Leave everything behind and follow me
Trinaba mágica
Magical singing
La voz del músico
The musician's voice
Pariendo música
Giving birth to music
Música
Music
Bendita música
Blessed music
La, do, si, si
A, C, B, B
La, sol
A, G
La
A
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rosa Bernardo
Esta canción es sublime. Dramática, intensa y sutil al mismo tiempo. Muy propia del delicado talento de Serrat.
graciela Libutti
delicioso homenaje a la musica, digna letra para este tema , Nano gracias por tanto , TE queremos JUANITO
Luis Alfonso Pernía Linarez
Que maravilla Joan Manuel, que diferente sería el mundo, que sensibilidad tendría la sociedad rodeada de maravillas como esta
Job Hernández
Hermoso homenaje al oficio más sublime y más incomprendido. Gracias siempre Joan por darnos razones para seguir viviendo.
Julio Peña
De acuerdo.. Una profesión nunca bien vista por el imaginario popular.. Sobre todo si decides dejar todo y seguirla!!
Mame La Rosa
La música es una bendición
GLORIA Romero
" Déjalo todo y sígueme" "Trinaba el músico, pariendo música " Joan Manuel, está bella melodía ,es un tributo a la música, el arte más exquisito y sublime que existe, en todas sus facetas, eres único leche
leonardo javier balistreri
este para mi , es uno de los mejores discos del nano ,ya que me siento algo identificado porque naci un año antes que saliera a la venta (año 93)
Mahogany Rivera
no hay nadie mas talentoso en la faz de la tierra que Joan Manuel SErrat
Marisel Dobao
Grande Serrat,hombre, poeta, genio. Gracias por tanta buena música.