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®
Fiesta
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Recogieron las basuras
De mi calle, ayer a oscuras
Y hoy sembrada de bombillas
Y colgaron de un cordel
De esquina a esquina un cartel
Y banderas de papel
Verdes, rojas y amarillas
Y al darles el sol la espalda
Revolotean las faldas
Bajo un manto de guirnaldas
Para que el cielo no vea
En la noche de San Juan
Cómo comparten su pan
Su tortilla y su gabán
Gentes de cien mil raleas
Apurad
Que allí os espero si queréis venir
Pues cae la noche y ya se van
Nuestras miserias a dormir
Vamos subiendo la cuesta
Que arriba mi calle
Se vistió de fiesta
Hoy el noble y el villano
El prohombre y el gusano
Bailan y se dan la mano
Sin importarles la facha
Juntos los encuentra el sol
A la sombra de un farol
Empapados en alcohol
Abrazando a una muchacha
Y con la resaca a cuestas
Vuelve el pobre a su pobreza
Vuelve el rico a su riqueza
Y el señor cura a sus misas
Se despertó el bien y el mal
La pobre vuelve al portal
La rica vuelve al rosal
Y el avaro a las divisas
Se acabó
El sol nos dice que llegó el final
Por una noche se olvidó
Que cada uno es cada cual
Vamos bajando la cuesta
Que arriba en mi calle
Se acabó la fiesta
The lyrics of "Fiesta" by Joan Manuel Serrat describe a scene of celebration and unity among people of different social classes in a street where the garbage was collected the day before. The street was decorated with lights, banners, and flags of different colors. The people danced and shared their food and drinks, forgetting about their differences and enjoying the moment. However, the song also highlights the contrast between the joyful atmosphere of the celebration and the reality of poverty, wealth, and social inequality that still exist when the party is over and the morning comes. The lyrics suggest that this moment of unity and joy is temporary, and each person goes back to their own reality.
Overall, "Fiesta" celebrates the spirit of togetherness, regardless of social status or background. It shows how a simple moment of celebration can bring people together and make them forget about their differences. However, it also reminds us that these moments are fleeting and do not erase the underlying social problems that exist in society.
Line by Line Meaning
Gloria a Dios en las alturas
The garbage was collected from my street in the dark yesterday, but today it's littered with light bulbs, strings of lights, paper flags in green, red, and yellow colors hanging across every corner.
Y colgaron de un cordel
A poster hung from one end of the street to another and people hung paper flags from it, green, red, and yellow.
Y al darles el sol la espalda
The sun's rays avoid the street so that they can flutter their skirts with the decorations, and shame doesn't obscure them.
En la noche de San Juan
During the eve of Saint John's, all kinds of people come together to share bread, tortillas, and gabans.
Apurad
Hurry up! I'm waiting for you there if you want to come because the night falls and our miseries go to sleep.
Vamos subiendo la cuesta
Let's walk up the hill, towards my street that is decked up for the festival.
Hoy el noble y el villano
Today, the aristocrat and commoner, the sage and the fool, everyone's dancing regardless of status.
Juntos los encuentra el Sol
The sun sets down over the duo cuddled and soaked in Eau de Cologne, embracing each other under the bright street lamps' light.
Y con la resaca a cuestas
The poor return to their poverty with a hungover and the rich heads back to their riches, while the priest rushes for his masses.
Se despertó el bien y el mal
Good and evil are awoken, and remind everyone of their position in society, the rich, the poor, and the middle class.
Se acabó
The sun has set, and the end of the festival is declared, reminding everyone just for a night; they had forgotten their identity.
Vamos bajando la cuesta
Let's walk down the hill, towards my street that is quiet and peaceful after the end of the festival.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Juan Manuel Serrat Teresa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@titamotitas8415
A mí mamá le gustaba mucho esta canción ya que le recordaba su pueblo cuando había fiesta, hoy cumpliría 95 años, y siempre se la poníamos y pedía que la repitiéramos, hace 12 años se nos fue 😢❤, gracias Joan Manuel por tan memorable canción!!
@gloriaarancibiabueno3986
...vuelve el pobre a su pobreza vuelve el rico a riqueza y el señor cura a sus misas...magnífica descripción .Perfecta👏👏👏🌻
@JuvenalRamirezvasquez
GRACIAS SEÑOR POR ENVIARNOS A ESTE GRAN ARTISTA LA INMENSIDAD Y PROFUNDIDAD DE SUS HERMOSAS CANCIONES SERRAT TU LEGADO NUNCA MORIRA
@carlosarturo8320
Desde 1968 sigo las canciones del maestro Serrat. Larga vida y necesitamos más genios como el maestro para estas generaciones y las futuras
@andrespazzarelli8375
"por una noche se olvidó qué cada uno es cada cuál" oda a la miseria del ser humano, espectacular letra!
@victorfreytas
¿Y quien no recuerda éstas bellas melodías de éste gran y perfecto cantaór de las almas en penas de un amor soñado?.. ¡Viva Manuel Serrat para Siempre!
@billace90
Esa canción al igual que su genial compositor y cantante, el genial Joan Manuel Serrat, debieran ser declaradas Patrimonio de la Humanidad!
@borispradel1037
Esta es la versión con la que crecí. Imposible de encontrar hoy… el fraseo de Serrat y la letra son mucho más dinámicos e intensos que en las versiones posteriores. Una joya.
@rodolfogutierrezgarcia5546
Una joya.
@fannyveliz157
Tengo entendido que esta es la versión original. Magnifica!