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®
Hoy Puede Ser Un Gran Día
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Plantéatelo así
Aprovecharlo o que pase de largo
Depende en parte de ti
Dale el día libre a la experiencia
Para comenzar
Y recíbelo como si fuera
No consientas que se esfume
Asómate y consume
La vida a granel
Hoy puede ser un gran día
Duro con él
Hoy puede ser un gran día
Donde todo está por descubrir
Si lo empleas como el último
Que te toca vivir
Saca de paseo a tus instintos
Y ventílalos al sol
Y no dosifiques los placeres
Si puedes, derróchalos
Si la rutina te aplasta
Dile que ya basta
De mediocridad
Hoy puede ser un gran día
Date una oportunidad
Hoy puede ser un gran día
Imposible de recuperar
Un ejemplar único
No lo dejes escapar
Que todo cuanto te rodea
Lo han puesto para ti
No lo mires desde la ventana
Y siéntate al festín
Pelea por lo que quieres
Y no desesperes
Si algo no anda bien
Hoy puede ser un gran día
Y mañana también
Hoy puede ser un gran día
Duro, duro,
Duro con él
The song "Hoy Puede Ser Un Gran Dia" by Joan Manuel Serrat is a reminder to live each day with enthusiasm and seize the opportunities to make it a great day. The lyrics encourage the listener to approach the day with positivity and excitement, to take time to appreciate the little things in life, and to step outside of their comfort zone to try new things.
The song opens with the line "Hoy puede ser un gran día, plantéatelo así" which translates to "Today could be a great day, think of it that way". This sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the lyrics encouraging the listener to make the most of the day, to unleash their instincts, and to fight for what they want. The song acknowledges that some days are tough and require effort, with lines like "Hoy puede ser un gran día, duro con él" translating to "Today could be a great day, but you have to be tough with it".
Overall, "Hoy Puede Ser Un Gran Dia" is a reminder to live in the present moment and to not let life pass by. It encourages the listener to embrace the day, to try new things, and to find joy in the little moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoy puede ser un gran día
Today has the potential to be an amazing day
Plantéatelo así
Think of it that way
Aprovecharlo o que pase de largo
It is up to you to seize it or let it go by
Depende en parte de ti
It depends partly on you
Dale el día libre a la experiencia
Let yourself experience life without limits
Para comenzar
To start things off
Y recíbelo como si fuera
And welcome it as if it were
Fiesta de guardar
A holiday worth remembering
No consientas que se esfume
Don't let it slip away
Asómate y consume
Take a look and indulge
La vida a granel
Life in abundance
Duro con él
Be tough with it
Donde todo está por descubrir
Where everything is waiting to be discovered
Si lo empleas como el último
If you treat it like the last
Que te toca vivir
One you'll ever live
Saca de paseo a tus instintos
Take your instincts out for a walk
Y ventílalos al sol
Let them breathe in the sunshine
Y no dosifiques los placeres
And don't ration your pleasures
Si puedes, derróchalos
If you can, indulge in them
Si la rutina te aplasta
If routine is crushing you
Dile que ya basta
Tell it that enough is enough
De mediocridad
Of mediocrity
Date una oportunidad
Give yourself a chance
Imposible de recuperar
Irrecoverable
Un ejemplar único
A unique specimen
No lo dejes escapar
Don't let it slip away
Que todo cuanto te rodea
Everything around you
Lo han puesto para ti
Was put there for you
No lo mires desde la ventana
Don't just watch it from afar
Y siéntate al festín
Join in the feast
Pelea por lo que quieres
Fight for what you want
Y no desesperes
And don't despair
Si algo no anda bien
If something isn't going well
Y mañana también
And tomorrow too
Duro, duro,
Be tough, tough
Duro con él
Be tough with it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Joan Manuel Serrat
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joaquindelacuesta3658
Esta canción es la fuerza vital misma. Gracias Joan Manel. Además como músico que soy, y bajista tuve el privilegio de conocer a algunos de los músicos que tocan aquí, especialmente al bajista. Gran persona y mejor músico.
@CATRALINA
Mi papá me regaló está canción para mi cumpleaños. El hace casi un mes partió de este mundo. Un lindo mensaje para seguir adelante 💕.
@carlosjosechaconibarra3273
Joan Manuel Serrat es mi cantante preferido con la canciòn Cantares y muchas de sus canciones te envian un mensaje o un pensamiento. Hoy ya decidi que la conferencia y los talleres iniciarlos con la canciòn " Hoy es un gran dìa ". La crisis mundial, las sanciones y actos de violencia no deben vencernos y tenemos que enseñar a los niños y jovenes que las crisis no son eternas, hay que planificar la vida, disfrutarla y enseñar. A los 15 años exprese " El sol sale todo los dìas y sale para todos y Dios aprieta pero no ahorca " hoy a los 78 años hay que enseñarles que no hay crisis eternas y que la nueva generaciòn mundial trabaje y viva por un planeta màs armonico. Sigamos el ejemplo de Joan Manuel
@lilib.b.2201
Un perfecto mantra para acumular fuerzas en días difíciles 💪🏻
@mariajosedominguez2055
Cómo se puede comentar esta canción? Qué valoración darle a una obra maestra? A un artista grandioso y tan humilde a un tiempo? Catalán y español al unísono! Sólo cabe la gratitud y la alegría de poder escuchar sus palabras y así hacerlas un poquito nuestras!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💖💕
@monegalacosta3242
Cuando me pierdo en nostalgias,escucho esta maravilla y me encuentro......
@iurisdictiohomnes1287
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
@monegalacosta3242
Serrat,te escucho desde mi adolescencia,tengo 68 años. Si me siento triste, tú me ayudas a levantar mi ánimo.
Gracias,poeta y cantante querido.
@robertocampos203
!! Aun recuerdo cuando en mi juventud al escuchar la música de Serrat, me decían "comunista!!! Jajajajaj jajajajaj que tiempos!!
@dannapaao
Ya estás muy old para escuchar esto, si eres inculta y no sabes lo que es old, old en español es grande de edad