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®
MO
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
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MÔ (MAHÓN)
Blanca de cal, mirando al norte, sol madrugador le enciende el rostro y Mô se encarama desde el puerto por los antiguos caminos de sus costas. Barco varado en el arenal que lame el mar de retirada. Escondrijo de vientos furtivos. Refugio de velas cansadas. Llora la novia en el huerto al abrigo de la tramontana y la villa humilde de calles leves murmura historias cotidianas de héroes pequeños y glorias breves buscando el pan de cada día, que hacen glosats ¹ con pastissets ² y gestas de bisutería. Mô... Con ruegos y llantos y de rodillas pasa el invierno poco a poco. Enciende el fuego y el cuchillo con sangre de cerdo se purifica. Bajo el mistral salado y frío retorcido se acurruca el acebuche y por el camino que lleva a poniente el sol ansías esconderse. Pero el tiempo oscuro, pájaro vencido, emigra cuando desde la Mola se desliza cálido hacia el puerto un perfume dulce de tomillo. Se sacude el frío, se quita el luto, busca el camino que lleva a la arena y por la noche llueven canciones de marineros y de sirenas. Mô... Hacia el anochecer, a beber el mar, muerta de sed baja la mata y el talayote trepa hacia el cielo por si vuelven los piratas. Preñados de pescado regresan los barcos que persiguen nubes de gaviotas y la ciudad, en el espejo del agua, turbia se peina. Bota ³ un caballo, suena el flautín y un grito antiguo de gin y fiesta se extiende por la isla como fuego desde el oeste como la peste y cuando el otoño haga sonar los tambores fértiles de la lluvia, infeliz, se aletargará con cuentos de hadas y de brujas. Mô...
The song 'Mo' by Joan Manuel Serrat is a beautifully crafted ballad about a small town called Mahon on the Spanish island of Menorca. Serrat sings about the town's white buildings and its orientation towards the North, whilst also describing Mô's journey from the port to the town through its ancient pathways. He sings about the boats that are stranded on the beach, the hidden corners that provide shelter from the strong winds, and the cries of the bride who mourns in the orchard, whilst the town speaks of everyday stories of small heroes and brief glories seeking the daily bread.
Throughout the song, Serrat interweaves images of the cold and the warmth, the dark and the light, and the strength and the fragility of the human spirit. He sings about how Mô relies on prayers and tears during the winter, how the cold is eventually shaken off, and how the perfume of thyme from the Mola hill brings with it the promise of a warmer future. The song ends with a celebration of the town's past and its present, as Serrat reflects on how the small community has managed to persevere despite severe hardships.
Overall, 'Mo' is a beautiful tribute to a small town and its people. The images and metaphors used throughout the song evoke a sense of timelessness and universality that will resonate with any listener who has experienced the joys and hardships of living in a close-knit community.
Line by Line Meaning
Blanca de calç, mirant al nord, sol matitiner li encén el rostre i Mô s'enfila des del port pels antics camins de ses costes.
A woman with white skin, facing north, is illuminated by the morning sun on her face, and Mo climbs up from the port through the old paths of its coasts.
Vaixell varat en l'arenal que llepa el mar de retirada. Amagatall de vents furtius. Refugi de veles cansades.
A boat stranded on the sandy shore is touched by the receding sea. It is a hiding place for sudden winds, and a refuge for tired sails.
Plora la sinia en el verger a l'abric de la tramuntana i la vila humil de carrers lleus murmura històries quotidianes d'herois petits i glòries breus cercant el pa de cada dia, que fan glosats amb pastissets i gestes de bijuteria.
The bride weeps in the orchard sheltered by the Tramontana wind, while the humble village of light streets murmurs everyday stories of small heroes and brief glories seeking their daily bread. They celebrate with pastries and fake gestures of jewelry.
Amb precs i plors i de genolls passa l'hivern de mica en mica. Encén el foc i el guinavet amb sang de porc es purifica.
With prayers and tears, and on his knees, he passes the winter little by little. He lights a fire and purifies the knife with pig's blood.
Sota el mestral salat i fred recargolat s'ajup l'uastre i pel camí que du a ponent el sol frissa per amagar-se.
Under the cold and salty Mistral, the twisted wild olive tree bows down, and the sun hurries to hide along the path that leads to the west.
Però el temps obscur, ocell vençut, emigra quan des de la Mola llenega càlid cap al port un perfum dolç de farigola.
But the dark time, a defeated bird, migrates when from the drowned hill, a warm and sweet perfume of thyme spreads towards the port.
Amolla el fred, es treu el dol, busca el camí que du a l'arena i per la nit plouen cançons de mariners i de sirenes. Mô...
The cold is getting milder, he takes off his mourning clothes and looks for the path that leads to the sand, and at night, songs of sailors and mermaids rain down. Mo...
Cap es fosquet, a beure al mar, morta de set baixa la mata i el talaiot s'enfila al cel per si tornessin els pirates.
The darkness is not scary, and the bush descends, dying of thirst, to drink from the sea. The talaiot, a prehistoric tower, climbs up to the sky just in case the pirates return.
Farcits de peix tornen els bous que empaiten núvols de gavines i la ciutat, en el mirall de l'aigua, tèrbola es pentina.
The bulls filled with fish return, chasing flocks of seagulls, and the city, reflected in the water, combs its murky hair.
Bota un cavall, toca un fabiol i un crit antic de gin i festa s'escampa per l'illa com foc des de l'oest com una pesta i quan la tardor faci sonar els tambors fèrtils de la pluja, mesquineta, s'ensopirà amb contes de fades i de bruixes. Mô...
A horse neighs, a fabiol sounds, and an ancient cry of gin and celebration spreads like fire across the island, like a plague from the west. And when autumn makes the fertile drums of rain sound, the mean one will fall asleep with tales of fairies and witches. Mo...
Contributed by Eliana W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.