Savall's musical training started in the school choir of his native town (1947-55). He later completed his training at the Barcelona Conservatory of Music (1959-65). Afterward, he began his specialisation in early music at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland (1968-70).
In 1974 he formed the ensemble Hespèrion XX (since 2000 as Hespèrion XXI), together with the soprano Montserrat Figueras (his wife), Lorenzo Alpert and Hopkinson Smith. Hespèrion XX favored a style of interpretation characterised by great musical vitality and at the same time, maximum historical accuracy.
In 1987 he returned to Barcelona to found La Capella Reial de Catalunya, a vocal ensemble devoted to the interpretation of music prior to the 18th century.
Finally, in 1989 Savall created Le Concert des Nations, an orchestra that is generally dedicated to the baroque repertoire, but which sometimes also serves as an outlet for music that hails from the classical/romantic repertoire (e.g. Sinfonia a Gran Orquesta by Juan Crisótomo de Arriga).
Savall's discography includes more than 140 recordings. Since 1998 he has released his records with his own label, Alia Vox.
Jordi Savall is also a two-time Grammy nominee, who scored the 1991 Alain Corneau film, Tous les matins du monde (also awarded the César of the French film industry in 1992). The soundtrack, re-released on his own Alia Vox label, has sold more than a million copies worldwide.
Tres morillas m'enamoren
Jordi Savall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
en Jaén,
Axa y Fátima y Marién.
Tres morillas tan garridas
yvan a coger olivas,
y hallavanlas cogidas,
en Jaén.
Y hallavanlas cogidas,
y tornavan desmaídas
y las colores perdidas,
en Jaén,
Axa y Fatima y Marién.
Tres moricas tan loçanas
yvan a coger mançanas
y hallavanlas cogidas,
en Jaén.
Axa y Fatima y Merién.
The lyrics to the song "Tres morillas in Jaén" by Jordi Savall-Hesperion XX tell the story of three beautiful Moorish women, Axa, Fátima, and Marién, who are picking olives and apples in the region of Jaén. The singer is enamored with these women and describes them as "garridas" which means graceful or charming in Spanish. Despite their beauty, the women become faint and lose their color when collecting the olives, possibly due to the hot sun or hard labor.
The second stanza takes a similar turn, as the women are picking apples instead of olives. They are described as "loçanas," which can translate to lively or graceful. Like before, they find success in their task but become weak and tired as they do so. The song is brief and poetic, with an air of melancholy that is common in traditional Spanish and Moorish music.
Line by Line Meaning
Tres morillas m’enamoran, en Jaén, Axa y Fátima y Marién.
Three girls from Jaén, named Axa, Fátima, and Marién, have enchanted me.
Tres morillas tan garridas yvan a coger olivas, y hallavanlas cogidas, en Jaén. Axa y Fatima y Marién.
These three beautiful girls go to collect olives in Jaén and successfully complete their task.
Y hallavanlas cogidas, y tornavan desmaídas y las colores perdidas, en Jaén, Axa y Fatima y Marién.
However, after collecting olives, they return exhausted and with lost color in their faces.
Tres moricas tan loçanas yvan a coger mançanas y hallavanlas cogidas, en Jaén. Axa y Fatima y Merién.
These three slender girls also go to collect apples in Jaén and successfully find them.
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Written by: Anonymous
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