The restaurant where he worked as a young man, "La Sirena" was frequented by Andres Huesca, who heard some of his compositions of the then young singer, among which was "Cuando el Destino" and "Yo". Huesca immediately decided to record this and following this in 1948 for the first time on the radio station XEX-AM and months after the XEW-AM, which was catapulted to fame. He married Paloma Gálvez and had two children, José Alfredo and Paloma.
He had no musical training—according to the singer Miguel Aceves Mejía, Jiménez didn't play an instrument and didn't even know the Spanish terms for "waltz" and "key". Nonetheless he composed more than 1000 songs. Among the most famous are "Ella", "Media Vuelta", "El Rey", "El Jinete", "Si Nos Dejan", "Amanecí Entre Tus Brazos", "Cuando el Destino", "El Caballo Blanco", "Llegó Borracho el Borracho" and "Que Te Vaya Bonito", as well as "Camino de Guanajuato", where he sang about his home State of Guanajuato as well as his home town of Dolores Hidalgo Guanajuato.
In addition to his own hit recordings, many of his songs have been recorded successfully by recording artists around the Spanish-speaking world, most notably by Pedro Infante, Rocío Durcal, Javier Solís, Pedro Fernández, Jorge Negrete, Vikki Carr, Luis Miguel, Lola Beltrán, Lucha Villa, Vicente Fernández and by Spaniards Julio Iglesias, Joaquín Sabina and Manolo García.
Jiménez passed at a young age, like others of his contemporaries: Negrete, Infante and Solís, the so-called "Three Mexican Roosters", or Tres Gallos Mexicanos all died young. He was struck-down by hepatitis at age 47 and is regarded, along with Agustín Lara and Juan Gabriel, as one of the best songwriters that Mexico has ever produced. He was certainly one of the most prolific composers in the history of popular music, world-wide.
Shortly before his death, he wrote and recorded his last song, "Gracias", thanking the public for all of the affection they had shown him. His tomb has become a place of pilgrimage for serious music fans from around the Spanish-speaking world.
Muñequita Negra
José Alfredo Jiménez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Duérmete conmigo
Duérmete en mis brazos
Que tanto te quieren porque son tu abrigo
Muñequita negra
Del color del mío
Vete acurrucando
Cierra tus ojitos
Calla tu boquita
Y acurrucadita
Como ya te dije, duérmete feliz
Olvida que el mundo
Va a ser cruel contigo
Y piensa que nunca
Que nunca en la vida tendrás que sufrir
Como un angelito, sueña con las cosas
Que a ti más te gusten
Como un angelito, sueña con las cosas
Bonitas de Dios
Muñequita negra
Duérmete conmigo
Duérmete en mis brazos
Que tanto te quieren porque son tu abrigo
Muñequita negra
Del color del mío
Vete acurrucando
Hasta que se vaya de tu cuerpo el frió
Muñequita negra
Muñequita negra
The song "Muñequita Negra" by José Alfredo Jiménez is a comforting and tender lullaby directed towards a black doll. The lyrics convey a sense of protection, love, and empathy towards the doll, as the singer urges it to go to sleep in their arms, assuring that they are loved and embraced. The repetition of phrases like "sleep with me" and "curl up" emphasizes the desire to provide warmth and comfort to the doll, symbolizing the singer's care and concern.
The song highlights the racial dynamic by referring to the doll's color as "dark like mine." This can be interpreted as a reflection of the singer's own experiences or an acknowledgment of the discrimination and challenges faced by black individuals in society. By singing about the doll's need for warmth, the singer may be addressing not only physical coldness but also the emotional and social coldness that can be experienced due to prejudice and indifference.
Furthermore, the lyrics encourage the doll to forget the cruelty of the world and believe that it will never have to suffer. This can be seen as a protective and nurturing gesture, attempting to shield the doll from the harsh realities of life and maintain its innocence. The reference to dreaming as an angel touches upon the theme of hope and escapism, suggesting that dreaming can offer solace and a refuge from the difficulties of existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Muñequita negra
Little black doll
Duérmete conmigo
Sleep with me
Duérmete en mis brazos
Fall asleep in my arms
Que tanto te quieren porque son tu abrigo
Because they love you so much, they are your shelter
Del color del mío
The same color as mine
Vete acurrucando
Curl up
Hasta que se vaya de tu cuerpo el frió
Until the cold leaves your body
Cierra tus ojitos
Close your little eyes
Calla tu boquita
Silence your little mouth
Y acurrucadita
And cuddled up
Como ya te dije, duérmete feliz
As I already told you, sleep happily
Olvida que el mundo
Forget that the world
Va a ser cruel contigo
Will be cruel to you
Y piensa que nunca
And think that never
Que nunca en la vida tendrás que sufrir
That you will never have to suffer in life
Como un angelito, sueña con las cosas
Like an angel, dream about things
Que a ti más te gusten
That you like the most
Muñequita negra
Little black doll
Duérmete conmigo
Sleep with me
Duérmete en mis brazos
Fall asleep in my arms
Que tanto te quieren porque son tu abrigo
Because they love you so much, they are your shelter
Muñequita negra
Little black doll
Del color del mío
The same color as mine
Vete acurrucando
Curl up
Hasta que se vaya de tu cuerpo el frió
Until the cold leaves your body
Muñequita negra
Little black doll
Muñequita negra
Little black doll
Writer(s): Jose Alfredo Jimenez Sandoval
Contributed by Kaelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mariadelrosariomedinaperez3016
Está canción me la enseño mi papá desde que yo era pequeña. Y hoy después de 38 años la sigo cantando
@ricardomorales4957
Era la canción favorita de mi Padre QEPD..Al escucharla se ponía a llorar...😪😪
@esferanavidad
El mejor y mas fructifero compositor de musica bernacula Mexicana. Lo maximo verdad de Dios!!!
@cinthyamaldonadosalvador9881
Después de 42 años mi padre me la sigue cantando, lo amoooo es mi todo
@ileanazarate567
Mi papá me la dedico y lloré 😞😢 pero es hermosa la canción 😢💙💜
@user-cr7oq7vg8g
Mi vida es muy triste siempre mea ido mal en el amor paso puras de sepciones siempte ando borracho
@irvingomezdiaz3062
DE esta canción me acuerdo de mi niña Vianey , TEQUIERO Y TE EXTRAÑO
@ruthjojoa3329
Buen dia a todos los que aun escuchan estas hermosas melodias mexicanas esta es la mas hermosa es mi cancion de cuna me la cantaba mi señor Padre cuando estaba en sus brazos
@escarcega4
Su papa debe tener un corazón muy bueno....
@leticiavelasquez9410
Que linda canción, me recuerda cuando mi hija está pequeña 😔😢😢