[edit] Career
She started acting professionally at only seven years old. Her family later moved to Buenos Aires in 1922, where she worked in theatre, and years later recorded her first tango LP, with great success. She filmed Adiós, Argentina in 1930, and the first Argentine film with sound ¡Tango! in 1933.
Her fame crossed the borders of Argentina and grew throughout Latin America where she became known as La Novia de América (“The Bride of the Americas”). By the time she died in 2000, she had appeared in 65 films (21 filmed in Argentina, 45 in Mexico and one in Spain) and six soap operas, had recorded over 800 songs and had made innumerable theatrical appearances.
Legend has it that Lamarque left Argentina because she had been blacklisted by Argentina's first lady Eva Perón. Marysa Navarro and Nicholas Frasier, authors of Evita: The Real Life of Eva Perón (ISBN 0-7366-3838-5), however, say that this is not likely. Rather, say the authors, Lamarque moved to Mexico because the Mexican cinema was in a better state during the 1940s and ’50s than was the Argentine cinema. The authors also point out that Lamarque travelled freely between Argentina and Mexico during the lifetime of Eva Perón and beyond, which does not support the blacklisting legend. Even Lamarque herself denied during her lifetime certain aspects of the legend, specially the reports that she had slapped Eva on the set of La Cabalgata del Circo (1945). In her 1986 autobiography she flatly denied the allegations and explained that she was simply mortified by Eva's lack of discipline during production of the film. "She was constantly late" —wrote Lamarque— "and we all had to wait for hours, dressed in these uncomfortable period costumes, but sometimes she wouldn't even show up". Lamarque, who was the star of the film, complained bitterly to the director but "to no avail" —she remembered— "Eva did as she pleased and she had everyone charmed, even the director." After completion of the film Libertad went on tour and was offered a starring role in "Gran Casino" in Mexico. She struck a deal with the producers in which she declined payment for her work in exchange for the rights of the film's distribution in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Back in Buenos Aires, Libertad could not get any theatre to show her film. She also noticed that former friends were now avoiding her and that the printed media was ignoring her. By now Evita Peron was firmly established in the Casa Rosada, the Presidential palace, and somebody told Lamarque "confidentially" that the ban came from there. Libertad and her husband took their case directly to Eva who received the complaints gracefully and denied any involvement.
However, time passed and Lamarque films went unreleased, her recordings went unplayed on the radio and her face did not appear in any magazines. This is when the actress-singer decided to settle in Mexico and avoided visiting her homeland except for infrequent family visits. Lamarque was never formally persecuted or threatened by the Peron regime but was simply "non existent". She never worked in Argentina while the Perons were in power and her countrymen were never officially informed of how important she was in Latin America show business.
En Mi Viejo San Juan
Libertad Lamarque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cuántos sueños forjé
En mis años de infancia
Mi primera ilusión
Y mis cuitas de amor
Son recuerdos del alma
Hacia extraña nación
Pues lo quiso el destino
Pero mi corazón
Se quedó junto al mar
En mi viejo San Juan
Adiós (Adios, adios)
Boriquen querida
(Tierra de mi amor)
Adios (Adios, adios)
Mi diosa del mar
(Reyna del palmar)
Me voy (Ya me voy)
Pero un día volveré
A buscar mi querer
A soñar otra vez
En mi viejo San Juan
Pero el tiempo pasó
Y el destino burló
Mi terrible nostalgia
Y no pude volver
Al San Juan que adoré
Pedacito de patria
Mi cabello blanqueó
Y mi vida se va
Ya la muerte me llama
Y no quiero morir
Alejado de ti
Puerto Rico de mi alma
The lyrics of Libertad Lamarque's song "En Mi Viejo San Juan" express the deep attachment and nostalgia the singer feels for their hometown of San Juan. The song paints a vivid picture of the memories and dreams that were once crafted in the singer's childhood in San Juan, and the first illusions and blights of love that still linger on in their soul. The lyrics further express the pain of being unable to return to the hometown because of unforeseen circumstances like destiny. While the singer left for a foreign land, the heart of the singer remains in San Juan, and they take this opportunity to bid farewell to their beloved homeland, the Puerto Rican people and the queen of the sea that surrounds San Juan, with a vow to return someday to dream and love again in San Juan.
Line by Line Meaning
En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan
Cuántos sueños forjé
How many dreams I forged
En mis años de infancia
In my childhood years
Mi primera ilusión
My first illusion
Y mis cuitas de amor
And my love troubles
Son recuerdos del alma
Are memories of the soul
Una tarde me fui
One afternoon I left
Hacia extraña nación
Towards a foreign nation
Pues lo quiso el destino
Because it was destiny's will
Pero mi corazón
But my heart
Se quedó junto al mar
Stayed by the sea
En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan
Adiós (Adios, adios)
Goodbye (Goodbye, goodbye)
Boriquen querida
Beloved Borinquen
(Tierra de mi amor)
(Land of my love)
Adios (Adios, adios)
Goodbye (Goodbye, goodbye)
Mi diosa del mar
My sea goddess
(Reyna del palmar)
(Queen of the palm grove)
Me voy (Ya me voy)
I'm leaving (I'm already leaving)
Pero un día volveré
But one day I'll come back
A buscar mi querer
To find my love
A soñar otra vez
To dream again
En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan
Pero el tiempo pasó
But time passed
Y el destino burló
And destiny mocked
Mi terrible nostalgia
My terrible nostalgia
Y no pude volver
And I couldn't go back
Al San Juan que adoré
To the San Juan I adored
Pedacito de patria
Piece of homeland
Mi cabello blanqueó
My hair turned white
Y mi vida se va
And my life is leaving
Ya la muerte me llama
Death is calling me
Y no quiero morir
And I don't want to die
Alejado de ti
Away from you
Puerto Rico de mi alma
Puerto Rico of my soul
Writer(s): Noel Estrada
Contributed by Bella M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Iraida Josette Simone Juárez
La eterna novia de América!!! Interpretó cada pieza musical de América con la delicadeza y el respeto que se merece.
Bianchi
Gracias por compartir y preservar semejante Tesoro. Inmortal Libertad Inmortal
elcantante6
Puertorro siempre te ama, eres un angel!
Enemigo de Golfiantes
¡¡MARAVILLOSA MUJER!! Q.E.P.D
ghiberti
libertad lamarque! nunca me olvido su trayectoria, su voz, su historia, su talento! mi favorito cantante de latino america! =) hay cada vez yo escucho eso, me siento amor, nostalgia, y esperanza... su voz tiene la calidad muy brilla. BRAVO! siempre adorable! -su admirador/fan, Ghiberti desde Filipinas!
Patricia Lopez
siempre hermosa Liber.
Feliciano Leon
She was a great lady! I loved her as I am sure millions of people all over the world did. But her songs will live forever.
Marina Man_p:
Te Amo Libertad!!💗
Edgardo Huertas
Estabamos realizando una teleton para los niños y adultos lisiados de Puerto Rico en Nueva York. Como Libertad era muy amiga de Ruth, nunca dijo que no para estas causas. Por eso se ve al fondo a Ruth, ella como siempre el motor de ayuda para los necesitados.
ghiberti
Abuela Libertad fuses vocals and stage presence effortlessly! She is a TOTAL PERFORMER proving that age is not a hindrance to be whatever you want to be! She will never be forgotten!