Mendoza was born into a musical family in Houston, Texas. She learned to sing and play stringed instruments from her mother and grandmother. In 1928, as part of the family group Cuarteto Carta Blanca, she made her first recordings for the OKeh company in San Antonio. In the early thirties, Mendoza came to the attention of Manuel J. Cortez, a pioneer of Mexican-American radio broadcasting. Her live radio performances set the stage for her recordings for the Blue Bird label in 1934.
One of her recordings, "Mal Hombre", became an overnight success, and led to an intensive schedule of touring and recording. After World War II, Mendoza recorded for all the major Mexican-American record labels. One of the relatively few songs she personally wrote, and a personal favorite, was "Amor Bonito", dedicated to her husband. Lydia Mendoza continued performing and recording until slowed by a stroke in 1988. In 1982, she became the first Texan to receive a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. In 1999, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
Many of her recordings are still available including those issued by DLB Records a Texas-based label specializing in South Texas Spanish language music and Arhoolie Records, a California-based label specializing in the release of regional forms of American music.
Lydia Mendoza died on December 20, 2007, in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of 91. She is interred at San Fernando Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.
A Texas Historical Commission Marker number 16BX04 was approved for Lydia Mendoza's grave in February 2016.
La Boda Negra
Lydia Mendoza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
El viejo enterrador de la comarca
Era un amante que por suerte impía
Su dulce bien le arrebato la parca
Todas las noches iba al cementerio
A visistar la tumba de su hermosa
La gente murmuraba con misterio
En una horrenda noche hizo pedazos
El mármol de la tumba abandonada
Cavó la tierra y se llevó en sus brazos
El rigido esqueleto de su amada
Y allá en la triste habitacón sombría
De un cirio fúnebre a la llama incierta
Sentó a su lado la osamenta fría
Y celebró sus bodas con la muerta
Ató con cintas los desnudos huesos
El yerto cráneo coronó de flores
La horrible boca la cubrió de besos
Y le contó sonriendo sus amores
Llevó a la novia al tálamo mullido
se acostó junto a ella enamorado
y para siempre se quedó dormido
al rígido esqueleto abrazado
The lyrics of Lydia Mendoza's song La Boda Negra tell the story of a man who was deeply in love with a woman who died. He was so passionate about her that he would go to the cemetery every night to visit her grave. However, this small comfort was not enough for him to let his love go, and so he decided to take her remains from the abandoned tomb and brought them into his home. There, he sat beside her skeleton and celebrated his "wedding with death" by placing flowers on her remains, tying her bones with ribbons, and even kissing her skull. In the end, he decided to join her forever by lying beside her and never wake up again.
The song's themes revolve around love, death, and obsession. It's a depiction of how intense emotions can drive a person to commit unconventional or even disturbing acts. The imagery used in the lyrics also paints a picture of the eerie and dark atmosphere of a cemetery, and ultimately, the mournful grief of the singer. The use of metaphors such as "wedding with death" and "embracing the skeleton" adds a touch of surrealism to the story portrayed in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oye la historia que contome un día
Listen to the story that the old undertaker of the region told one day.
El viejo enterrador de la comarca
The old undertaker from the area.
Era un amante que por suerte impía
He was a lover who, due to cruel fate, lost his love to death.
Su dulce bien le arrebato la parca
Death snatched away his sweet love.
Todas las noches iba al cementerio
Every night he went to the cemetery.
A visitar la tumba de su hermosa
To visit the grave of his beautiful love.
La gente murmuraba con misterio
People whispered mysteriously.
Es un muerto escapado de la fosa
He's a dead man escaped from the grave.
En una horrenda noche hizo pedazos
One horrific night, he smashed to pieces.
El mármol de la tumba abandonada
The abandoned tomb's marble.
Cavó la tierra y se llevó en sus brazos
He dug up the earth and carried in his arms.
El rígido esqueleto de su amada
His love's rigid skeleton.
Y allá en la triste habitación sombría
And there in the sad, gloomy room.
De un cirio fúnebre a la llama incierta
With the uncertain flame of a funeral candle.
Sentó a su lado la osamenta fría
He sat the cold bones next to him.
Y celebró sus bodas con la muerta
And he celebrated his wedding with the dead.
Ató con cintas los desnudos huesos
He tied the bare bones with ribbons.
El yerto cráneo coronó de flores
He crowned the stiff skull with flowers.
La horrible boca la cubrió de besos
He covered the horrible mouth with kisses.
Y le contó sonriendo sus amores
And he smiled as he told her of his love.
Llevó a la novia al tálamo mullido
He carried the bride to the soft bed.
Se acostó junto a ella enamorado
He lay down next to her, in love.
Y para siempre se quedó dormido
And he remained asleep forever.
Al rígido esqueleto abrazado
Embracing the rigid skeleton.
Contributed by Colin J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@maulinafarro
thumbs up if elena brings you here!
@FShalsa
Elena took me here :3
@notjoud2941
+Iren Salsabilla same here XD
@anthonyfox585
lol me too
@claudiasotolongo6513
Sameeee!!! xD ♡
@ThePenguinbabe
+Iren Salsabilla Elena Hoyos, the "bride" of Dr. Karl von Cossel?
@kh22912
she took me here too
@Bunty.mp4
Most people are here from Webtoon, and same ! But my nana always sings this whenever we're by a campfire in Mexico (yes we're Mexican). Kinda sad actually, my nana has a gorgeous voice but you can hear the pain in it. =w= just thought I'd share that with you guys, have a nice day/night
@har8397
Wth is webtoon?
@kydiydmghu8865
@@har8397 webtoon is an app to read comics, in which theres this comic called ELENA where this song appears