Sosa was born in Tucumán, a northwestern province of Argentina, of mestizo descent from French and Amerindian (Quechuan) ancestry. In 1950, at age fifteen, she won a singing competition organized by a local radio station and was given a contract to perform for two months.
Sosa and her first husband Manuel Oscar Matus were key players in the mid-60s nueva canción movement (which was called nuevo cancionero in Argentina). Her first record was Canciones con Fundamento (Songs with Fundament), a collection of Argentine folk songs.
In 1967, Sosa toured with great success the United States and Europe. In subsequent years, she performed and recorded extensively, broadening her repertoire to include material from throughout Latin America.
In the early 1970s, Sosa released two concept albums in collaboration with composer Ariel Ramírez and lyricist Félix Luna: Cantata Sudamericana (South American Cantata) and Mujeres Argentinas (Argentine Women). She also recorded a tribute to Chilean poet Violeta Parra.
After the military dictatorship of Jorge Videla came to power, the atmosphere in Argentina grew increasingly oppressive. At a concert in La Plata (Buenos Aires) in 1979, Sosa was searched and arrested on stage, and the attending crowd was arrested. Banned in her own country, she moved to Paris and then to Madrid.
Sosa returned to Argentina in 1982, several months before the military regime collapsed as a result of the Falklands War, and gave a series of concerts at the Opera theater in Buenos Aires, where she invited many of her younger colleagues to share the stage. A double album of recordings from these performances became an instant best seller.
In the following years, Sosa continued to tour both in Argentina and abroad, performing in such venues as the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Mogador in París.
Sosa's repertoire continued to broaden, and she made recordings in various styles. She collaborated frequently with Argentine musicians such as León Gieco, Charly García, Antonio Tarragó Ros, Rodolfo Mederos and Fito Páez, and other Latin American artists such as Milton Nascimento and Silvio Rodríguez.
Sosa participated in a 2001 production of the Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramírez.
Mercedes Sosa's website(in Spanish)
Insensatez
Mercedes Sosa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mostraste ayer
Corazón más descuidado
Al regar dolor
Sobre tu amor
Un amor tan delicado
Ah, dime por qué
Flaqueaste así
Ah, mi corazón
Quien nunca amó
No merece ser amado
Ve, mi corazón,
Entra en razón
Ve y enfrenta las verdades
Pues quien siembra vientos
Sabes muy bien
Que recoge tempestades
Ve, mi corazón,
Pide perdón,
Perdón apasionado
Ve, porque quien no
Pide perdón
No es nunca perdonado
The lyrics to Mercedes Sosa's song Insensatez express disappointment and hurt caused by careless actions in a delicate and sensitive love relationship. The singer addresses their lover who showed insensitivity towards their love by being heartless and indifferent. The singer is angry and hurt that their lover did not value their love, which is shown by the line, "Ah, mi corazón quien nunca amó, no merece ser amado" (Oh, my heart, the one who never loved, does not deserve to be loved).
The singer urges the lover to come to their senses and confront the truth about their actions. The line "Ve, mi corazón, entra en razón" (Go, my heart, get some sense) is a call for the lover to reflect upon their behavior and seek forgiveness for their insensitivity. The singer warns the lover of the consequences of their actions by stating, "Pues quien siembra vientos, sabes muy bien, que recoge tempestades" (Whoever sows winds, knows very well, that they will reap storms). This is a warning that their careless actions have caused a storm of emotions and hurt in the singer's heart.
Overall, the lyrics express despair and heartbreak caused by the insensitivity of a loved one. The singer urges the lover to reflect upon their actions and seek forgiveness in order to salvage their love.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah, qué insensatez
Oh, what foolishness
Mostraste ayer
You showed yesterday
Corazón más descuidado
Careless heart
Al regar dolor
Watering pain
Sobre tu amor
On your love
Un amor tan delicado
A love so delicate
Ah, dime por qué
Oh, tell me why
Flaqueaste así
You faltered like that
Al ser tan desalmado
By being so soulless
Ah, mi corazón
Oh, my heart
Quien nunca amó
Who never loved
No merece ser amado
Does not deserve to be loved
Ve, mi corazón,
Go, my heart,
Entra en razón
Come to your senses
Ve y enfrenta las verdades
Go and face the truth
Pues quien siembra vientos
For he who sows the wind
Sabes muy bien
You know very well
Que recoge tempestades
That he will reap storms
Pide perdón,
Ask for forgiveness,
Perdón apasionado
Passionate forgiveness
Ve, porque quien no
Go, because he who does not
Pide perdón
Ask for forgiveness
No es nunca perdonado
Is never forgiven
Contributed by Brody R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Carolina Núñez Loeza
A insensatez que você fez
Coração mais sem cuidado
Fez chorar de dor
O meu amor
Um amor tão delicado
Ah, porque você foi fraco assim?
Assim tão desalmado
Ah, meu coração quem nunca amou
Não merece ser amado
Vai meu coração ouve a razão
Usa só sinceridade
Quem semeia vento, diz a razão
Colhe sempre tempestade
Vai, meu coração pede perdão
Perdão apaixonado
Vai porque quem não
Pede perdão
Não é nunca perdoado
ICP Xavier
Em sua última apresentação no estado de Minas Gerais, Mercedes concedeu uma entrevista a um jornal local e declarou que nunca mais cantaria em português porque era difícil, tinha a questão do sotaque, da prosódia, etc. Na época eu fiquei bem chateada pelo que ela falou. Com uma grata surpresa descobri que ela gravara duas canções em seu último álbum em português. Obrigada por tudo o que a senhora cantou, em espanhol e em português.
Soraya
Bravo! amo essa canção!!
Rocio Roman Ramirez
Mercedes Grande siempre!!!
💕 💕 💕 💕
roosevelt highlander highlander
Essa mulher é sem duvida a maior cantora que o mundo já ouviu.
Facundo Fernández Ladrix
te amo negra, cada vez hacen falta mas seres como vos en este mundo, te extraño tantooo. Pero escuchar tu voz me hace sentir, solo sentir y sentir. Grracias por tanto hermosa de este mundo loco y cruel. Allí esta´ras con el flaco abrazandonos. gracias graciass solo gracias
Maximiliano Rojas
BELLO