Mercedes Sosa (born 9 July 1935, died 4 October 2009 in Buenos Aires) was a… Read Full Bio ↴Mercedes Sosa (born 9 July 1935, died 4 October 2009 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine singer inmensely popular throughout Latin America. With her roots in argentine folk music, she became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva trova (new song). Sosa is greatly admired for the depth and beauty of her contralto voice. She is respectfully nicknamed "La Negra" by her fans for her dark skin and dark hair - a very common term of affection in Latin America. Mercedes Sosa was loved and known by everyone in Argentina, especially for her political positions against the government that ruled the country and "disappeared" or murdered anyone suspected of being critical.

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)

Yo Vengo A Ofrecer Mi Corazon
Mercedes Sosa Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Quién dijo que todo está perdido?
Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
Tanta sangre que se llevó el río,
Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón

No será tan fácil, ya sé qué pasa,
No será tan simple como pensaba,
Como abrir el pecho y sacar el alma,

Una cuchillada del amor

Luna de los pobres siempre abierta,
Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
Como un documento inalterable
Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón

Y uniré las puntas de un mismo lazo,
Y me iré tranquila, me iré despacio,
Y te daré todo, y me darás algo,
Algo que me alivie un poco más

Cuando no haya nadie cerca o lejos,
Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
Cuando los satélites no alcancen,
Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón

Y hablo de países y de esperanzas,
Hablo por la vida, hablo por la nada,
Hablo de cambiar ésta nuestra casa,
De cambiarla por cambiar, nomás

Quién dijo que todo está perdido?
Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón

Overall Meaning

In Mercedes Sosa's song "Yo Vengo A Ofrecer Mi Corazón," the singer starts by questioning the idea that all is lost. They then declare that they have come to offer their heart, despite the many lives lost in the river. The singer acknowledges that it won't be easy, that they know what they're getting into. They compare opening their chest and revealing their soul to a painful stab from love.

The moon, a symbol of hope for the poor, is mentioned, as the singer speaks of offering their heart as an unalterable document. They call for the junctions of a common bond and peace, promising to leave calmly after giving everything they have and receiving something that alleviates their pain.

The singer expresses their willingness to offer their heart even when no one is around, and the satellites can't reach. They speak of countries and hopes, for life and for nothing, suggesting changing the world, maybe just for the sake of change.

Overall, "Yo Vengo A Ofrecer Mi Corazón" is a deeply emotional and powerful song about hope, love, and the struggle to change the world. The singer has a pure heart and offers it to help make the world a better place.

Line by Line Meaning

Quién dijo que todo está perdido?
Whoever said that everything is lost?