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)
Zona de Promesas
Mercedes Sosa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
perdí una batalla
quiero regresar
sólo a besarla
No está mal ser mi dueño otra vez
ni temer que el río sangre y calme
al contarle mis plegarias
Tarda en llegar
y al final
al final hay recompensa
Mamá sabe bien
pequeña princesa
cuando regresé
todo quemaba
No está mal sumergirme otra vez
ni temer que el río sangre y calme
sé bucear en silencio
Tarda en llegar
y al final
al final hay recompensa
Tarda en llegar
y al final
al final hay recompensa
Tarda en llegar
y al final
al final hay recompensa
en la zona de promesas.
The lyrics of Mercedes Sosa's "Zona de Promesas" is a nostalgic and reflective piece about the singer's past battles and the desire to go back in time to seek validation and comfort from her loved ones. In the opening lines, the song speaks of losing a battle and the longing to return to the safety of a mother's embrace. The lyrics then suggest that it's not necessarily a bad thing to regain control of one's life but also acknowledge the fear that comes with it.
The chorus "Tarda en llegar y al final, al final hay recompensa" translates to "It takes a long time to arrive, but in the end, there is a reward." This repetition emphasizes that the journey of self-discovery and healing is a slow and trying process. The second verse speaks to the singer's return to find everything burned, perhaps alluding to a traumatic event. Despite this, the singer isn't afraid to submerge herself again and credits her ability to navigate in silence.
Overall, "Zona de Promesas" is a beautiful and introspective song that reflects on the importance of self-love and the desire for a safe space to heal from past wounds. Though the journey to come out stronger may be slow, the final reward is worth it in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Mamá sabe bien
Mother knows well
perdí una batalla
I lost a battle
quiero regresar
I want to go back
sólo a besarla
Just to kiss her
No está mal ser mi dueño otra vez
It's not bad to be my own boss again
ni temer que el río sangre y calme
Nor fear that the river will bleed and calm down
al contarle mis plegarias
When telling my prayers
Tarda en llegar
It takes time to arrive
y al final
And in the end
al final hay recompensa
There is a reward in the end
pequeña princesa
Little princess
cuando regresé
When I returned
todo quemaba
Everything was burning
No está mal sumergirme otra vez
It's not bad to dive in again
sé bucear en silencio
I know how to dive in silence
en la zona de promesas.
In the zone of promises.
Tarda en llegar
It takes time to arrive
y al final
And in the end
al final hay recompensa
There is a reward in the end
Tarda en llegar
It takes time to arrive
y al final
And in the end
al final hay recompensa
There is a reward in the end
en la zona de promesas.
In the zone of promises.
Writer(s): Gustavo Adrian Cerati
Contributed by Adeline L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rjcabeza2002
Mamá sabe bien
Perdí una batalla
Quiero regresar
Solo a besarla
No está mal ser mi dueño, otra vez
Ni temer que el río sangre y calme
Al contarle mis plegarias
Tarda en llegar
Y al final
Al final, hay recompensa
Mamá sabe bien
Pequeña princesa
Cuando regresé
Todo quemaba
No está mal sumergirme, otra vez
Ni temer que el río sangre y calme
Sé bucear en silencio (Uh-uh-uh, ah-ah)
Tarda en llegar
Y al final
Y al final, hay recompensa
Tarda en llegar
Y al final
Al final, hay recompensa
Tarda en llegar
Y al final
Y al final, hay recompensa (Uh-uh-uh, uh)
En la zona de promesas
En la zona de promesas
En la zona de promesas
En la zona de promesas
@thelema_escarlata
Esta canción me recuerda cuando volví a casa después de una relación fallida. Cuando regresé todo quemaba literalmente, el corazón sentía que no podía seguir latiendo. Mamá siempre estuvo y está para mí... ¡Qué fortuna tengo con ella!
@Diego-st2ui
Me pasa exactamente lo mismo.. Espero pronto pueda estar mejor
@paulahidalgo2063
Dios te bendiga!!la mama' es unica!!
@mariacelestegarcia6837
Como dice "mamá sabe bien", nada como la casa de mamá y el amor que nos dan! Dios te bendiga y a tu querida madre que te recibió con los brazos abiertos. Que seas muy feliz!!❤️
@juanandrescardozo6030
Lo mismo por aca 👎 la poesia musical es algo que pocos lo tienen y como veras clavan como daga al corazón pero eso hace que nos sintamos humanos a pesar de la penuria.
@bet6093
Has sobrevivido Soldada .
@juanbarone2883
Que feo sentir que estas 2 maravillosas personas ya no están entre nosotros, pero nos dejaron su mejor legado: SU MÚSICA! Mientras existan personas de bien, Gustavo y Mercedes serán enternos.
@jorgehoracioburgo1801
Los amos
@marioleal4878
Los mas grandes hasta la eternidad que pedazo de sensibilidad q transmiten .
@metalinc4011
Mis dos grandes amores y el tercer amor carnal están wn el cielo 😢