Becoming involved in music since he was 15, in 1979 he and his brother Alejandro formed underground rock band ZAS. The following year he managed to contact Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and gain a spot on stage as the opening act for the British group for their Buenos Aires concerts. He turned ZAS into one of the most important argentine rock bands of the early 80s.
In 1986, Mateos recorded in the United States his first solo album (officially, but in practice he still used members of ZAS as supporting band). With a much more polished sound, and greater pop accessibility than the ZAS works, Mateos jumped on the crest of the wave of Argentine rock acts that dominated the 1986-1988 period all over Latin America, Spain, and elsewhere.
Solos en América was considered a watershed album containing cuts that would become classics of Rock en Español from that time, including the homonymous track, "Cuando Seas Grande", and "Mi Sombra en la Pared".
Riding a wave of massive popularity in Mexico, Mateos introduced the slogan "Rock en tu Idíoma" (Rock In Your Language) in 1987. He began touring that nation, introducing along the way local acts such as Caifanes and Maldita Vecindad, among others. All those groups would become major acts in their own right within a short period. In the 1987-1988 Mateos would tour Latin America to sell-out stadiums.[1] He was among the first Rock en Español acts to receive active support from fledgling MTV International.
The 1990s would be a period of continued solo success for Mateos and his now adult-pop rock music across the Spanish-speaking world, though ironically he would drop off somewhat in popularity in his homeland. In general, what in the rest of Latin America is considered rock, in Argentina tends to be seen as pop. This has sometimes led to cultural confusion about how to categorize the current Miguel Mateos musical output, as outside Argentina Mateos remains an iconic figure of the Rock en Español movement.
Mateos went on the so-called first Rock en Español tour of the United States in 1990, where he was awared the Bravo Musical Award. He released Bar Imperio in 1998 and after a hiatus released Uno in 2005.
Wonderland
Miguel Mateos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Estoy tan lejos de Wonderland
Yo soy del sur de América
No pienso en el más allá
Mi tierra está más acá
Estoy tan lejos de Wonderland
Yo soy del sur de América
Mi norte está aquí, mi hijo es de aquí
Que es algo más que un amor
Yo soy del sur, vivo en el sur
A puro sentimiento me juego a todo o nada
Yo conozco Paris y estuve en New York
Pero mi tierra está acá
Cuando me tuve que ir fue solo pena y dolor
Yo soy del sur, vivo en el sur
Me hice un juramento
Esa es mi gran verdad.
The song "Wonderland" by Miguel Mateos talks about a personal struggle of identity and displacement. The song starts with Mateos acknowledging that there is a place called Wonderland, but he does not know how to get there. The use of Wonderland is a metaphorical representation of a place that could be an ultimate goal for some people, yet Mateos is so far away from it that he does not even know the path to get there.
Mateos then talks about his identity as someone from the south of America who does not think about the afterlife, and his land is more relevant to him than a faraway Wonderland. He emphasizes that his son, his song, and his love are parts of his identity that are deeply rooted in the south. Mateos declares that he lives in the south with all of his emotions, and he has fought hard to keep his promise to himself.
The song concludes with a powerful statement that Mateos would rather stay in the south despite experiencing the wonders of Paris and New York because his home and identity are in the South. Ultimately, the song is a celebration of identity and remembering where you come from despite having broad experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Sé que hay un lugar, no sé como llegar
I am aware of the existence of Wonderland, but I am clueless about the path to get there.
Estoy tan lejos de Wonderland
I feel so far away from Wonderland, the place where I long to be.
Yo soy del sur de América
I am from the southernmost part of America.
No pienso en el más allá
I don't think about the afterlife, I focus on the present.
Mi tierra está más acá
My land, my roots, my identity are all here, within my reach.
Mi norte está aquí, mi hijo es de aquí
My purpose, my direction, my legacy are all tied to where I am, and my child is born and raised here too.
También mi canción y tengo un amor, que es algo más que un amor
My music represents who I am, and I have a love that goes beyond the conventional expression of love.
Yo soy del sur, vivo en el sur
I am a southern man, and I choose to live in the south.
A puro sentimiento me juego a todo o nada
With pure emotion, I take high stakes to get what I want.
Yo conozco Paris y estuve en New York
I have visited Paris and been to New York, but they are not my home nor my Wonderland.
Pero mi tierra está acá
But my land, my roots, and my identity are here.
Cuando me tuve que ir fue solo pena y dolor
When I had to leave my homeland, it was only filled with sorrow and pain.
Me hice un juramento esa es mi gran verdad.
I made a promise to myself, and that promise remains my truth.
Contributed by Katherine F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@liliamgia3237
Emocionas con tus composiciones,tremendo tema y yo tan lejos de Wonderlanddddddddd
@jaimegarcia-hk6wg
Que gran canción JEFE......todos buscamos a nuestro propio Wonderland
@luisjoo_o8
Fui el primero xD :v