At the age of 14, after two years living in Mexico City, Mimi returned to Puerto Rico for good. In 1987, she started jamming with local bands, untill her brother Niguel influenced her into Metal Music; and they formed a band. They played a couple of years together with Rencor, one of the first “in-Spanish” rock bands from Puerto Rico.
Mimi studied Fine Arts in The Arts School in Old San Juan. When she was 20 years old, she met the island ska scene and got hooked on Jamaican reggae-rocksteady beat style. In 1991, she entered an all-girl band, Alarma!, a heavy music band. They travelled to New York, and played in Sob's and in Los Angeles for the La Banda Elastica Festival with Maldita Vecindad. They were also opening act for many bands that came to the island, such as Dos Minutos, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, and Fito Paez.
But things were about to change... she met an Argentinian musician from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, saxophone player Sergio Rotman. After a coupe of years of friendship, the relation grew, they fell in love, and started to travel together anywhere! Sergio invited Mimi to form a band with him, so she decided to go South, to Buenos Aires. In Argentina, Mimi was invited to sing with Cienfuegos (Sergio's punk rock project), she sang in the Caravelas y Diablitos by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, met the "porteña" scene, recorded with Attaque 77, Los Piojos, Kapanga, and sang with many other friends.
In 1998, she became mother to a son named Leroy. Sergio and Mimi formed a band with friends that had the same love for Jamaican music & Latin rhythms. They've performed in many Buenos Aires clubs, cafe's & theaters, for example, Ciclo Molotov in the Centro Cultural Ricardo Rojas, along with Riddim, in Luz y Fuerza Theater with Cienfuegos, in Cemento with Lumumba, openings for Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Fun People, Divididos...
Mimi won a Gardel Award in 2002 as Best Female Rock Singer. She also toured Spain, Germany, México, and Argentina. In 2007 Mimi Maura recorded her 6th album Mirando caer la lluvia , she toured in Argentina and made her first DVD Dulces Sueños recorded live in ND Ateneo Theater. 2008-2009 she toured with Los fabulosos Cadillacs singing Vasos Vacios. In 2010 Mimi Maura recorded her 7th album Dias de Sol in Argentina and Puerto Rico, mixed it in Jamaica with Steven Stanley.
Mimi Maura is an independient artist, her label name is Canary Records.
Leyenda de Guahayona
Mimi Maura Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
allá de donde vengo yo
había un héroe taino
de las mujeres se apropió
y emprendió su camino
con su canoa navegó
burlándose del mar
hasta que vió
los niños y hombres sin mujer
lloraban de soledad
un ave azul
de ellos se apiado...
mil mujeres talló
de una rama
así el mito nació
aún se escucha
un lamento que llama
con un llanto en la voz
que a la lluvia invitó
en una isla las dejó
a las mujeres taínas
en amazonas
ellas se convertirán
los niños y hombres sin mujer
lloraban una canción
un ave azul de ellos se apiadó...
mil mujeres talló
de una rama
así el mito nació
aún se escucha
un lamento que llama
con un llanto en la voz
que a la lluvia invitó...
The lyrics of Mimi Maura's "Leyenda de Guahayona" tell the story of a hero from the past in the Borinken land. This man, who was a Taino hero, took possession of women and went on a journey in his canoe. He laughed in the face of the sea until he saw the fertile land where he could dream. There he came across children and men who were without a woman to care for them, and they cried out for companionship. Out of pity, a blue bird then carved a thousand women from a branch and left them there.
These women became the Amazonians, the protectors of their land and people. The song speaks of this myth, and we can still hear the call and lament of the blue bird that invited the rain to water and nurture the women it created. The legend of Guahayona has been passed down through generations, and the song pays homage to this hero and the women who were created to protect and nurture the land.
This song portrays a powerful theme of femininity, resilience, and the power of storytelling. It reminds us of the importance of community and how one act of kindness can create a ripple effect that lasts generations. The lyrics also show the struggles that indigenous people faced when their lands were invaded, and how they created their own myths and legends to keep their traditions alive. It is a beautiful tribute to the strength of Taino people and their land.
Line by Line Meaning
De borinken...
In Borinken, the land where I come from...
allá de donde vengo yo
...far away from here
había un héroe taino
there was a Taino hero
de las mujeres se apropió
who took possession of the women
y emprendió su camino
and started his journey
con su canoa navegó
he sailed in his canoe
burlándose del mar
mocking the sea
hasta que vió
until he saw
la tierra para soñar
the land of his dreams
los niños y hombres sin mujer
the men and children without women
lloraban de soledad
were grieving in loneliness
un ave azul
a blue bird
de ellos se apiado...
took pity on them
mil mujeres talló
carved a thousand women
de una rama
from a branch
así el mito nació
thus the myth was born
aún se escucha
we still hear
un lamento que llama
a lament calling out
con un llanto en la voz
with a crying voice
que a la lluvia invitó
that invited the rain
en una isla las dejó
he left them on an island
a las mujeres taínas
to the Taino women
en amazonas
who became Amazons
ellas se convertirán
they will transform
los niños y hombres sin mujer
the men and children without women
lloraban una canción
were singing a song of grief
un ave azul de ellos se apiadó...
and a blue bird took pity on them
mil mujeres talló
carved a thousand women
de una rama
from a branch
así el mito nació
thus the myth was born
aún se escucha
we still hear
un lamento que llama
a lament calling out
con un llanto en la voz
with a crying voice
que a la lluvia invitó...
that invited the rain...
Contributed by London L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.