Among her first mentors was Camarón de la Isla, also from San Fernando (Cádiz), whose purist flamenco style she followed in her early years. Later she added a more commercial, pop tone to her image and style without losing her flamenco roots, and artists Paco Ortega and Alejandro Sanz helped her produce her first album, Entre dos puertos (Between Two Ports), when she was seventeen. The single Tú me camelas was a hit in Spain in summer 1996.
Her second album, Eres luz (You Are Light, 1998) confirmed her success, with songs again by Paco Ortega and Alejandro Sanz, Parrita, Manuel Malou and her brother Paco. In 2000 she published her third album, Cañaílla, produced by Alejandro Sanz and Josemi Carmona of the flamenco group Ketama; it is dedicated to her home town and more flamenco than the previous works. Her album María (2002) evolved to a more personal style, taking part in the lyrics and composition of some of her songs, a trend that she continued in No hay quinto malo, her fifth album (2004).
In Joyas prestadas (Loaned jewels, 2006), where Niña Pastori makes personal versions of songs originally by artists from very different styles and genres. The original artists include Joan Manuel Serrat, Alejandro Sanz, Mexican rockers Maná, Dominican artist Juan Luis Guerra, Antonio Machín, Manolo García of El Último de la Fila, Luz Casal, Armando Manzanero, Los Jeros or Marifé de Triana.
The last album released is Esperando Verte released in January 2009
Como tu ninguna
Niña Pastori Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y entre colchones de plumas viejas
Con el soniquete de tos sus primos
Sentao en la puerta
Y el fuego vivo con olor a taranto y son
Por bulerías tocas al tiempo del corazón
Que has hecho conmigo mare
Me entra frío en las carnes
Y la soledad me apena cuando yo te escucho
Con tu voz de miel y canela
De aquí p'alla se mueve en la cuna
De aquí p'alla como flor de Luna
De aquí p'alla se mueve en la cuna
Y al compás como tu ninguna
Con diez meses
Te sirvió la varica de tu pare
De guitarra
Y sentaito en un rincon
Mientras que tú
Mare canta tu hermano toca el cajón
De aquí p'alla se mueve en la cuna
De aquí p'alla como flor de Luna
De aquí p'alla se mueve en la cuna
Y al compás como tu ninguna
Escuela de casas viejas
Escuela de candelá
A ver que dice tu gente
Cuando te escuche cantar
Con to lo que has aprendido
Sin nadie enseñarte na
De aquí p'alla se mueve en la cuna
De aquí p'alla como flor de Luna
De aquí p'alla se mueve en la cuna
Y al compás como tu ninguna
The lyrics of Niña Pastori's "Como tu ninguna" describe the remarkable talent and passion of a young woman in flamenco music. The song tells the story of a girl who emerged from nowhere, with nothing but a passion for music and a family of talented relatives to guide her. She grew up surrounded by old feather mattresses and the sound of her cousins' singing, and as she grew older, her voice became stronger, sweeter, and more powerful. The song's imagery captures the essence of the flamenco experience: the smell of taranto and the rhythm of bulerías, the feeling of cold in the bones and the melancholy that comes with listening to the music.
As the song progresses, the lyrics delve into the girl's upbringing and progression as a musician. At only ten months old, she was already exposed to the sound of her father's guitar, and by the time she was a young woman, she was singing with her brother's accompaniment on the cajón. The girl's skill is not simply a product of training or formal education, but rather the result of a lifelong immersion in the flamenco culture – "escuela de casas viejas," as the lyrics call it.
"Como tu ninguna" is a tribute to the talent and beauty of flamenco music, as well as to the passion and hard work required to master it. The song celebrates the girl's natural talent, but also acknowledges the importance of her family's support and the community that nurtured her love of music. Its lyrics capture the essence of a powerful and emotional genre, and pay homage to the generations of flamenco musicians who have come before.
Line by Line Meaning
Salió de la nada
She appeared unexpectedly
Y entre colchones de plumas viejas
In the midst of old feather pillows
Con el soniquete de tos sus primos
With the rhythm of her cousins
Sentao en la puerta
Sitting at the door
Y el fuego vivo con olor a taranto y son
And the fiery scent of taranto and son (music styles)
Por bulerías tocas al tiempo del corazón
You play bulerías (music style) in time with the heart
Que has hecho conmigo mare
What have you done to me, mother
Que ma metió entre las venas
That has gotten into my veins
Me entra frío en las carnes
I feel a chill in my bones
Y la soledad me apena cuando yo te escucho
And loneliness saddens me when I hear you
Con tu voz de miel y canela
With your voice of honey and cinnamon
De aquí p'allá se mueve en la cuna
From here to there she stirs in her cradle
De aquí p'allá como flor de Luna
From here to there like a moonflower
Y al compás como tu ninguna
And in rhythm like no one else
Con diez meses
At ten months old
Te sirvió la varica de tu pare
You used your father's guitar as a toy
De guitarra
With the guitar
Y sentaito en un rincon
And seated in a corner
Mientras que tú
While you
Mare canta tu hermano toca el cajón
Your mother sings, your brother plays the cajón (percussion)
Escuela de casas viejas
School of old houses
Escuela de candelá
School of candelight
A ver que dice tu gente
Let's see what your people say
Cuando te escuche cantar
When they hear you sing
Con to lo que has aprendido
With all that you have learned
Sin nadie enseñarte na
Without anyone teaching you anything
Writer(s): Paco Garcia
Contributed by Maya T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.