Born in the mountain town of Aibonito, Puerto Rico and named after his uncle, Obie’s family moved to the farmlands of Vineland, New Jersey just before his teens. Music actually wasn't his first passion -- it was poetry. He learned guitar from his father, a big Beatles fan, while also being influenced by his mother's lively salsa sounds. Soon, he brought his two loves of words and music together, recording a demo in 1996 that led to an international label deal and the release of his debut album Locales two years later.
Though he received some acclaim, that first album didn't make him an overnight star; Obie chose to step back from his career and took a job at a New York Laundromat in the South Bronx, where his life and that of customers and co-workers inspired the songs that would fill his second album, Confesiones, released by EMI International in 2004. The album’s lead single "Antes" topped Latin charts worldwide and lead to Confesiones receiving multiple Latin GRAMMY nominations.
Obie next followed with the award-winning Todo El Año, a rich collection touched by personal experience and reflection, offering further heartfelt and soulful tales as the vivid title track shot to #1, and the album’s Latin Grammy win followed.
Now, Obie Bermúdez returns to the Latin Pop landscape once again with Lo Que Trajo El Barco (“What The Ship Has Brought In”). Working with multiple-Grammy winning producers Sebastian Krys and Andres Castro, Obie describes the album as a musical growth that still maintains his distinctive style and sound and provides a reminder that "No matter how much we move ahead in our lives and modify ourselves, we still need life’s basic anchors of hope, faith, and charity towards others”.
On the new album, a host of accomplished players took part in the sessions, including Fania All-Stars bassist Sal Cuevas, Sergio George percussionist Luis Quintero, renowned drummer Lee Levin, and famed Brazilian percussionist Laercio Da Costa. Producer Krys says the music is combination of Puerto Rican rhythms and the rich landscape of New York, with a story behind every song. The first single “Sigo Con Ella” (I’m Still With Her), is a song of devotion and dreams derived from the one you love.
All Music Guide has praised Obie for his original arrangements and sheer musical integrity, "a sonic palette rich with acoustic flavor and a tasteful mix of his Latino and alt-rock influences, an artist not only willing to take risks, but delighting in them." As he said the historic night he won his Grammy, “Nothing is impossible." For Obie Bermudez." making music is all about seizing the day, in fact, the moment, to find creative vigor and purpose. He told the Times, "I've always said that opportunities come around again and again. The important thing is not to be caught sitting on your hands when it comes."
El Amanecer
Obie Bermúdez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
me lleva lentamente a ti cada mañana
la luz de tu risa, deja que pase mi alma
quisiera nunca levantarme de esta cama.
Que sera de ti, que tanto me fascinas,
quisiera nunca despertar, de ti nunca separarme.
Estribillo:
amanecer de mi
amanecer unidos
Soy bendecido, porque estoy contigo
A pasado el dia por mi pensamiento
y hasta cuando duermo eres el tema de mis sueños
Si hacemos el amor, tu con tu empeño´,
susurrandome al oido eres mi dueño
que sera de mi, si es que sin ti no vivo
Quisiera nunca despertar, de ti nunca separarme
Estribillo:
Amanecer contigo
amanecer de mi
amanecer unidos
soy bendecido, porque estoy contigo
que sera de mi, si es que sin ti no vivo
quisiera nunca despertar,
de ti nunca separarme.
Amanecer, contigo
amanecer de mi
amanecer unidos
soy bendecido porque estoy contigo
The lyrics of Obie Bermúdez's "El Amanecer" (The Dawn) convey a deep longing for someone special, someone who brings light into the singer's life. The opening lines of the song are filled with imagery of morning light and the way it shines in the eyes of the loved one, drawing the singer ever closer. The bright light of the beloved's laughter also fills the singer's soul, making it difficult to leave the bed each morning. This is a powerful image, as it suggests that the singer is so filled with love and contentment that they want to stay in bed with their loved one forever.
As the song continues, the lyrics explore the depths of the singer's love, revealing that thoughts of their beloved permeate every moment of their waking and sleeping life. The idea that the loved one is the subject of the singer's dreams, regardless of whether they're awake or asleep, further emphasises their all-consuming love. The singer also expresses a desire to never leave their side, never to be separated, and it's clear that their world revolves entirely around this special someone.
Overall, Obie Bermúdez's "El Amanecer" is a beautiful love song that captures the unique feeling of falling hopelessly in love. The lyrics are full of powerful imagery, and the use of repetition of certain phrases adds to the hypnotic, dreamlike quality of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
El amanecer, en tu mirada
The sunrise, in your gaze
me lleva lentamente a ti cada mañana
slowly takes me towards you every morning
la luz de tu risa, deja que pase mi alma
the light of your laughter lets my soul pass through
quisiera nunca levantarme de esta cama.
I wish to never get up from this bed
Que sera de ti, que tanto me fascinas,
What will become of you, who fascinates me so much
quisiera nunca despertar, de ti nunca separarme.
I wish to never wake up, to never be separated from you
El amanecer contigo,
The sunrise with you
amanecer de mi
my sunrise
amanecer unidos
united at sunrise
Soy bendecido, porque estoy contigo
I am blessed, because I am with you
A pasado el dia por mi pensamiento
The day has passed through my thoughts
y hasta cuando duermo eres el tema de mis sueños
and even when I am asleep, you are the topic of my dreams
Si hacemos el amor, tu con tu empeño´,
If we make love, you with your dedication
susurrandome al oido eres mi dueño
whispering to my ear, you are my owner
que sera de mi, si es que sin ti no vivo
what will become of me, if I cannot live without you
Quisiera nunca despertar, de ti nunca separarme
I wish to never wake up, to never be separated from you
Amanecer contigo
The sunrise with you
amanecer de mi
my sunrise
amanecer unidos
united at sunrise
soy bendecido, porque estoy contigo
I am blessed, because I am with you
Contributed by Harper N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.