Guillot and her family moved to Ciudad Havana when she was a small child. As a teenager, she and her sister, Ana Luisa, performed as a duo, named the "Duo Hermanitas Guillot".
It wasn't until 1945 that her talent as a bolero singer would be discovered, when Facundo Rivero, an influential man in the Cuban music industry of the era, heard her sing for the first time, and helped her make her professional singing debut, at a famous Havana night club. Soon after, Guillot met Miguelito Valdes, who took her to New York city, where Guillot was able to record her first album, with the Decca label.
Guillot traveled to Mexico in 1948. There, she established herself as an international singer and actress, participating in various films and making her second album. In Mexico, Guillot began to enjoy much popularity for the first time in her career.
In 1954, she recorded her song "Mienteme" ("Lie to Me"), which became a hit across Latin America, and earned her three consecutive awards back home in Cuba as Cuba's best female singer.
1958 proved to be an important year for Guillot, as she toured Europe for the first time, including stops in Italy, France, Spain and Germany. She sang alongside the equally legendary Édith Piaf during a concert held in Cannes.
Olga Guillot kept a house in Cuba as she traveled around the world with her music, apart from her house in Mexico. But Guillot opposed Fidel Castro's Government, and, in 1961, she decided to leave Cuba for good and establish herself in Venezuela. Not long after that, she left Venezuela, making Mexico her only permanent residence country.
Meanwhile, she kept touring around the world, singing in places such as Israel, Japan, Hong Kong and many others. In 1963, Guillot was given the Golden Palm award as "best bolero singer of Latin America". She received the award in Hollywood, California. Guillot sang in 1964 at New York's famed Carnegie Hall.
Guillot continued on touring for the next forty years, releasing over fifty albums and winning numerous awards for her activity in the music world. She was very good friends with Celia Cruz, to whom she often referred to as "(her) sister". When Cruz died from cancer, Guillot was one of the most affected persons in the show business world.
Her albums and music are prohibited in Cuba. Guillot remained a quiet, but strong critic of Castro and his policies towards Cuban residents.
Guillot lived mainly in Mexico and had another home on Miami Beach, Florida.
On July 12, 2010, she died of an infarction at the age of 87 in the city of Miami Beach. She is survived by one daughter, Olga Maria Touzet-Guillot, born from her relationship with pianist and composer, René Touzet.
Campanitas de Cristal
Olga Guillot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Por mi ventanita
Oigo sonar, oigo sonar
Como si un ángel con manos de seda
En mi ventanita
Tocara un madrigal, un madrigal
Tilín, tilín, tilín
Oye qué bonito es el tilín
Tilín, tilín, tilín
Campanas que bailen para mí
Tan dulce canción
Reir, reir, reir
Lindas campanitas de cristal
Que alegran mis horas de dolor
Sonar, sonar, sonar
Sólo para mí, sólo para mí
Campanitas de cristal
(...)
Reir, reir, reir
Lindas campanitas de cristal
Que alegran mis horas de dolor
Sonar, sonar, sonar
Sólo para mí, sólo para mí
Campanitas de cristal
The lyrics for Olga Guillot's song Campanitas de Cristal describe the sound of glass bells ringing, which is a comforting and soothing sound for the singer. The singer describes how on a winter's night, when the breeze comes in through her window, she hears the sound of the bells as if an angel with silk hands is playing a madrigal just for her. The singer finds the sound of the bells to be beautiful and sweet and they help to ease the pain and sadness she may be feeling. The lyrics repeat that the bells ring only for her and that they are hers to enjoy.
The song is a beautiful and gentle ode to the beauty of sound and the healing power it can have. The lyrics are simple but effective in conveying the singer's emotions and the music perfectly complements the sweet and soothing nature of the sound of the bells. Overall, Campanitas de Cristal is a gorgeous and haunting song that captures a shared human experience of feeling comforted by the sound of bells.
Line by Line Meaning
Cuando la brisa de invierno se cuela
When the winter breeze creeps through my little window
Por mi ventanita
Into my little window
Oigo sonar, oigo sonar
I hear ringing, I hear ringing
Como si un ángel con manos de seda
As if an angel with silky hands
En mi ventanita
In my little window
Tocara un madrigal, un madrigal
Were playing a ballad, a ballad
Tilín, tilín, tilín
Ding, ding, ding
Oye qué bonito es el tilín
Listen how beautiful the ding is
De mis campanitas de cristal
From my little crystal bells
Campanas que bailen para mí
Bells that dance for me
Tan dulce canción
What a sweet song
Reir, reir, reir
Laugh, laugh, laugh
Lindas campanitas de cristal
Beautiful little crystal bells
Que alegran mis horas de dolor
That brighten my hours of pain
Sonar, sonar, sonar
Ring, ring, ring
Sólo para mí, sólo para mí
Just for me, just for me
Campanitas de cristal
Little crystal bells
Writer(s): Rafael Hernandez
Contributed by Cameron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John López
Cuando la brisa de invierno se cuela
Por mi ventanita
Oigo sonar, oigo sonar
Como si un ángel con manos de seda
En mi ventanita
Tocara un madrigal, un madrigal
Tilín, tilín, tilín
Oye qué bonito es el tilín
De mis campanitas de cristal
Tilín, tilín, tilín
Campanas que bailen para mí
Tan dulce canción
Reir, reir, reir
Lindas campanitas de cristal
Que alegran mis horas de dolor
Sonar, sonar, sonar
Sólo para mí, sólo para mí
Campanitas de cristal
Reir, reir, reir
Lindas campanitas de cristal
Que alegran mis horas de dolor
Sonar, sonar, sonar
Sólo para mí, sólo para mí
Campanitas de cristal
AnneP Barraza
GRACIAS OLGA POR LA MUSICA QUE NOS DEJASTES. JAMAS OTRA COMO TU EN TU GENERO DE MUSICA. SOLO TU.
Nancy Cifuentes
Ese es el arte. Que derrama dios con las verdaderas estrellas que llevan x dentro de su divino ser el compás musical corazón alma y cuerpo.la ética tan preciosa de la real naturaleza .olguita eres la habana sentimiento y amor
Carlos Uribe
Que hermosura
Me
Por favor cambia la cabeza flotante da miedo.
unmarredDlite
jajaja que comico