Portuondo was born in October 1930 in Havana, one of three sisters; her mother came from a wealthy Spanish family, and had created a scandal by running off with and marrying a black professional baseball player. Omara started her career in 1945 as a dancer at Havana's Tropicana Club (following her older sister, Haydee). The two sisters used to sing for family and friends, however, and after a brief time in a band called Loquibambla Swing, in 1952 they got together with two friends (Elena Bourke and Moraima Secada) and formed the singing group Cuarteto las d'Aida, backed by pianist Aida Diestro. The group had considerable success, touring the United States, performing with Nat King Cole at the Tropicana, and recording an album for RCA Victor.
In 1959 Portuondo recorded a solo album, Magia Negra, involving both jazz and Cuban music. This didn't, however, mark the beginning of a solo career, and although Haydee left the group in 1961, Omara continued singing with Cuarteto las d'Aida until 1967.
In 1967 Portuondo embarked on a solo career, and in the same year represented Cuba at the Sopot Festival in Poland, singing Juanito Marquez' "Como un Milagro". Alongside her solo work, in the 1970s she sang with charanga band Orquestra Aragon, and toured with them.
In 1974 she recorded, with guitarist Martin Rojas, what would become one of her most critically acclaimed albums in which she sings praises to Salvador Allende and the people of Chile a year after the military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet. Among many other hits from the album, she also praises the work of Ernesto "Che" Guevara in the beautiful "Hasta Siempre".
During the 1970s and 1980s Portuonda enjoyed considerable success at home and abroad, with tours, albums (including one of her most lauded recordings in 1984 with Adalberto Alvarez), film rôles, and her own television series. Her international profile was due to soar, however, in 1996.
Portuondo sang (duetting with Compay Segundo) on the album Buena Vista Social Club in 1996. This led, not only to more touring (including playing at Carnegie Hall with the Buena Vista troupe) and her appearance in Wim Wenders' film The Buena Vista Social Club, but to two further albums for the World Circuit label: Buena Vista Social Club Presents Omara Portuondo (2000) and Flor de Amor (2004). In July 2005 she presented a symphonic concert of her most important repertoire at the Berlin Festival Classic Open Air am Gendarmenmarkt for an audience of 7,000. The entire program was specially orchestrated by Roberto Sánchez Ferrer, a colleague with whom she had worked during her early years at Havana's Tropicana Club. Scott Lawton conducted the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg.
La Era Esta Pariendo Un Corazon
Omara Portuondo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Silvio Rodríguez)
Le he preguntado a mi sombra
A ver como ando para reírme,
Mientras el llanto, con voz de templo,
Rompe en la sala regando el tiempo.
Es ver los llantos como mi llanto,
Y me he callado, desesperado
Y escucho entonces: la tierra llora.
La era está pariendo un corazón,
No puede más, se muere de dolor
Y hay que acudir corriendo
Pues se cae el porvenir
En cualquier selva del mundo,
En cualquier calle.
Debo dejar la casa y el sillón,
La madre vive hasta que muere el sol,
Y hay que quemar el cielo
Si es preciso, por vivir.
Por cualquier hombre del mundo,
Por cualquier casa.
The lyrics of "La Era Esta Pariendo Un Corazon" are deeply reflective and symbolic in nature. The first line of the song, "La era está pariendo un corazón," perhaps suggests the birth of a new era, marked by the coming of a new heart of humanity. This new era is characterized by intense suffering and anguish, as indicated by the line, "No puede más, se muere de dolor." Despite this pain, there is also hope, brought about by the urgency of the situation. The singer implores listeners to act quickly and effectively in order to prevent the collapse of the future: "hay que acudir corriendo / pues se cae el porvenir / en cualquier selva del mundo, / en cualquier calle."
The second stanza of the song emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and empathy. The singer asks his own shadow how he is doing, pointing out the absurdity of the situation if one can't even rely on their own reflection. The somber mood is further underlined with the statement "Y me he callado, desesperado / Y escucho entonces: la tierra llora," indicating that the earth too, is grieving.
Overall, "La Era Esta Pariendo Un Corazon" is a powerful call to action. It highlights the pain and despair of the current era, while also emphasizing the importance of hope and meaningful action in creating a better future for all.
Line by Line Meaning
La era está pariendo un corazón
The world is giving birth to a compassionate heart that can share the pain and sorrow of those who are suffering.
Le he preguntado a mi sombra
I have turned to my shadow to find out how I should react to this situation.
A ver como ando para reírme
To see if I should laugh or cry.
Mientras el llanto, con voz de templo,
While the tears fall like sacred hymns.
Rompe en la sala regando el tiempo.
Echoing through the room, soaking through the ages.
Mi sombra dice que reírse
My shadow tells me that laughing is like crying.
Es ver los llantos como mi llanto,
It's about feeling the pain of others as if it were my own.
Y me he callado, desesperado
Overwhelmed, I have fallen silent.
Y escucho entonces: la tierra llora.
And in that silence, I hear the weeping of the earth.
No puede más, se muere de dolor
The world can no longer bear the pain, it is dying of agony.
Y hay que acudir corriendo
We must all hurry to help.
Pues se cae el porvenir
Otherwise, there will be no future left for anyone.
En cualquier selva del mundo,
No matter where we live, no matter how far away.
En cualquier calle.
In any street or alleyway.
Debo dejar la casa y el sillón,
I must leave my comforts behind.
La madre vive hasta que muere el sol,
Our mother Earth continues to live until the sun burns out.
Y hay que quemar el cielo
We must go to any lengths necessary.
Si es preciso, por vivir.
To keep the flame of life burning.
Por cualquier hombre del mundo,
For every human being on this planet.
Por cualquier casa.
For every home that shelters life and love.
Writer(s): Silvio Rodriguez Dominguez
Contributed by Tristan M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-wi1sz2zc2z
Dos monstruos de la música cubana!!!!
@IvanGuzmanivan007guzman
Magnífico, Omara es un deleite de nuestra generación , la canción ya por su misma es un mounstro, Omara es un ser humano de alta sensibilidad y potencia en su voluntad de expresión con un canto, el dolor la alegría y la motivación para todos los que la escuchamos, me siento privilegiado al escucharla .
@Patosarbolesyo
Q clase de temazo .. a la voz de esta grande … OMARA BRAVO 👏🏻
@graciadellopez3655
què increìble versiòn, se nota que canta con el corazòn en su patria cubana y en todo el mundo, felicitaciones Cuba !!
@haxmai1557
Un verdadero himno del pueblo cubano
@josejuliopuighernandez4177
Se hacen y harán muchas y buenas versiones de esta cancion. Pero Omara es el rostro inconfundible de esta maravillosa composición.
@DonnyEnriqueM
sin duda es una hermosa version y si es la voz de Omara Portuondo la que interpreta y canta.... el unico error de quien lo subio fue mentir sobre Ibrahim Ferrer... el no canta en esta cancion de los sesenta.
@MrRicardo0103
Una voz incríble!, para una canción maravillosa.
@marietellez6021
How beautiful , part of the Music Protest of Cuba 🇨🇺 beautiful
@fulgueira
Quien la defiende la quiere más!