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.
Lagrimas Negras
Omara Portuondo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
aunque ya se han muerto todas mis ilusiones
en vez de maldecirte con justo encono
en mis sueños te colmo, en mis sueños te colmo
de bendiciones.
Sufro el dolor inmenso de tu partida
lloro, lloro el dolor profundo de tu extravío
tiene Lágrimas Negras, tiene Lágrimas Negras
como mi vida.
Que tu me quieres dejar y yo no quiero sufrir
contigo me voy mi santa (morena) aunque me cueste el morir.
Óyeme, yo no sé, yo no sé lo que está pasando
que cuando ra sin gana todo el mundo está fiestando.
Oye yo no sé que le pasa a Marito que cuando él
siempre está tocando mira en los night clubs
que va las muchachas
están mirando yeah.
Que mira, oye bien, cumbere, cumbere coa, yeah
Que mira que la NEI CURITA, Oscar Allen ya se van,
mira con el maestro Fico va formar una garata, que lata.
Que mira yo, que mira yo, que mira yo negrita, negrita, negrita
que yo me voy, que yo no quiero sufrir,
tú no puedes dejarme solo en Buenos Aires.
The lyrics of Omara Portuondo's "Lagrimas Negras" are an expression of heartbreak and abandonment. The first verse describes the pain of being left alone and how one person has destroyed all of the singer's hopes and dreams. Despite the hurt, the singer chooses to bless the person who has caused them pain in their dreams rather than hold a grudge. The second verse intensifies the singer's anguish at the loss of the love of their life that has brought them to tears, and the tears they have shed are black like their life itself.
The bridge expresses confusion over the state of affairs as the singer can't understand why they are full of sorrow while everyone else appears to be rejoicing. The final verse is a plea to their lover, asking them not to leave and to take the singer with them if they must go, as they cannot bear to be alone in Buenos Aires. The lyrics express the depth of pain that one feels when they have lost the love of their life and are left alone to contend with their shattered dreams without any hope of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Aunque tú me has echado en el abandono
Although you have left me abandoned
aunque ya se han muerto todas mis ilusiones
Although all my dreams have died
en vez de maldecirte con justo encono
Instead of cursing you with righteous anger
en mis sueños te colmo, en mis sueños te colmo
In my dreams, I fill you with blessings
de bendiciones.
Of blessings.
Sufro el dolor inmenso de tu partida
I suffer the immense pain of your departure
lloro, lloro el dolor profundo de tu extravío
I cry, I cry the deep pain of your loss
y lloro sin que tu sepas que el llanto mío
And I cry without you knowing that my tears
tiene Lágrimas Negras, tiene Lágrimas Negras
Have black tears, have black tears
como mi vida.
Like my life.
Que tu me quieres dejar y yo no quiero sufrir
That you want to leave me and I don't want to suffer
contigo me voy mi santa (morena) aunque me cueste el morir.
I will go with you, my saint (brown-skinned) even if it costs me my life.
Óyeme, yo no sé, yo no sé lo que está pasando
Listen, I don't know, I don't know what's happening
que cuando ra sin gana todo el mundo está fiestando.
That when I'm sad, everyone else is partying.
Oye yo no sé que le pasa a Marito que cuando él
Listen, I don't know what's wrong with Marito when he
siempre está tocando mira en los night clubs
Is always playing music in nightclubs
que va las muchachas están mirando yeah.
The girls are looking yeah.
Que mira, oye bien, cumbere, cumbere coa, yeah
Look, listen well, cumbere, cumbere coa, yeah
Que mira que la NEI CURITA, Oscar Allen ya se van,
Look, the NEI CURITA, Oscar Allen are leaving,
mira con el maestro Fico va formar una garata, que lata.
With the maestro Fico they are going to create a fuss, what a bummer.
Que mira yo, que mira yo, que mira yo negrita, negrita, negrita
Look, me, look me, look me, little black girl, little black girl, little black girl
que yo me voy, que yo no quiero sufrir,
That I'm leaving, that I don't want to suffer,
tú no puedes dejarme solo en Buenos Aires.
You can't leave me alone in Buenos Aires.
Contributed by Alex V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ronnyurquita2958
Lágrimas negras es un reconocido bolero CUBANO compuesto por Miguel Matamoros en el año 1929. En ese año, viajó a Santo Domingo y, durante su estancia, se hospedó en el hostal de la señora Luz Sardaña. Un día, el músico escuchó el llanto incesante de la mujer en una de las habitaciones. Como pasaba el tiempo y el llanto no cesaba, Matamoros decidió preguntar a Doña Luz que fue lo que pasó. Allí se enteró de toda la historia: su enamorado la había dejado la noche anterior por otra mujer. Escuchar el sufrimiento y la desesperación de la abandonada le hizo componer “Lágrimas Negras
@laizaproducciones
Interesante la data❤️
@JorgeOrtiz-zp2go
Lo malo que lastucsturkas
@pinkswang
Ok
@user-iv6fx5yj2t
juraba que era de azul azul pero escuchando la letra es hermosa en cualquier adaptacion, gracias por el dato ja
@lenneduvar8591
Hola a todos los que amamos la música!!!!! Los invito con mucha humildad a escuchar mi primer single Néctar de amor!! ❤️🎵❤️🎵❤️🙏 Conviértete en parte de mi motivación!!
@oppianolicario9180
🇨🇺 🇲🇽 ❤️ 😍 SIEMPRE JUNTOS SIEMPRE HERMANOS!!!!
@miguelangelrodriguezaragon6085
Desde y para todos los tiempos. La música también nos une. Viva Méjico
@alexconsejeropatreon9041
Muchas gracias muchacho y a los que te dirigen. Eres grande, vida larga rey. GRACIAS!
@victoriaacosta2120
Carlos Ribera tiene eso que algunos en MÉXICO. Llamamos Ángel, don de gente. ( que le gusta a las personas ) También se dice tiene sangre de artista.