In her artistic career it is possible to identify two periods that are clearly separated by the style of her singing. Her first records (Luna nueva, 1983, and Seda en mi piel, 1984) were a clear gamble on so-called flamenco-rock. The disastrous result of her participation representing Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest 1983, (up to date the only nul points score for Spain since the current voting system was established in 1975) when flamenco did not arouse the same international interest, and did not enjoy the same recognition as it does today, appeared to have persuaded Remedios Amaya to retire from the stage. This was until she reappeared more powerfully than ever in 1997, alongside Vicente Amigo, doing what she really wanted to do. The work was called Turu Turai (1997). It sold 150,000 copies. It has been followed by other records that have had the same strength, the same success and the same quality. Remedios Amaya is undoubtedly one of the most inspired cantaoras of the last few years.
Eurovision Song Contest 1983 - Munich
Entry for Spain
Performer: Remedios Amaya
Song title: ¿quién Maneja Mi Barca?
Song writer(s): Isidro Muñoz
Song composer(s): José Miguel Evóras
Sang in Position: 7
Final Position: 19
Total Points: 0
For the second time since 1957, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Germany, this time in the Bavarian capital, Munich. The presenter of this year's song contest was Marlene Charell who presented the performers in three languages, German, French and English, but she was very nervous and made 13 mistakes in the voting alone. She also mixed up the names of the performers and the conductors much to the displease of the artists. Due to the trilingual presentation, the contest lasted more than 3 hours for the first time ever.
The total number of participants rose to 20 again as Italy, France and Greece returned. The 1983 Eurovision Song Contest didn't have filmed postcards to present the artists as they were not ready in time. The set was quite small but unique as the stage was arc-shaped surrounding the orchestra section.
This year marked the first performance of Sweden's Carola Häggkvist who reached the third place and went on to win the contest in 1991 and represented her country again in 2006,coming fifth. Her song Främling became very popular in Sweden, perhaps even more than her winning song from 1991. For France's Guy Bonnet, it was the second time he represented his native country. After coming 4th in 1970, he ended up 6th in the Munich contest. Italian superstar Riccardo Fogli, the 1983 contest ended with a disappointment: after winning the prestigious San Remo festival the year before, he only ended up 11th with his song Per Lucia.
Luxembourg won the 1983 contest with the dramatic presentation of Si La Vie Est Cadeau by French singer Corinne Hermès which marked the country's last victory to date. Unfortunately, Corinne's winning song didn't set the European charts alight and it was even outscored by the Swedish entry Främling and even the Yugoslav song by Daniel who recorded his song in English, called Julie then.
Me Voy Contigo
Remedios Amaya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me voy a tu vera
Donde me lleve mi destino
No quiere soñar, no quiero sentir
Que yo me vuelvo loca, cuando pienso en ti
Ay cuando pienso en ti
Cuando pienso en ti, ay cuando pienso en ti
Me voy contigo contigo
Me voy a tu vera
Donde me lleve mi destino
Callejita oscura
Si no tengo tu mirar
Si tus ojos no me miran, ya no tengo claridad
Y en mi pecho una pena
Se adentra como un puñal
Callejita oscura
Si no siento tu mirar
Que ni vengan días
Que ni salgan lunas
Si no me miras, yo vivo a oscuras
Estoy perdida en la amargura
La luz que a mi me guía
Es la que me diste un día
Que marcó mi camino
Para los restos de la vida
Me voy contigo contigo
Me voy a tu vera
Donde me lleve mi destino
In the song "Me Voy Contigo" by Remedios Amaya, the singer expresses her willingness to go wherever her love interest goes. She wants to be by his side and follow him wherever life takes them. She fears dreaming and feeling because thinking about him drives her crazy. When she talks about a dark street, she describes how her soul is dark and there is no clarity in her life if she cannot be with him. If she does not receive his affection, she feels lost and bitter. She relies on the light that he gave her in the past, which guides her on the path of life.
The song embodies ardor, devotion, and affection bordering on desperation. The narrative of the song expresses the idea of being lost and searching for direction, with the love interest acting as the beacon of light that leads the singer towards a better future. The use of dark imagery in the song metaphorically represents the feeling of confusion, despair, and suffering when love is not reciprocated. The singer uses her voice to convey the emotions that come with being consumed by love, which ultimately provides a sense of direction and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Me voy contigo contigo
I'm leaving with you, only with you
Me voy a tu vera
I'm going by your side
Donde me lleve mi destino
Wherever my destiny takes me
No quiere soñar, no quiero sentir
I don't want to dream, I don't want to feel
Que yo me vuelvo loca, cuando pienso en ti
Because I go crazy when I think of you
Ay cuando pienso en ti
Oh when I think of you
Soñar, primo sentir, que yo me vuelvo loca
To dream, then to feel, I go crazy
Cuando pienso en ti, ay cuando pienso en ti
When I think of you, oh when I think of you
Callejita oscura
Dark little street
Si no tengo tu mirar
If I don't have your gaze
Si tus ojos no me miran, ya no tengo claridad
If your eyes don't look at me, I have no clarity
Y en mi pecho una pena
And in my chest a sorrow
Se adentra como un puñal
It goes in like a dagger
Que ni vengan días
Let no days come
Que ni salgan lunas
Let no moons come out
Si no me miras, yo vivo a oscuras
If you don't look at me, I live in darkness
Estoy perdida en la amargura
I'm lost in bitterness
La luz que a mi me guía
The light that guides me
Es la que me diste un día
Is the one you gave me one day
Que marcó mi camino
That marked my path
Para los restos de la vida
For the rest of my life
Writer(s): Vicente Amigo Girol, Francisco Manuel Ruiz Gomez, Juan Rafael Reyes Planton
Contributed by Elijah P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.