Early life and career
His parents were Nicasio Armas Figueroa and Modesta Enguaima Hernandez. He has four brothers and sisters; Domingo, Algeria, Felipa and Margoth. When he was nine his family traveled from Los Guatacaros to Caño Morocho near Zaraza, and it was there at the age of 11, that he began to take part with local musicians in parrandas and dances. At the age of twelve composes his first song: Mi Primer Amor (My first Love). At the age of 15 makes debut in a dominical program of Radio Zaraza lead by Pompeyo Higuera, soon he enters in the gaita group Los Bravos de la Loma for which he composed several carols and aguinaldos, under the direction of the teacher Jose Antonio Blanca of the Copleros de Unare.
At the age of 16, participates in a contrapunteo festival that was made in El Faro club, and makes trophy and money from the attending public. With 17 years travels to Caracas, and started to sing in night clubs, but for folkloric music, there were only a few clubs available.
His first idol was José Romero Bello, a very respected singer and composer and one of the first interpreters of “Florentino y el Diablo”, also next to El Carrao de Palmarito. Reynaldo Armas was baptized with the pseudonym El Cardenal Sabanero when he traveled with Romero Bello to San Fernando de Apure and participated in the festival “Cantaclaro de Oro” singing a version of the Florentino de Oro. This was in 1973, and he obtained second place out of 18 participants. In 1975 he returned to the festival and took first place, the same in Valencia, Venezuela with the “Cucarachero de Oro”, in San Carlos of Austria wins as composer, the Miranda de Oro in Los Teques and many but like contrapunteador and solo singer. Between 1975 and 1976 he records two singles, first with the name: Mi primer Amor y Cariño fingido and the second: Recorriendo a Venezuela and El Revolucionario.
In 1977 Reynaldo Armas records his first LP with the support of Rafael Martínez Arteaga El Cazador Novato, that in that time was with greatly popular in Venezuela and Colombia with several folkloric poems. Yo También quiero cantar was the name of that album, it was not a success in the radios, because in that time the folk music only sounded in certain programs at night and in the TV wasn't widely available.
In 1978, with the LP La inspiración del poeta, Reynaldo begins his popularity around the country, a folk music with romanticism, penetrating the most important cities conquering the market and public of different ages and gender, becoming a Messiah for the llanero music.
From then on it has been a parade of successes without parallel; the prizes and recognitions come and go and as do the decorations. Prizes like the Guaicaipuro de Oro, Meridiano, Ronda, Mara, Cacique, Tiuna, Venus, among others.
He has written more than three hundred songs and has recorded twenty-six albums, all with his own compositions, except three songs from the first album, that belong to El Cazador Novato. He constantly travels to Colombia where has a parallel market, also to the United States and Europe. Reynaldo Armas is certainly one of the most important venezuelan folk singers of all time.
El Amor Y La Envidia
Reynaldo Armas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que no es normal mi forma de idolatrarte
Que culpa tengo corazón de amarte así
Y que a la gente le parezca de remate
Dicen por'ai que a mi me sucede algo
Que estoy cambiado que no soy el mismo de antes
Es muy probable que el embrujo de tu amor
Si eres mi felicidad
Que me importa el que dirán
Vivo contento a mi modo
Que hablen lo que van a hablar
Embrújame un poco más
Te quiero a pesar de todo
Eso es envidia corazón
Eso es envidia
Que se traguen su dolor los envidiosos
Que los mate la amargura y el desdén
Parásitos que no encuentran que hacer
Infelices que se antojan de nosotros (BIS)
Eso es envidia corazón
Eso es envidia
Dicen por′ai que el sol regañó a la luna
Porque la vio coqueteando ante un espejo
Siendo el sol y la luna tal para cual
En un amor que tiene siglos de viejo
Dicen por'ai que Luís que Carlos que Juan
Tienen amores con la rosa de los vientos
Que lengua larga son estos hijos de Dios
Es la ignorancia que les pudre el pensamiento
Saben de nuestro querer
Quieren echarlo a perder
Y es lo mejor de mi vida
No te dejes convencer
Yo lo impediré también
Mi brujita consentida
Eso es envidia corazón
Eso es envidia
Que se traguen su dolor los envidiosos
Que los mate la amargura y el desdén
Parásitos que no encuentran que hacer
Infelices que se antojan de nosotros BIS (a dos voces) ...
Eso es envidia corazón
Eso es envidia!
The lyrics of Reynaldo Armas's "El Amor Y La Envidia" speak of the effects of love and the jealousy that often comes with it. The first verse speaks to the rumors and gossip that may arise when someone loves another person passionately. The singer is aware that people may talk and speculate about why he loves so strongly, but he cannot help the way he feels. He seems to be concerned with how his love affects him and not how it is perceived by others. Similarly, the second verse speaks to how his love may have changed him over time, but again, he does not seem to care what others think. The chorus is a defiant statement against the envious people who seek to bring him down, as he speaks of his own happiness and tells his lover to "enchant him even more."
The second half of the song is a response to the jealousy of others. The third verse is a metaphor that compares the love between the singer and his lover to that of the sun and the moon, in that they are meant to be together despite any superficial differences. The fourth verse speaks about other couples who are gossiped about and judged unfairly by others who do not understand their love. The final chorus is essentially the same as before, with the repeated refrain of "That's jealousy, heart / That's jealousy" being a reminder that the envious will never understand the love that these two people share.
Overall, Reynaldo Armas's "El Amor Y La Envidia" is a song about the ways in which love can bring happiness and fulfillment to people's lives, but also the ways that jealousy and gossip can try to tear that love apart. The singer's defiance and unwavering love for his partner are admirable, and serve as a reminder that it is important to follow your heart, regardless of what others may think.
Line by Line Meaning
Dicen por′ai que tu me estás embrujando
People say that you are bewitching me
Que no es normal mi forma de idolatrarte
They say it's not normal for me to idolize you
Que culpa tengo corazón de amarte así
What fault do I have, my love, to love you like this?
Y que a la gente le parezca de remate
And that people think it's ridiculous
Dicen por'ai que a mi me sucede algo
They say that something is happening with me
Que estoy cambiado que no soy el mismo de antes
That I've changed and I'm not the same as before
Es muy probable que el embrujo de tu amor
It's very likely that the spell of your love
Haya influido poco a poco en mi semblante
Has slowly influenced my countenance
Si eres mi felicidad
If you are my happiness
Que me importa el que dirán
I don't care what people say
Vivo contento a mi modo
I live happily in my own way
Que hablen lo que van a hablar
Let them talk all they want
Embrújame un poco más
Bewitch me a little more
Te quiero a pesar de todo
I love you despite everything
Eso es envidia corazón
That's envy, my love
Que se traguen su dolor los envidiosos
Let the envious ones swallow their pain
Que los mate la amargura y el desdén
Let bitterness and disdain kill them
Parásitos que no encuentran que hacer
Parasites who have nothing to do
Infelices que se antojan de nosotros (BIS)
Unhappy people who envy us (repeat)
Dicen por′ai que el sol regañó a la luna
They say that the sun scolded the moon
Porque la vio coqueteando ante un espejo
Because he saw her flirting in front of a mirror
Siendo el sol y la luna tal para cual
Being sun and moon, they are meant for each other
En un amor que tiene siglos de viejo
In a love that's centuries old
Dicen por'ai que Luís que Carlos que Juan
They say that Luis, Carlos, and Juan
Tienen amores con la rosa de los vientos
Have loves with the compass rose
Que lengua larga son estos hijos de Dios
These sons of God have long tongues
Es la ignorancia que les pudre el pensamiento
It's ignorance that rots their thinking
Saben de nuestro querer
They know about our love
Quieren echarlo a perder
They want to ruin it
Y es lo mejor de mi vida
And it's the best thing in my life
No te dejes convencer
Don't let them convince you
Yo lo impediré también
I'll stop them too
Mi brujita consentida
My beloved bewitched one
Que se traguen su dolor los envidiosos
Let the envious ones swallow their pain
Que los mate la amargura y el desdén
Let bitterness and disdain kill them
Parásitos que no encuentran que hacer
Parasites who have nothing to do
Infelices que se antojan de nosotros BIS (a dos voces) ...
Unhappy people who envy us (repeat in two voices) ...
Eso es envidia corazón
That's envy, my love
Contributed by Makayla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.