Alagna was born outside of the city of Paris in 1963 to a family of Sicilian (Italian) immigrants . As a teenager, the young Alagna began busking and singing pop in Parisian cabarets for tips. Influenced primarily by the films of Mario Lanza, but also from recordings of many historic tenors, he then switched to opera, but remained largely self-taught.
After winning the Luciano Pavarotti Voice Competition, Alagna made his professional debut in 1988 as Alfredo Germont in La Traviata with the Glyndebourne touring company. This led to many engagements throughout the smaller cities in France and Italy, mainly again as Alfredo, a role he would eventually sing over 150 times. His reputation grew and he was soon invited to sing at major theaters such as La Scala in 1990, Covent Garden in 1992 and the Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in 1996. His performances of Roméo in Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod at Covent Garden in 1994 (opposite Leontina Vaduva) catapulted him to international stardom.
Alagna opened the 2006/07 season at La Scala on 7 December 2006 in the new production of Aïda by Franco Zeffirelli. During the second performance on 10 December, Alagna, whose opening performance was considered ill-at-ease, was booed and whistled from the loggione (the least expensive seats at the very back of La Scala), and he walked off the stage. The tenor's reaction to his public criticism was denounced as immature and unprofessional by La Scala management and Zeffirelli, who said, “A professional should never behave in this way. Alagna is too sensitive, it is too easy to hurt his feelings. He does not know how to act like a true star.” The role of Radames was taken over successfully for the rest of the performance by his understudy Antonello Palombi, who entered on stage wearing jeans and a black shirt. In 2007 while at the Metropolitan Opera singing the role of Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, Alagna replaced the indisposed Rolando Villazon as Romeo in Roméo et Juliette opposite Anna Netrebko for two performances in September and two performances in December. His wife had flown to New York to be with him for the September engagements, and as a result was fired from the Lyric Opera of Chicago for missing her rehearsal dates for La Bohème. Alagna was also engaged by the Metropolitan Opera at the last minute to cover for the indisposed Marco Berti in a 16 October 2007 performance of Aida. After the performance, the audience gave him a standing ovation. The December 15 performance of Roméo et Juliette starring Alagna and Netrebko was broadcast by the Met into 447 theaters worldwide in high definition and seen by about 97,000 people.
La Llorona
Roberto Alagna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Llorona
Negro pero cariñoso
Yo soy como el chile verde
Llorona y cante
Per los Abrozzos
Llorona, Llorona,
De azul celeste
El que non sabe de amor
Llorona
Non sabe lo que has perdillo
No sé lo que tienen las flores
Llorona
Las flores de un qu′ha pasando
Que cuando la s... del viento
Parece
Que esta llorando
Hay de mi llorona
Llorona
Cuando al pasar yo te vì
La pare con tu rebozzo,
Llorona
Por que me muero de frio
The song La Llorona tells the story of a man who is reminiscing about a past love while invoking the spirit of La Llorona, a legendary figure in Mexican folklore. The man refers to himself as "el negro," meaning black, which could be an allusion to his emotional state or the color of his clothing. He describes himself as "cariñoso," or affectionate, suggesting that he was a loving partner to the woman he is singing about.
The man then compares himself to "chile verde," a reference to a type of green chili pepper that is both spicy and flavorful. He associates himself with singing and embraces ("abrazos") that he shared with his lover. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Hay de mi Llorona," which can be translated as "Oh, my weeping woman," emphasizing the man's sense of loss and longing.
The subsequent verses of the song explore the theme of lost love and how it can be tied to the beauty of nature. The man suggests that those who have not experienced love "non sabe lo que has perdillo," or "do not know what you've lost." He then questions the meaning behind flowers, which seem to hold significance for him because they are associated with past experiences. The final verse of the song pictures the man seeing La Llorona and wrapping himself in her rebozo (shawl) to stay warm, suggesting that his memory of his past love brings him comfort even in the midst of loss and sorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Todos me dicen el negro
Everyone calls me 'the black one', Llorona
Negro pero cariñoso
Black, but affectionate
Yo soy como el chile verde
I am like green chili, Llorona, hot and spicy
Llorona y cante, Per los Abrozzos
I cry, Llorona, and sing for the embraces
Hay de mi Llorona
Oh, my Llorona, woe is me
Llorona, Llorona, De azul celeste
Llorona, Llorona, dressed in sky blue
El que non sabe de amor
He who does not know of love
Llorona Non sabe lo que has perdillo
Llorona, does not know what you've lost
No sé lo que tienen las flores
I don't know what the flowers have
Llorona Las flores de un qu′ha pasando
Llorona, the flowers of someone who has passed on
Que cuando la s... del viento
That when the sound of wind
Parece Que esta llorando
It seems like it's crying
Hay de mi llorona
Oh, my Llorona, woe is me
Llorona Cuando al pasar yo te vì
Llorona, when I saw you as I passed by
La pare con tu rebozzo,
I stopped you with your shawl
Llorona Por que me muero de frio
Llorona, because I am dying of cold
Writer(s): Ramon Ortega
Contributed by Isabella J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@solangevoiry19
Preciosa interpretación de esa canción popular mexicana ... !
Una de las versiones de Chavela Vargas :
Todos me dicen el negro, Llorona
Negro, pero cariñoso
Todos me dicen el negro, Llorona
Negro, pero cariñoso
Yo soy como el chile verde Llorona
Picante, pero sabroso
Yo soy como el chile verde Llorona
Picante, pero sabroso
Ay de mí, Llorona, Llorona
Llorona, llévame al río
Ay de mí, Llorona, Llorona
Llorona, llévame al río
Tapáme con tu rebozo, Llorona
Porque me muero de frío
Tápame con tu rebozo, Llorona
Porque me muero de frío
No sé que tienen las flores, Llorona
Las flores del campo santo
No sé que tienen las flores, Llorona
Las flores del campo santo
Que cuando las mueve el viento, Llorona
Parecen que están llorando
Que cuando las mueve el viento, Llorona
Parecen que están llorando
Ay de mí, Llorona, Llorona
Llorona de un campo lirio
Ay de mí, Llorona, Llorona
Llorona de un campo lirio
Él que no sabe amores, Llorona
No sabe lo que es martirio
Él que no sabe de amores, Llorona
No sabe lo que es martirio
La luna es una mujer, Llorona
Y por eso el sol de España
La luna es una mujer, Llorona
Y por eso el sol de España
Anda que bebe los montes, Llorona
Porque la luna lo engaña
Anda que bebe los montes, Llorona
Porque la luna lo engaña
Yo te soñaba dormida, Llorona
Dormida te estabas quieta
Yo te soñaba dormida, Llorona
Dormida te estabas quieta
Pero en llegando el olvido, Llorona
Soñé que estabas despierta
Pero en llegando el olvido, Llorona
Soñé que estabas despierta
Si porque te quiero, quieres, Llorona
Quieres que te quieras más
Si porque te quiero, quieres, Llorona
Quieres que te quiera más
Si ya te he dado la vida, Llorona
¿Qué más quieres?
¡Quieres más!
@julesvandurme9031
Impressionnante cette voix qui vous fait aimer l'opéra. Magnifique interprétation. La texture de sa voix est renversante elle vous prend au coeur. Merci monsieur Alagna.
@officer3157
Quelle sublime voix, chanson touchante, profonde les paroles sont si belles . J'adore! merci, mille fois merci.
@gracielacreado7039
Maravilloso!!!! Te quiero 💕
@cristinamelinte1252
Superb ,voce si interpretare . Sunteti minunat ,domnule Roberto Alagna . 👋 Va multumesc frumos pentru bucuria sufletului . 👋💥👋💥👋💥
@Belemcontact
Found a true style: a sicilian born in paris singing a MEXICAN song on flamenco accompaniment!! Thanks roberto, it's a true homage to what LATIN culture it's about: blessings to you!
@vladimirsteinberg9819
How could a "cicilian" be born in Paris?
@sylviebasyl2835
@@vladimirsteinberg9819He's born of Sicilian parents and he's franco-italian (double nationality).
@gabrielasobiesinska
Interesting :)
@venez54
никакого стремления показать свой оперный голос. Всё только на внутреннююсуьь песни, на её лирику и даже трагизм. Прекрасно!
@MrPerrucci13
Je voudrais remercier Monsieur Alagna pour tout ce qu'il nous apporte. Il fait vibrer mon coeur de sicilien.