Santa Sabina are distinguished by their gothic rock lyrics and stage presence. Their music, however, is perhaps best described as a variant of progressive rock which borrows heavily from jazz.
At the end of the 1980s, Guerrero left her hometown of Guadalajara to attend the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City to pursue a career in theatre. There, she met Poncho Figueroa, Pablo Valero and Jacobo Leiberman, who at that time were members of a jazz group called "the Psicotrópicos". "The Psicotrópicos" agreed to provide music for a play written for Guerrero's theatre class based on Franz Kafka's "Amérika". As they worked together, they realized they had a strong artistic affinity. After the dissolution of the "Psicotrópicos", they decided to form a new rock band that reflected their artistic vision. Although the group's lineup has changed through the years (as in the case of Pablo Valero and Jacobo Leiberman), the sound of the group, has evolved but remains faithful to its initial course.
Their first albums, Santa Sabina (1992), Símbolos (1994) and Babel (1996) were released through the now-defunct Mexican record label Culebra Records, a local branch of BGM Ariola. Their following albums, Mar adentro en la sangre (2001) and Espiral (2003), were independent productions. In 1997, they also recorded an album of their "unplugged" performance for MTV Latinamerica called Santa Sabina Unplugged.
The band reformed briefly in 2010 when it became clear that this might be the last chance to have Rita perform as she was diagnosed with breast cancer and treatment failed. On the 11th March 2011 Rita passed away which left the band without a lead-singer. No information is available whether they will reform with another singer.
Duerme amor
Santa Sabina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Es noche alrededor.
Parda luz,
La de nuestro temor.
Al callar,
Oigo tu llanto secreto.
Y su voz suelta las bestias del miedo.
El fuego alrededor.
Es la luz,
De los que ya no están.
Y su amor vence la amarga distancia.
Su calor,
Quema la cárcel del miedo.
De mentiras y traición,
En un necio corazón.
De silencio en el mortal,
Reino de la decepción.
No se mancha el cielo fiel,
De los bosques del amor.
Fruto de valiente fé,
De las ramas del dolor.
Malos sueños,
Duerme amor.
Duerme amor,
Cansado de rabiar.
Agria luz,
La de la soledad.
Cae la luz,
La tierra gira y tu duermes.
Su calor,
Doma las bestias del miedo.
De mentiras y traición,
En un necio corazón.
De silencio en el mortal,
Reino de la decepción.
No se mancha el cielo fiel,
De los bosques del amor.
Fruto de valiente fé,
De las ramas del dolor.
Malos sueños,
Duerme amor.
Calles ciegas,
De rencor.
Puentes negros,
Que se caen.
The song “Duerme amor” by Santa Sabina is a heartfelt ballad that delves into themes of love, fear, and loss. The lyrics describe a moment of vulnerability between two lovers as they face the unknown darkness of the night. As the world around them appears to be falling apart, they find comfort in each other.
The first verse sets up the atmosphere of the song with its dark imagery. The use of “parda luz” or “dim light” suggests that the world around them is not entirely dark but also not wholly illuminated. The line “su voz suelta las bestias del miedo” or “his/her voice unleashes the beasts of fear” refers to the idea that the singer's partner is crying secretly and that hearing them cry makes them both face their greatest fears.
The second verse highlights the power of love to conquer distance and fear. The use of fire imagery adds warmth to the song and reinforces the idea that the love between the two lovers provides an anchoring force amidst chaos. The lines “fruto de valiente fé, de las ramas del dolor” or “the fruit of brave faith, from the branches of pain” convey the idea that the love between the two is the result of the struggles they have faced in the past.
Overall, “Duerme amor” is a poignant song that explores the depth of human emotions. It paints a picture of two people finding solace in their love for each other even in the face of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Duerme amor,
Sleep my love,
Es noche alrededor.
It's night all around.
Parda luz,
Dim light,
La de nuestro temor.
The light of our fear.
Al callar,
In silence,
Oigo tu llanto secreto.
I hear your secret weeping.
Y su voz suelta las bestias del miedo.
And your voice unleashes the beasts of fear.
El fuego alrededor.
Fire all around.
Es la luz,
It's the light,
De los que ya no están.
Of those who are no longer here.
Y su amor vence la amarga distancia.
And their love overcomes the bitter distance.
Su calor,
Their warmth,
Quema la cárcel del miedo.
Burns the prison of fear.
De mentiras y traición,
Of lies and betrayal,
En un necio corazón.
In a foolish heart.
De silencio en el mortal,
Of silence in the mortal,
Reino de la decepción.
Realm of disappointment.
No se mancha el cielo fiel,
The faithful sky is not stained,
De los bosques del amor.
Of the forests of love.
Fruto de valiente fé,
Fruit of brave faith,
De las ramas del dolor.
From the branches of pain.
Malos sueños,
Bad dreams,
Duerme amor.
Sleep my love.
Cansado de rabiar.
Tired of raging.
Agria luz,
Bitter light,
La de la soledad.
The light of loneliness.
Cae la luz,
The light falls,
La tierra gira y tu duermes.
The earth rotates and you sleep.
Su calor,
Their warmth,
Doma las bestias del miedo.
Tames the beasts of fear.
Calles ciegas,
Blind streets,
De rencor.
Full of resentment.
Puentes negros,
Black bridges,
Que se caen.
That are falling apart.
Contributed by Camden P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
José Luis Gutiérrez Guzmán
Gracias por compartirlo, es dificil encontrar videos en vivo de Santa Sabina con buena calidad de audio y video.
Zuko McOtella
Me enamoré de ésta versión en vivo... ese fue un conciertazo... Otaola, Rita pfff. Rolota...
Spiky Demon
Que magnífica grabación, es como si pudiera tocar las manos de la amada Rita
Ojalá el cielo disfrute su voz
ceccy mmm
Tocaron seguido en día de muertos en el Zócalo ufff maravilloso 😘😘👍🏻👍🏻
#DelRincónBohemioDeAndrew camarada
IN MEMORIA RITA GUERRERO "DUERME AMOR"
Noé Santa Ana
Gracias por compartir este deleite
13kalabazita
me toco en los buenos tiempos del rock verle muy seguido en sus inicios presentandose en mexicali y buena onda rita siempre en paz descancez rita
Púrpura Medianoche
Deleite para quienes pudieron verlos en vivo.
LCManuelFlores
Yo también 😍
Kena Molina
Yo💜🔥