Their members included Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, before he left to join the Afro-Cuban All Stars and Jesus Alemany, who formed Cubanisimo. The band is still together.
The group Sierra Maestra, headed up by Juan d'Marcos Gonzales, is an outstanding nine-piece son band from Havana. They are one of the finest and most popular musical ensembles performing in the Spanish Caribbean today. They were the first group, and remain the best, to play in the old-style son line-up: tres, guitar, trumpet, bongo, güiro and vocals--as during the great days of the 1920s and '30s. They have been the pioneers in reviving this style for new generations and re-introducing it into the Cuban mainstream. They named themselves after the mountain range in the eastern part of Cuba as a tribute to the birthplace of son.
Sierra Maestra first performed in 1976 at the University of Havana where the group members all studied. Their aim, then as now, was to revive and re-explore this popular Cuban music style of the 1920s which had become forgotten. The original line-up mentioned above was slightly augmented with extra percussion (congas and maracas) and the replacement of the old marimbula with electric bass. Some of the guaracha rhythms were speeded up to allow for the move away from the slow close pair dancing of the '20s. This revival of son with a modern stamp was a sensation for the new generation of Cubans, and Sierra Maestra quickly became popular through playing the annual festivals at the universities around the island of Cuba. They won the first prize in each of their first 3 years - '76, '77 and '78. They were also appearing regularly on national TV.
In 1978, they were asked to represent Cuba at the "Festival Mundial de la Juventud y los Estudiantes" in Havana. In 1979, they took 4th place at the televised "Carifesta" Caribbean competition, also in Havana. In 1981 their first record, "Sierra Maestra llegó con el guanajo relleno", received a silver disc, a composite award for high sales, general popularity and critical reception. They also won individual prizes for the best recording, most popular song and the
highest record sales. 1981 was also the year of their first foreign tour -- to Nicaragua.
They recorded their second LP, "Y Son Asi", in 1982 and won the Girasol prize for being the most popular group of the year. They toured Angola and Nicaragua that year. In 1983 they won the "Benny More" dance music prize at the festival of the same name and took part in the IV Song Festival held in Helsinki. They then travelled to Sweden and France and to the International Film Festival in Spain (where they have often played over the years). Also in 1983, they recorded the soundtrack to the Cuban TV series "Las Impuras"; (more recently their song "A Los Rumberos de Belen" was used by Robert Redford for his film "The Milagro Beanfield War"). Since then Sierra Maestra have maintained a full international touring and recording career, around Europe, Africa and Asia.
In 1994 during their European tour, they recorded "Dundunbanza" for World Circuit Records in London, an extremely stylish cocktail of Arsenio Rodriguez tunes and other favourites. Sierra Maestra now have worldwide distribution for their music. One of Cuba's great musical secrets is now out!
Yolanda
Sierra Maestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quisiera fuera una declaración de amor.
Romántica, sin reparar en formas tales
Que pongan freno a lo que siento ahora a raudales.
Te amo, te amo. Eternamente te amo.
Si he de morir, quiero que sea contigo.
Mi soledad se siente acompañada,
Por eso a veces sé que necesito.
Tu mano, tu mano. Eternamente tu mano.
Cuando te vi, sabía que era cierto
Este temor de hallarme descubierto,
Tu me desnudas con ciertas razones
Y abres el pecho siempre que me colmas
De amores, de amores, eternamente de amores.
Si alguna vez me siento derrotado,
Renuncio a ver el sol para mañana,
Rezando el credo que me haz enseñado,
Miro tu cara y digo en la ventana:
Yolanda, Yolanda. Eternamente Yolanda.
The lyrics to Sierra Maestra's song Yolanda express a deep and intense love for someone named Yolanda. The singer begins by acknowledging that what he is about to sing cannot simply be reduced to a mere song, but rather a declaration of his love for Yolanda. He conveys the idea that he is pursuing a pure and unadulterated romantic love, devoid of any artificiality or guile. The intensity of his love is evident in the manner in which he expresses it, as if he is overflowing with love and it is spilling uncontrollably from his heart. He sings of his deep desire to be with Yolanda, and how he would be empty and lifeless should she ever leave him. He is willing to face death, so long as he can face it together with Yolanda. He continues to express how his loneliness is eased by Yolanda's presence, and how he feels the need to always hold her hand, as it brings him a sense of unbridled joy.
The singer also gives insights into how he met Yolanda, suggesting that he was initially hesitant to reveal his true self to her. He feared that once his true self was revealed, he would be left exposed and vulnerable. However, Yolanda was able to see through his fears and insecurities, and lovingly accepts the singer for who he truly is. He sings of how Yolanda's love has given him the courage to be his authentic self, and how he feels completely naked and exposed, yet wholly accepted by her. He sings of their love, and how they are always filled with love for one another, paving the way for a future filled with eternal love.
Line by Line Meaning
Esto no puede ser no más que una canción,
This cannot be just a song,
Quisiera fuera una declaración de amor.
I wish it were a love declaration.
Romántica, sin reparar en formas tales
Romantic, without paying attention to such formalities
Que pongan freno a lo que siento ahora a raudales.
That could stop what I am feeling now in abundance.
Te amo, te amo. Eternamente te amo.
I love you, I love you. Forever I love you.
Si me faltaras tú, yo voy a morirme,
If you were gone, I would die,
Si he de morir, quiero que sea contigo.
If I must die, I want it to be with you.
Mi soledad se siente acompañada,
My loneliness feels accompanied,
Por eso a veces sé que necesito.
That's why I know I need it sometimes.
Tu mano, tu mano. Eternamente tu mano.
Your hand, your hand. Forever your hand.
Cuando te vi, sabía que era cierto
When I saw you, I knew it was true
Este temor de hallarme descubierto,
This fear of being exposed
Tu me desnudas con ciertas razones
You strip me down with certain reasons
Y abres el pecho siempre que me colmas
And you always open your chest when you overwhelm me
De amores, de amores, eternamente de amores.
With loves, with loves, forever with loves.
Si alguna vez me siento derrotado,
If ever I feel defeated,
Renuncio a ver el sol para mañana,
I give up seeing the sun for tomorrow,
Rezando el credo que me haz enseñado,
Reciting the creed you have taught me,
Miro tu cara y digo en la ventana:
I look at your face and say in the window:
Yolanda, Yolanda. Eternamente Yolanda.
Yolanda, Yolanda. Forever Yolanda.
Writer(s): PEDRO PABLO MILANES ARIAS
Contributed by Noah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jotape2561
Que hermosura de tema y lo mejor por Sierra Maestra, Cubanos la musica la llevan en la sangre
@user-wh2uj4qw9c
Muy bonita gracias por la cacion gracias
@williamkw1
de las mejores
@luis12703
me gusta la version en ella se escucha la voz de maceo de grata recordacion para los cubanos y amantes del son
@lindamelodia17
Bella cancion, e interpretacion unica!!
@ermigue1971
maravillosos, pense que la version de Danza Invisible no se podia mejorar,,.,,,Felicidades Sierra Maestra,,, cada dia me gustais mas
@ModulationWarriors
Romanticaaa!!!!
@kikebaltan9501
Exquisita y fantastica
@melissaavaloscamero2764
me encanto
@ModulationWarriors
Muy Excellenteee!!!