Born in Logroño, … Read Full Bio ↴Soledad Bravo (born 1943), is a Venezuelan singer.
Born in Logroño, La Rioja, Spain her father was a Spanish republican, moving to Venezuela with his family when his daughter was still at an early age. At 24, Soledad began studying architecture and philosophy at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, where she also began performing. One year later, in 1968, she released her debut titled Soledad Bravo Canta (Soledad Bravo Sings), which made her a star in Venezuela and other parts of South America. In the years that followed, she cooperated with Atahualpa Yupanqui, Violeta Parra, Gilberto Gil and others, having lived and performed in Europe and the Americas. Her repertoire is a vivid mixture of fiery, vivid Caribbean and Latin rhythms, Sephardic elegies and heartwarming ballads.
Considered to be one of the best voices in Latin America, one of her most popular and best known songs is Hasta Siempre, a cover of a Cuban hymn by Carlos Puebla to Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
la maza
Soledad Bravo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De la garganta del sinsonte
Si no creyera que en el monte
Se esconde el trino y la pavura.
Si no creyera en la balanza
En la razón del equilibrio
Si no creyera en el delirio
Si no creyera en lo que agencio
Si no creyera en mi camino
Si no creyera en mi sonido
Si no creyera en mi silencio.
Que cosa fuera
Que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
Un amasijo hecho de cuerdas y tendones
Un revoltijo de carne con madera
Un instrumento sin mejores resplandores
Que lucecitas montadas para escena
Que cosa fuera -corazón- que cosa fuera
Que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
Un testaferro del traidor de los aplausos
Un servidor de pasado en copa nueva
Un eternizador de dioses del ocaso
Jubilo hervido con trapo y lentejuela
Que cosa fuera -corazón- que cosa fuera
Que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
Que cosa fuera -corazón- que cosa fuera
Que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera.
The opening stanza of Soledad Bravo's "La Maza" lyrics paints a picture of a person who believes in the seemingly impossible. The singer acknowledges their belief that the "sinsonte" (mockingbird) can sing so beautifully, and yet also harbors fear deep within the woods. The singer also believes in the power of balance, the irrational, and hopes for the future. The following stanzas continue to highlight the singer's beliefs, including their faith in themselves, their own path, and their unique talents.
The refrain of the song, "Que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera," loosely translates to "What would a mace be without its quarry?" It questions the value of an object if it does not have its essential component. In this case, the "maza" refers to a wooden handle used in traditional South American percussion instruments, and the "cantera" is the quarry which the wood comes from. The song suggests that without this core element, the mace would be nothing, rendered lifeless and useless. The singer then uses this metaphor to ask the question "What would I be without my origin, without the foundation of who I am, without my creativity and drive?"
Line by Line Meaning
Si no creyera en la locura
If I did not believe in madness
De la garganta del sinsonte
From the throat of the mockingbird
Si no creyera que en el monte
If I did not believe that in the mountain
Se esconde el trino y la pavura.
The trill and the fear are hidden.
Si no creyera en la balanza
If I did not believe in the balance
En la razón del equilibrio
In the reason of equilibrium
Si no creyera en el delirio
If I did not believe in delirium
Si no creyera en la esperanza.
If I did not believe in hope.
Si no creyera en lo que agencio
If I did not believe in what I manage
Si no creyera en mi camino
If I did not believe in my path
Si no creyera en mi sonido
If I did not believe in my sound
Si no creyera en mi silencio.
If I did not believe in my silence.
Que cosa fuera
What would it be
Que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
What would the mallet be without its quarry
Un amasijo hecho de cuerdas y tendones
A tangled mess made of chords and tendons
Un revoltijo de carne con madera
A jumble of flesh and wood
Un instrumento sin mejores resplandores
An instrument without better brightness
Que lucecitas montadas para escena
That little lights mounted for scene
Que cosa fuera -corazón- que cosa fuera
What would it be -heart- what would it be
Un testaferro del traidor de los aplausos
A puppet of the applause traitor
Un servidor de pasado en copa nueva
A servant of the past in a new glass
Un eternizador de dioses del ocaso
An eternalizer of sunset gods
Jubilo hervido con trapo y lentejuela
Boiling joy with rag and sequin
Que cosa fuera -corazón- que cosa fuera
What would it be -heart- what would it be
Que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
What would the mallet be without its quarry
Que cosa fuera -corazón- que cosa fuera
What would it be -heart- what would it be
Que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera.
What would the mallet be without its quarry.
Writer(s): SILVIO RODRIGUEZ DOMINGUEZ
Contributed by Stella G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.