Ángel Tomás "Tommy" Olivencia Pagán was born in the Vill… Read Full Bio ↴Early years
Ángel Tomás "Tommy" Olivencia Pagán was born in the Villa Palmeras section of Santurce, Puerto Rico. His family moved to the city of Arecibo when he was just a child. He received his primary and secondary education in Arecibo. As a young man, he became fascinated with the trumpet and learned to play the musical instrument.
In 1954, Olivencia sang and played the trumpet for local bands. He graduated from high school in 1957 and his family relocated once again to Santurce.
Puertorrican Salsa DJ Yun Yun Echevarria interviews Tommy Olivencia (1980s)
Puertorrican Salsa DJ Yun Yun Echevarria interviews Tommy Olivencia (1980s)
La Primerisima Orchestra de Puerto Rico
In 1960, Olivencia organized his first orchestra, which he named "Tommy Olivencia y La Primerisima Orchestra de Puerto Rico". His band combined swing and melodic styles together. This combination plus a strong brass contingent in the band was his trademark. Olivencia signed a contract with Inca Records and remained with that label until 1978. In 1972, he had his first major "hit" with Secuestro (Kidnapped) and followed that hit with Juntos de Nuevo (Together Again) in 1974 and Plante Bandera in 1975.
Olivencia's band was also known as the "Tommy Olivencia School", because the band produced some of the best and most talented singers and musicians of salsa in the island. Among those to have belonged to the band at one time or another were: Chamaco Ramirez, Sammy "El Rolo" González, Simon Perez, Paquito Guzman, Ubaldo "Lalo" Rodriguez, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Marvin Santiago, Frankie Ruiz, Hector Tricoche, Carlos Alexis, Hector "Pichie" Perez, Paquito "Junior" Acosta and Mel Martínez.
Albums recordings
Tommy Olivencia (c. 1977)
Tommy Olivencia (c. 1977)
Among the albums recorded by Olivencia and his band are:
* Trucu-Tu
* La Nueva Sensacion Musical De Puerto Rico 1965
* Jala-Jala y Guaguancó 1966
* Fire Fire 1967
* A Toda Maquina 1968
* Cuero...Salsa y Sentimiento 1971
* Secuestro (Kidnapped) 1972
* Juntos de Nuevo (Together Again) 1974
* Planté Bandera 1975
* Introducing Lalo Rodríguez and Simón Pérez (1976)
* El Negro Chombo 1977
* La Primerísima 1978
* Sweet Trumpet-Hot Salsa 1978
* Tommy Olivencia y su Orchestra with Paquito Guzmán & Gilberto Santa Rosa (1979)
* Un Triangulo De Triunfo (Triangle of Triumph) (1981)
* Tommy Olivencia y su Orchestra with Frankie Ruiz & Carlos Alexis 1983
* Celebrando Otro Aniversario(Celebrating Another Anniversary) (1984)
* Ayer, Hoy, Mañana y Siempre(Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow and Always) (1985)
* 30 Aniversario 1987
* El Jeque 1990
* Enamorado y Que! (I'm in Love, What about it?) 1991
* Vive La Leyenda 1998
* 40 Aniversario Live 2002
The following are considered among the top 100 greatest salsa songs:
* Casimira
* Como Lo Hacen (How they do it)
* Trucutru
* Pa'Lante Otra Vez
* Lobo Domesticado (Domestic Wolf)
* No Me Tires La Primera Piedra
Awards and recognitions
Tommy Olivencia Planté Bandera (1975)
Tommy Olivencia Planté Bandera (1975)
Among the many awards and recognitions which have been bestowed upon Olivencia are the following:
* The Puerto Rican Senate passed a resolution congratulating Olivencia and his band for their contributions to Puerto Rico's music.
* El Cordero de Oro (The Golden Lamb) and El Buho de Oro (The Golden Owl) Awards from Panama, for the best foreign band.
* The Golden Agueybana Award from Puerto Rico
* The November 11th Award from Colombia
Later years
On August 2000, Olivencia celebrated his 40th anniversary in the music industry at the Tito Puente Theater in San Juan, an event attended by many of the former members of his band. On May 15, 2004, Olivencia celebrated his 66th birthday and 45 years with the band with a live recording concert. The annual "Day of Salsa" of 2005, celebrated in Puerto Rico was dedicated to Olivencia.
Death
He died on September 22, 2006, aged 68, from complications of diabetes, which he had battled his entire life.
12 Rosas
Tommy Olivencia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seguro abriste ya ese sobre azul que
A tu puerta muy temprano llego
Con doce rosas en el interior
El calendario te dirá el por qué
El remitente te hablará de mi
Y otra ves mi recuerdo brillará con
No me sigues amando y pensarás mil cosas
Correrás junto a las rosas que mande
Son doce rosas que hablarán por mi
Son doce rosas que te gritan vuelve
Y cada una significa un mes llorandote
Son doce rosas que hablaran de ti del gran
Amor que para mi tú eres se que sientes lo mismo
Por mi perdoname sin ti no se que hacer
Cariño alejabamos días de orgullo que solamente
Nos tortura más un amor como el nuestro no se puede apagar mira dentro de tu corazón tu tampoco has dejado de quererme piensas en volver a verme
Tal como lo pienso yo
Son doce rosas que hablarán por mi
Son doce rosas que te gritan vuelve
Y cada una significa un mes llorandote
Son doce rosas que hablaran de ti del gran
Amor que para mi tú eres se que sientes lo mismo
Por mi perdoname sin ti no se que hacer
Por si acaso piensas no volver recuerda siempre
Que yo te adoré
Son doce rosas que hablarán por mi
Son doce rosas que te gritan vuelve
Y cada una significa un mes llorandote
Son doce rosas que hablaran de ti del gran
Amor que para mi tú eres se que sientes lo mismo
Por mi perdoname sin ti no se que haceeerrrrr...
The song "12 Rosas" by Tommy Olivencia tells the story of a man who sends a letter to his former lover, enclosed with twelve roses. The roses are meant to symbolize the twelve months since their breakup, during which he has been crying and longing for her. He hopes that the roses will speak on his behalf and convey his message to her. The man acknowledges the pain they both have been through but believes that their love is too strong to be ignored. He asks for forgiveness and begs her to come back to him.
The lyrics are emotional and heart-wrenching as they convey the idea of true love and the pain of separation. The song's theme is universal, resonating with anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak or longed for someone they cannot have. The way the singer describes the roses adds to the song's appeal, as it is a visual imagery that puts the listener in the scene. It is a great example of traditional salsa music that tells a story and delivers a message to the audience.
· "12 Rosas" was released in 1983 as part of the album "Celebrando Otro Aniversario" by Tommy Olivencia y Su Orquesta.
· The song was written by Pedro Junco Jr.
· It was an instant hit and became one of Tommy Olivencia's most popular songs.
· "12 Rosas" was covered by several artists such as Daniel Santos, Moncho Santana, and Charlie Aponte.
· The song was also used as a soundtrack in the hit Colombian telenovela "La Hija del Mariachi."
· Tommy Olivencia was a Puerto Rican salsa musician who was born in 1938 and died in 2006. He was known as "El Rey del Jala Jala" and was a prominent figure in the salsa music scene.
· Olivencia started his career in the 1960s and recorded over 40 albums, becoming one of the most successful salsa artists of all time.
· Pedro Junco Jr. was a prolific Cuban songwriter who wrote several hits in various genres, including salsa, bolero, and cumbia.
· The lyrics of "12 Rosas" were inspired by Junco's personal experiences, as he had experienced a breakup and used the song to express his feelings.
· The song's popularity is partly due to its universal theme of love, which transcends cultural and linguistic barriers.
Chords: G, Am, B7, C, D, Em
Line by Line Meaning
Cuando recibas esta carta tú
When you receive this letter
Seguro abriste ya ese sobre azul que
You surely have already opened that blue envelope which
A tu puerta muy temprano llego
Arrived at your door early in the morning
Con doce rosas en el interior
With twelve roses inside
El calendario te dirá el por qué
The calendar will tell you why
El remitente te hablará de mi
The sender will talk to you about me
Y otra ves mi recuerdo brillará con
And again my memory will shine with
Más luz sentirás tal ves amor que tú
More light you will feel, maybe love that you
No me sigues amando y pensarás mil cosas
Don't love me anymore and will think a thousand things
Correrás junto a las rosas que mande
You'll run alongside the roses I sent
Son doce rosas que hablarán por mi
They are twelve roses that will speak for me
Son doce rosas que te gritan vuelve
They are twelve roses that shout for you to come back
Y cada una significa un mes llorandote
And each one signifies a month crying for you
Son doce rosas que hablaran de ti del gran
They are twelve roses that will speak of you, of the great
Amor que para mi tú eres se que sientes lo mismo
Love you are to me, I know you feel the same
Por mi perdoname sin ti no se que hacer
Forgive me, without you I don't know what to do
Cariño alejabamos días de orgullo que solamente
Honey, we spent days away from each other due to pride which only
Nos tortura más un amor como el nuestro no se puede apagar mira dentro de tu corazón tu tampoco has dejado de quererme piensas en volver a verme
Tortured us, a love like ours cannot be put out. Look inside your heart, you also haven't stopped loving me. You think about seeing me again
Por si acaso piensas no volver recuerda siempre
In case you think of not coming back, always remember
Que yo te adoré
That I adored you
Por mi perdoname sin ti no se que haceeerrrrr...
Forgive me, without you I don't know what to do
Writer(s): E. Malepasso, T. Labriola, J.t. Martinez
Contributed by Joseph L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.