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.
El Amor
Tommy Olivencia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lo que fue mío?.
A ese hombre que tan orgulloso ahora va
Contigo, porque no le dices
Toda la verdad,
Que fuiste mi amante que me
Diste todo
Cuanto sabes dar, que junto a mis brazos te
Quemando tu piel que piensas en mi, estando
Con el, mientras te acaricia lleno
De pasión tu mente es infiel,
Confiésalo todo libera tu alma y no lo engañes
Mas, no vivas fingiendo veras que mas
Tarde te arrepentirás, tu a el no lo quieres
Nunca lo querrás,
Porque fui en tu vida tu fin y tus principios
Eso y algo mas
Tu al el no lo quieres nunca lo querrás,
Porque fui en tu vida tu fin y tus principios
Eso y algo mas?.
Habla francamente dile la verdad
Que tu no lo quieres nunca lo querrás
Dile que a su lado tu piensas en mi
Que soy en tu vida tu principio y fin mami?
Habla francamente dile la verdad
Que tu no lo quieres nunca lo querrás
Para que fingir para que mentir si
Llevas por dentro el sabor a mi?
Habla francamente dile la verdad
Que tu no lo quieres nunca lo querrás?
Habla francamente dile la verdad
Que tu no lo quieres nunca lo querrás
Que yo soy el hombre que te hace vibrar
Nadie como yo te ha sabido amar
Habla francamente dile la verdad
Que tu no lo quieres nunca lo querrás
Que sueñas conmigo estando con el
Por eso mentalmente tu le eres infiel mujer
Tomado de AlbumCancionYLetra.com
Habla francamente dile la verdad
Que tu no lo quieres nunca lo querrás
The lyrics of Tommy Olivencia's song El Amor tell the story of a woman who is in a new relationship with a man who thinks he is the owner of everything that was once hers. The singer-songwriter is asking the woman to come clean about the truth of their past relationship because he knows she still thinks about him and feels his kisses on her skin. He urges her to confess everything and not deceive her new partner because she will regret it later. The singer tells her that she will never truly love her new partner because he was her beginning and end in life. He is the man that makes her heart race and no one will ever love her like he did.
The lyrics portray the longing and heartache one feels after ending a tumultuous relationship. The singer is asking for honesty and closure, so he can move on and she can have a fresh start with someone else. The song captures the essence of how powerful and unpredictable emotions can be and how they can affect people even after a relationship has ended. It also speaks about the pain and passion that come along with love and how, sometimes, it's better to speak the truth and face the consequences, rather than living a life of lies and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
A ese hombre que se cree muy dueño de
Referring to that man who thinks he owns
Lo que fue mío?
What once belonged to me?
A ese hombre que tan orgulloso ahora va
About that man who now walks proudly
Contigo, porque no le dices
With you, why don't you tell him
Toda la verdad,
The whole truth,
Que fuiste mi amante que me
That you were my lover who
Diste todo
Gave me everything
Cuanto sabes dar, que junto a mis brazos te
You know how to give, and next to my arms
Hiciste mujer, y aun sienten mis besos
You became a woman, and my kisses still burn
Quemando tu piel que piensas en mi, estando
Your skin, what you think of me while being
Con el, mientras te acaricia lleno
With him, while he caresses you full of
De pasión tu mente es infiel,
Passion, your mind is unfaithful,
Confiésalo todo libera tu alma y no lo engañes
Confess everything, free your soul, and don't deceive him
Mas, no vivas fingiendo veras que mas
But, don't live pretending, you'll see that more
Tarde te arrepentirás, tu a el no lo quieres
You'll regret it later, you don't love him
Nunca lo querrás,
You'll never love him,
Porque fui en tu vida tu fin y tus principios
Because I was your end and your beginning in life
Eso y algo mas
That, and something more
Tu al el no lo quieres nunca lo querrás,
You don't love him, you never will,
Porque fui en tu vida tu fin y tus principios
Because I was your end and your beginning in life
Eso y algo mas?.
That, and something more?
Habla francamente dile la verdad
Speak frankly, tell him the truth
Que tu no lo quieres nunca lo querrás
That you don't love him, you never will
Dile que a su lado tu piensas en mi
Tell him that by his side, you're thinking of me
Que soy en tu vida tu principio y fin mami?
That I am your beginning and end in life, honey?
Para que fingir para que mentir si
Why pretend, why lie if
Llevas por dentro el sabor a mi?
You carry my taste inside?
Que yo soy el hombre que te hace vibrar
That I am the man who makes you tremble
Nadie como yo te ha sabido amar
No one has known how to love you like I do
Que sueñas conmigo estando con el
That you dream of me while being with him
Por eso mentalmente tu le eres infiel mujer
That's why you're mentally unfaithful to him, woman
Habla francamente dile la verdad
Speak frankly, tell him the truth
Que tu no lo quieres nunca lo querrás
That you don't love him, you never will
Writer(s): Ortiz Espada Joan M, Fines-nevares Efrain
Contributed by Peyton I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.