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.
Mujeres Como Tu
Tommy Olivencia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que forma rara de querer
he descubierto que no tienes corazón
que tus caricias fueron una maldición
que trajo a mí, el más horrendo sufrimiento.
Que forma rara tienes tú de agradecer
darte la vida que soñaste en tu niñez
principiante que en tu novela quise ser.
Y me engañaste sin motivo y sin razón
sacrificaste de mi vida la ilusión
solo té queda salir de mi corazón
y que te perdone Dios si es que mereces perdón.
Mujeres como tú la tienen que pagar,
nadie se burla de nadie, esa es la pura verdad.
Las mujeres como tu que viven una novela
y juegan con sentimientos sabrá Dios lo que le espera.
Esa es la pura verdad, es la triste realidad
que yo me muero al saber que tú tienes
forma rara de pensar.
Tu no tienes corazón, tu no tienes sentimientos
por eso te digo escucha mujer
oiga y ya tu no tienes valor.
Y que conmigo, mamita lo perdiste todo,
y ahora como tu te encuentras perdida
y que conmigo tu quieres volver.
Tu no tienes corazón.
Esa es la pura verdad.
Un horrible sufrimiento.
Nadie, nadie, nadie, nadie, nadie se burla de mí.
Ay tu amor ya no me interesa.
Solo te queda salir de mi corazón.
Contigo yo conocí el dolor.
Y que jugaste conmigo cariño.
The lyrics of Tommy Olivencia's song "Mujeres Como Tú" talk about a man who has realized that the woman he has been with has a strange way of loving. He begins by acknowledging that her way of loving is peculiar and different from what he expected. As the song progresses, he reveals that he has discovered that she has no heart and that her caresses were curses that brought him tremendous suffering. He laments the fact that he sacrificed himself for her and gave her the life she dreamed of as a child, but it was all in vain because she betrayed him without any reasonable cause. He then announces that women like her will have to pay for their wrongdoings as he hints at an imminent breakup.
The song highlights the theme of betrayals in relationships where someone's heart gets broken after falling in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way. It further talks about how love can be a selfless sacrifice where one person gives everything they have to ensure their partner's happiness and wellbeing, only to have it thrown back in their face.
Line by Line Meaning
Que forma rara de querer tienes tu
I have discovered that your way of loving is strange, without heart, and your caresses were a curse that brought me the most horrendous suffering.
Que forma rara tienes tú de agradecer los sacrificios que he pasado por querer darte la vida que soñaste en tu niñez principiante que en tu novela quise ser
Your strange way of thanking me for the sacrifices I made to give you the life you dreamed of in childhood, like a beginner in your story, makes me feel betrayed and used.
Y me engañaste sin motivo y sin razón sacrificaste de mi vida la ilusión solo té queda salir de mi corazón y que te perdone Dios si es que mereces perdón
You deceived me without any reason and sacrificed my hopes and dreams for no reason. The only thing left for you is to leave my heart, and may God forgive you if you deserve forgiveness.
Mujeres como tú la tienen que pagar, nadie se burla de nadie, esa es la pura verdad
Women like you will have to pay for their actions, and nobody can make fun of anyone. That is the harsh reality.
Las mujeres como tu que viven una novela y juegan con sentimientos sabrá Dios lo que le espera
Women like you, who live in their own novel and play with other's feelings, will face the consequences that only God knows.
Tu no tienes corazón, tu no tienes sentimientos por eso te digo escucha mujer oiga y ya tu no tienes valor
You have no heart, no feelings, and that is why I tell you this - listen, woman, you have lost all my respect.
Y que conmigo, mamita lo perdiste todo, y ahora como tu te encuentras perdida y que conmigo tu quieres volver. Tu no tienes corazón
You lost everything with me, now you are lost, and you want to come back, but you have no heart.
Un horrible sufrimiento. Nadie, nadie, nadie, nadie, nadie se burla de mí. Ay tu amor ya no me interesa. Solo te queda salir de mi corazón. Contigo yo conocí el dolor. Y que jugaste conmigo cariño.
I suffered terribly, but nobody can make fun of me. I am not interested in your love anymore. You need to leave my heart. With you, I learned what pain is, and you played with me, darling.
Contributed by Lucy V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@duberalejo
Que grande este trabajo de Frankie con Tommy Olivencia y su orquesta, buenos años en los años 80. tremendo tema al igual que cosas nativas....que viva la salsa
@daniellopez9622
Frankie Ruiz en la voz!
@GUALLACOL
Saaaaaaaaaalsa!