Habanera de Cadiz by María Dolores Pradera
Last week the Gipsy Kings mentioned
Maria Dolores in Baila Me. But who was she? María Dolores Fernández
Pradera was born in 1924 and died on 28 May this year, aged 93. She was
one of the best-loved singers in Spain and Latin America, being known as La Gran Señora de la Canción.
She started her career as an
actress and, during the 1950s, she began singing professionally, eventually
abandoning her acting career in the 1960s. She recorded more than 35 albums. As
a singer, she specialised in traditional Spanish and Latin American music. I
love the female voice and especially a fine contralto like Maria.
Wikipedia says she sings with
a pure Castilian accent, while her music is pure Latin American. Her repertoire
encompassed some of the most memorable melodies from Mexico, Peru, Venezuela
and Chile. She typically sang accompanied by guitars, requintos, and
drums. A requinto is a smaller, higher-pitched version of an instrument (in
this case a guitar).
She sang for close to 30
years with the same group, Los Gemelos, formed by twin brothers, Santiago and
Julián López Hernández, until the death of Santiago in the early 1990s.
I have chosen her song
Habaneras de Cádiz. She is in Havana, a city she loves, thinking of Cadiz,
another city she loves. Habanera, as opera lovers will know is the alternative
title of L’amor, the opening song by Carmen in Bizet’s opera.
It is also a style of
music with a particular rhythm. The habanera is the Spanish/Latin American version
of contradanse, a popular style of
music and dance in 18th century Europe, started in England (would you believe) and
adopted at the court of France. Contradanza was
brought to America by the Spanish.
In 19th
century Cuba, it took on African influences and
grew into an important genre. The mambo and cha cha cha dances evolved from Cuban contradanza and
gained international popularity.
Outside
Cuba, the contradanza became known as the habanera –
the dance of Havana – and that
name was later adopted in Cuba. So the habanera in Habanera de Cadiz refers to
the style of music.
Has anybody been to Cadiz? It
is reckoned to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, founded by
the Phoenicians in the bronze age and the home port of the Spanish navy. They sailed from Cadiz to battle Nelson at
Trafalgar and it was the starting point for many ships sailing to the new
world.
La Caleta is a beach in Cadiz
El Malecón is a long stretch
of coast in Havana.
Las
Puertas de Tierra originated in
the 16th century. Once consisting of several layers of walls, only one of these
remain today. By the 20th century it was necessary to remodel the entrance to
the Old City to accommodate modern traffic. Today, the two side-by-side arches
cut into the wall serve as one of the primary entrances to the city.
La Viña a barrio in
Cadiz
El
Mentidero another área of old Cadiz
You’ll also see that there’s no political
correctness. She says Havana is Cadiz with more blacks and Cadiz is Havana with
more whites.
"Piriñaca" is
a salad accompaniment used in the city of Cadiz, for grilled fish, especially
mackerel. Each province has a different preparation and composition.
Typically, it is made with
peeled tomatoes, oil, green pepper and garlic.
Chirigota a type of Spanish folk song from Cadiz
Enough talking, let’s listen
to Maria Dolores
Desde que estuve niña en La Habana
no se me puede olvidar
tanto Cádiz ante mi ventana,
tacita lejana,
que aquella mañana
pude contemplar...
Las olas de la Caleta,
que es plata quieta,
rompían contra las rocas
de aquel paseo
que al bamboleo
de aquellas bocas
allí le llaman El Malecón...
Había coches de caballos,
era por mayo,
sonaban por la Alameda,
por Puerta Tierra,
y me traían,
ay, tierra mía,
desde mi Cádiz el mismo son...
El son de los puertos,
dulzor de guayaba,
calabazas, huertos...
Aún pregunto quién me lo cantaba...
Coro:
Que tengo un amor en La Habana
y el otro en Andalucía,
no te he visto yo a ti, tierra mía,
más cerca que la mañana
que apareció en mi ventana
de La Habana colonial
to' Cádiz, la Catedral,
La Viña
y El Mentidero...
Y verán que no exagero
si al cantar la habanera repito:
La Habana es Cádiz con más negritos,
Cádiz, La Habana con más salero.
Verán que tengo mi alma en La Habana
no se me puede olvidar,
canto un tango y es una habanera,
la misma manera
tan dulce y galana
y el mismo compás.
Por la parte del Caribe
así se escribe
cuando una canción de amores,
canción tan rica,
se la dedican los trovadores
a una muchacha o a una ciudad...
Y yo, Cádiz, te dedico
y te lo explico
por qué te canto este tango
que sabe a mango,
de esta manera esta habanera
de piriñaca y de Carnaval...
Son de chirigota,
sabor a melaza,
Guantánamo y Rota...
¡Que lo canta ya un coro en la plaza!
Habaneras from Cadiz
Since I was a girl in Havana
I could no more forget
Cadiz at my window,
distant little cup,
which that morning
I was able to contemplate...
The waves from la Caleta,
that is a silver calm,
were breaking against the rocks
of that passage
rolling towards
those mouths
there they call El Malecón
There were horse-drawn carriages,
it was around May,
they sounded through la Alameda,
by Puerta Tierra,
and they brought me,
ah, my homeland,
from my Cadiz, the same sound...
The sound of the ports,
sweetness of the guava,
pumpkins, gardens...
I still wonder who was singing it to me
Chorus:
I have a love in Havana
and another in Andalusia,
I haven't seen you, my homeland,
much closer than the morning
that you appeared in my window
of colonial Havana
to Cádiz, the Cathedral,
You'll see I don't exagerrate
when I sing the habanera refrain:
Havana is Cádiz with more blacks,
Cádiz, Havana with more whites.
They will see that I have my soul in Havana
I cannot forget it,
I sing a tango and it's a habanera,
the same way,
so sweet and elegant
with the same beat.
On behalf of the Carribean,
it is written that way
when a song about loves,
a song so lovely,
is dedicated by the troubadors
to a girl or to a city...
And I, Cadiz, dedicate to you
and I will explain it to you
why I sing you this tango
that tastes like mango,
in this way, this habanera
of piriñaca and Carnival
They are chirigota,
flavor of molasses,
Guantanamo and Rota...
A choir is now singing in the plaza!
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