I've always liked Natalie Cole's recordings of classic songs. She's not her father, but she's a pretty damn good singer. I thought it unusual that she would choose to do an album of songs in Spanish, but her father also sang a lot of classic love songs in Spanish - and some of them appear on this album. Spotify has two versions of this album - one has narration explaining the songs, which is quite helpful.
Here's the track listing. If anybody would like to post lyrics, translations, or background information on the songs, this thread would be a good place for it.
But take a listen to the album. Natalie Cole has a beautiful voice, and her interpretations of these songs are very good.
Subject: RE: Review: Natalie Cole: En Espanol From:keberoxu Date: 02 Jan 16 - 05:07 PM
This ended up being Natalie Cole's last recording. Now that the media is covering her demise, there are recent interviews being quoted in the press. In one, Ms. Cole says she wanted to do this album years before it happened, but others discouraged her for no good reason.
Frenesí Written & Composed by: Alberto Borras Dominguez
Bésame tú a mí Bésame igual que mi boca te besó Dame el frenesí que mi locura te dio ¿Quién si no fui yo Pudo enseñarte el camino del amor? Muerta mi altivez cuando mi orgullo rodó a tus pies
Quiero que vivas solo para mí Y que tú vayas por donde yo voy Para que mi alma sea no más de ti Bésame con frenesí
Dame la luz que tiene tu mirar Y la ansiedad que entre tus labios vi Esa locura de vivir y amar Es más que amor, frenesí
Hay en el beso que te di Alma, piedad, corazón Dime que sabes tú sentir, lo mismo que siento yo
Quiero que vivas solo para mí Y que tú vayas por donde yo voy Para que mi alma sea no más de ti Bésame con frenesí
Hay en el beso que te di Alma, piedad y corazón Dime que sabes tu sentir, lo mismo que siento yo
Quiero que tú vivas solo para mí Y que tú vayas por donde yo voy Para que mi alma sea no más de ti Solo de ti, pero tú Bésame con frenesí, bésame con frenesí Bésame con frenesí
Kiss me (you to me) Kiss me the same way my mouth kissed you Give me the passion that my madness gave you. Who, if not me, Could teach you the path of love, With my dead haughtiness when my pride rolled at your feet.
I want you to live only for me, And [I want you] to go where I go So that my soul be only yours, Kiss me with frenzy/passion.
Give me the light that your looking has And the anxiety that I saw between your lips, This madness to live and to love, It's more than love, it's frenzy/passion.
There is/are(?) in the kiss I gave you, Soul, compassion, heart. Tell me that you feel the same as I feel.
I want you to live only for me, And [I want you] to go where I go So that my soul be only yours, Kiss me with frenzy/passion.
There is/are(?) in the kiss I gave you, Soul, compassion, heart. Tell me that you feel the same as I feel.
I want you to live only for me, And [I want you] to go where I go So that my soul be only yours, Only to you, but you, Kiss me with passion, kiss me with passion, Kiss me with passion
Mañana de Carnaval Luiz Bonfá (1922 - 2001), Antônio Maria (1921 - 1964) Spanish lyrics: ?
Azul la mañana es azul El sol si le llamo vendrá Se detendrá en mi voz
Y hasta la eternidad En su camino irá hacia otro azul Después, yo no sé si hay después Si el sol volverá a despertar Porque la canción no ha de ser verdad Porque en carnaval Es que te busco yo Aunque no habrás de estar Y mentira tu voz en el azul Después, yo no sé si hay después Si el sol volverá a despertar Porque la canción no ha de ser verdad Porque en carnaval Cantará el corazón, la razón de vivir Cantará sin hablar, ni sentir
Carnival Morning
Blue, the morning is blue, If I call the sun, it will come, It will stop to my voice.
And till eternity On its path it'll go towards another blue. After, I don't know if there's any after, If the sun will wake up again, Because the song doesn't have to be real/true, Because in the Carnival I'm looking for you Even though you must not be there And your voice is a lie in the blue [sky]. After, I don't know if there's any after, If the sun will wake up again, Because the song doesn't have to be real/true, Because in the Carnival The heart will sing, the reason to live, It will sing without speaking, nor feeling either.
Joe sez: I know this melody as "A Day in the Life of a Fool." Manhã de Carnaval (trad. En: Morning of Carnival) is the original title of this song by Brazilian composers Luiz Bonfá & Antonio Maria. The song appeared in the 1959 Portuguese-language film Orfeu Negro (English titled: Black Orpheus), performed here as -A day in the life of a fool- by Harry Belafonte https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIj5Z7O4ruM Manhã de Carnaval thread (click).
Siempre que te pregunto Que cuándo, cómo y dónde Tú siempre me respondes Quizás, quizás, quizás
Y así pasan los días Y yo hay desesperando Y tú, tú, tú contestando Quizás, quizás, quizás
Estás perdiendo el tiempo Pensando, pensando Por lo que más tú quieras Hasta cuándo, hasta cuándo
Y así pasan los días Y yo hay desesperando Y tú, tú, tú contestando Quizás, quizás, quizás
Siempre que te pregunto Que cuándo, cómo y dónde Tú siempre me respondes Quizás, quizás, quizás
Y así pasan los días Y yo hay desesperando Y tú, tú, tú contestando Quizás, quizás, quizás
Estás perdiendo el tiempo Pensando, pensando Por lo que más tú quieras Hasta cuando, hasta cuando
Hay, y así pasan los días Y yo hay desesperando Y tú, tú, tú contestando Quizás, quizás, quizás Quizás, quizás, quizás Quizás, quizás, quizás
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
Whenever I ask you When, how and where, You always answer me, Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
And thus the days go by, And I, alas, getting despaired, And you, you, you answering, Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
You're losing [the/your] time Thinking, thinking For God's sake Until when, until when?
And thus the days go by, And I, alas, getting despaired, And you, you, you answering, Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
Whenever I ask you When, how and where, You always answer me, Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
And thus the days go by, And I, alas, getting despaired, And you, you, you answering, Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
You're losing [the/your] time Thinking, thinking For God's sake Until when, until when?
And thus the days go by, And I, alas, getting despaired, And you, you, you answering, Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
Solamente una vez Amé en la vida, Solamente una vez Y nada más Una vez, nada más En mi huerto brilló la esperanza, La esperanza que alumbra el camino De mi soledad
Una vez, nada más Se entrega el alma Con la dulce y total Renunciación Y cuando ese milagro realiza El prodigio de amarse Hay campanas de fiesta que cantan En el corazón
Only Once
Only once In my life, I loved, Only once, And that's all, Once, that's all, In my garden hope shone, Hope that lights the path Of my loneliness.
Once, that's all, We entrust our soul With sweet and total Renunciation, And when this miracle performs The wonder of loving each other, There are holiday bells singing In our heart.
Joe sez: This one isn't complete. After singing this chorus, she goes into some other stuff like "vamos al baillar" and "rhumba" and "la ultima noche." Did Nat sing this one?
Here's an alternate set of lyrics:
Oye como va mi niña Vamos a gozar mulata Oye como va mi niña Vamos a gozar mulata
Vámonos guajira Vamos a bailar Vámonos guajira Vamos a gozar
Porque me quieres guajira Si tu quieres bailar El merengue, merengue, merengue Vámonos guajira
Vamos a bailar Vámonos guajira Vamos a gozar Óyeme guajira, óyeme mulata
Óyeme mi niña, óyeme mulata Oye como va mi niña Vamos a gozar mulata Oye como va mi niña
Vamos a gozar mulata Oye como va mi niña Oye como va, oye como va Vamos a gozar
Oye como va mi niña Vamos a gozar mulata Oye como va mi niña Vamos a gozar mulata
Vámonos guajira Vamos a bailar Vámonos guajira
Vamos a gozar Óyeme guajira, óyeme mulata Óyeme mulata, como va Vámonos guajira
Vamos a bailar Vámonos guajira Vamos a gozar
Listen how it goes, my girl We're going to enjoy/have fun, mulatta Listen how it goes, my girl We're going to enjoy/have fun, mulatta,
Let's go, guajira,(country/peasant girl) Let's go to dance, Let's go, guajira, We're going to enjoy/have fun.
Because you love me, guajira If you want to dance The merengue, merengue, merengue, Let's go, guajira.
Let's go to dance, Let's go, guajira, We're going to enjoy/have fun, Listen to me guajira, listen to me mulatta.
Listen to me, my girl, listen to me, mulatta, Listen how it goes, my girl We're going to enjoy/have fun, mulatta Listen how it goes, my girl
We're going to enjoy/have fun, mulatta Listen how it goes, my girl Listen how it goes, listen how it goes, We're going to enjoy/have fun.
Listen how it goes, my girl We're going to enjoy/have fun, mulatta Listen how it goes, my girl We're going to enjoy/have fun, mulatta,
Let's go, guajira, Let's go to dance, Let's go, guajira
We're going to enjoy/have fun, Listen to me guajira, listen to me mulatta, Listen to me mulatta, how it goes, Let's go, guajira
We're going to dance, Let's go guajira, We're going to enjoy/have fun.
But that's not what she sings, either. Here's the Wikipedia entry on this song: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oye_Como_Va. The song was written by Tito Puente in 1963, and popularized by the 1970 recording by Santana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NsJ84YV1oA Santana sang the limited lyrics posted at the top of this message, but Natalie Cole sang more.
Here is a recording by Tito Puente at the 1990 Newport Jazz Festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvfq7Q7_zfA - you really need to see this one. Tito Puente is just amazing. Note that Tito Puente uses only the couplet furnished up top:
Oye como va, mi ritmo Bueno pa' gozar, mulata
Tito Puente died in 2000. He was still in his prime at the 1990 Newport Jazz Festival in 1990. You may want to watch his entire performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ilS-3rqqg
Yo Lo Amo Lennon (1940-1980) McCartney (1942- ) Spanish lyrics: Rudy Perez.
Le doy todo mi amor vivo por el suyo es me corazón y mi querer yo lo amo desde que lo yo vi lo adoré me hace tan feliz soy su mujer yo lo amo como mi amor no hay nadie igual él siempre está a mi lado por una eternidad yo lo amaré él es mi otra mitad yo soy su mujer yo lo amo yo lo amo
I Love Him
I give him all my love, I live for him, My heart is his And my love too, I love him. Since I saw him, I've adored him, He makes me so happy, I'm his woman, I love him. There's no one Like my love, He's always By my side For an eternity I will love him, He's my other half, I'm his woman I love him I love him
El día que me quieras Carlos Gardel (1890-1935), Alfredo Le Pera Sorrentino (1900 - 1935)
Acaricia mi ensueño El suave murmullo De tu suspirar Como ríe la vida Si tus ojos negros Me quieren mirar Y si es mío el amparo De tu risa leve Que es como un cantar Ella aquieta mi herida Todo, todo se olvida
El día que me quieras La rosa que engalana Se vestirá de fiesta Con su mejor color Y al viento las campanas Dirán que ya eres mía Y locas las fontanas Se contarán su amor
La noche que me quieras Desde el azul del cielo Las estrellas celosas Nos mirarán pasar Y un rayo misterioso Hará nido en tu pelo Luciérnagas curiosas que verán Que eres mi consuelo
El día que me quieras No habrá más que armonía Será clara la aurora Y alegre el manantial Traerá quieta la brisa Rumor de melodía. Y nos darán las fuentes Su canto de cristal
El día que me quieras Endulzará sus cuerdas El pájaro cantor Florecerá la vida No existirá el dolor
La noche que me quieras
The Day You Love Me
The sweet whisper Of your sigh Caresses my daydream, How life is happy If your black eyes Want to look at me And if the shelter, Of your light laughter That's like a song, Is mine, It (the laughter) soothes my wound, Everything, everything gets forgotten.
The day you love me, The rose that decorates Will put on its finery With its best color, And the bells will tell in the wind That you're mine now And the springs, crazy, Will tell one another their love.
The night you love me From the sky blue, The jealous stars Will watch us pass And a mysterious beam Will make its nest in your hair, Curious fireflies will see That you're my solace.
The day you love me, There'll only be harmony, The dawn will be clear And the spring [will be] merry. The breeze will quietly bring Rumors of melody And the springs will give us Their crystal song.
The day you love me, The singing bird Will soften its strings, Life will blossom Pain won't exist
Te regalo una rosa La encontré en el camino No sé si está desnuda O tiene un solo vestido No no lo sé Si la riega el verano O se embriaga de olvido Si alguna vez fue amada O tiene amores escondidos Ay ay ay ay amor Eres la rosa que me da calor Eres el sueño de mi soledad Un letargo de azul Un eclipse de mar pero Ay ay ay ay amor Yo soy satélite y tú eres mi sol Un universo de agua mineral Un espacio de luz Que sólo llenas tú ay amor Ay ay ay ay Te regalo mis manos Mis párpados caídos El beso más profundo El que se ahoga en un gemido oh Te regalo un otoño Un día entre abril y junio Un rayo de ilusiones Un corazón al desnudo Ay ay ay ay amor Eres la rosa que me da calor Eres el sueño de mi soledad Un letargo de azul Un eclipse de mar vida Ay ay ay ay amor Yo soy satélite y tú eres mi sol Un universo de agua mineral Un espacio de luz Que sólo llenas tú ay amor
Pink Spree
I give you (as a gift) a rose, I found it on my way. I don't know if it's naked Or (if) it has one only dress, No, I don't know If Summer waters it Or (if) it gets drunk with/from oblivion, If it was once loved Of (if) it has hidden loves, Ay, ay, ay, ay, love, You're the rose that warms me, You're the dream of my loneliness, A blue lethargy An eclipse of sea but, Ay, ay, ay, ay, love, I'm a satellite and you're my sun, A universe of mineral water, A space of light That only you fill, ay love, Ay ay ay ay I give you (as a gift) my hands, My lowered eyelids, The most profound kiss, The one that gets muffled in a moan, oh, I give you (as a gift) an autumn, A day between April and June, A beam of illusions, A bare heart, Ay, ay, ay, ay, love, You're the rose that warms me, You're the dream of my loneliness, A blue lethargy An eclipse of sea, love (life), Ay, ay, ay, ay, love, I'm a satellite and you're my sun, A universe of mineral water, A space of light That only you fill, ay love
Amapola Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar (1882 - 1948)* Luis Roldán.
Amapola, lindísima Amapola, Será siempre mi alma tuya, sola. Yo te quiero, amada niña mía, Igual que ama la flor la luz del día.
Amapola, lindísima Amapola, No seas tan ingrata, y ámame. Amapola, Amapola, ¿Cómo puedes tú vivir tan sola?
Poppy
Poppy, most pretty Poppy, My soul will always be yours, alone. I love you, my beloved little girl, Like the flower loves the day light.
Poppy, most pretty Poppy, Don't be so ingrate and love me. Poppy, Poppy, How can you live so lonely?
* The composition of "Amapola" is wrongly attributed to José María Lacalle García (1860 –1937) but there is a version by José Padilla as a pasodoble, which is an arrangement of the one composed by Manuel M. Ponce, Mexican composer from the late 1800s-early 1900's. (Wiki)
Subject: RE: ADD: Songs from Natalie Cole: En Espanol From:Joe Offer Date: 28 Jan 16 - 03:42 AM
OK, so now it would be appropriate to ask why I'd bother to post these lyrics in a folk music forum. I guess all these songs fall into the category of "easy listening" music. There were earlier times in my life when I derided "easy listening." It was my dad's music, and he listened to it constantly and he often sang along. Was this "authentic" Hispanic music? I don't think so. This was music performed by Latin American "big bands" in nightclubs all over the Americas, and I think the primary audience was (North) Americans and wealthy Latin Americans. And lots of North American singers like Nat "King" Cole sang these songs, often with horrible pronunciation. So, I dunno. There are all sorts of reasons why I should condemn and ignore this music. But I grew up with this music, and I like it.
Same goes for the Italian songs that were so popular in the 1950s and 1960s. How could a person not like "Volare"?
Subject: RE: ADD: Songs from Natalie Cole: En Espanol From:Monique Date: 28 Jan 16 - 04:04 AM
I'd like to add that as usually, my translations are more or less literal (as you can check, ah!), they're not worded as a native English speaker would word them and they're not supposed to sound pretty or be singable. They're only meant for English speakers to have an idea of what the songs mean. Now you've been warned!
Subject: RE: ADD: Songs from Natalie Cole: En Espanol From:Monique Date: 29 Jan 16 - 03:22 AM
Her Spanish sounds fine to my ears, though I can't say what brand of Spanish she sounds like. The only thing I can say is that she doesn't sound Spain Spanish -or at least the one I'm used to. Maybe Keberoxu would say more about it?
Subject: RE: ADD: Songs from Natalie Cole: En Espanol From:keberoxu Date: 29 Jan 16 - 12:43 PM
I'm not a native speaker! only a nosy student of literature and music, my native language is English.
I depend on people like Monique to keep me honest! Really.
Dear Nat K Cole, I love his Christmas album but I always have to brace myself not to giggle when he sings O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter. Give him an "A" for effort, you know, but he's not at home there, he's only visiting.
To my very untrained, Tex-Mex-Spanglished ears I thought Natalie did quite well and Nat not that bad.
But then I was just thinking about the Spanish albums. I had completely forgotten "Tannenbaum." Now I wonder how long it's going to take to unremember it? Oy!
