“Todo Cambia”

  “Everything Changes”

  
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 Performed by Mercedes Sosa

By the grace of G-d 
Copyright © 2009, 2016 Nathaniel Segal 
unless otherwise noted

Cambia, todo cambia.
Change, everything changes.

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The Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa came to my attention shortly after she passed away (October 4, 2009).

The period in Argentina when it was ruled by a military junta (1976-1982) is called the "Dirty War."

One of Sosa's firmest beliefs was:

Dictators come, dictators go.  Because everything changes.

Mercedes Sosa, known as La Negra, (July 9, 1935 – October 4, 2009) was an Argentine singer who was and remains immensely popular throughout Latin America and internationally.  With her roots in Argentine folk music, Sosa became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva canción.  She gave voice to songs written by both Brazilians and Cubans.  She was best known as the "voice of the voiceless ones."

After the military junta of Jorge Videla came to power in 1976, the atmosphere in Argentina grew increasingly oppressive.  At a concert in La Plata, Argentina, in 1979, the late Mercedes Sosa was searched and arrested on stage, along with the attending crowd.  Their release came about through international intervention.  Banned in her own country, she moved to Paris and then to Madrid.

From Wikipedia, "Mercedes Sosa", accessed October 7, 2009.

“The climate changes over the years.  The pastor changes his flock.  And just as everything, everything changes, it's not strange that I have changed.”

Cambia el clima con los años.  Cambia el pastor su rebaño.  Y así todo, todo cambia, que yo cambié no es extraño.  Y así como todo cambia, que yo cambié no es extraño!

“Balderrama”

 Performed by Mercedes Sosa

   Lyrics by Manuel José Castilla
   Music by Gustavo "Cuchi" Leguizamón



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Comments assembled by Nathaniel Segal \\

A orillitas del canal /
Cuando llega la mañana /
Sale cantando la noche /
Desde lo de Balderrama.

Adentro puro temblor /
El bombo con la baguala /
Y se alborota quemando /
Dele chispear la guitarra.

Lucero, solito /
Brote del alba /
Donde iremos a parar /
Si se apaga Balderrama.

Si uno se pone a cantar /
Un cochero lo acompaña /
Y en cada vaso de vino /
Tiembla el lucero del alba.

Zamba del amanecer /
Arrullo de Balderrama /
Canta por la medianoche /
Llora por la madrugada.

Lucero, solito /
Brote del alba /
Donde iremos a parar /
Si se apaga Balderrama.

(These lyrics are from: "Song Lyrics and Videos")
(a Brazilian web site; the page of these lyrics is no longer available.)

<< The lyrics are available on YouTube with a translation other than Nathaniel's.


A poetic translation into English —

At edges of the channel /
When morning arrives /
The night departs singing /
From there, with Balderrama.

A pure thrill inside /
The bass drum in baguala rhythm /
And stirred up, burning off /
From sparks of the guitar.

Lonely morning star /
Bud of daybreak /
Where will we end up /
If Balderrama closes?

If someone starts singing /
A driver joins him /
And in each glass of wine /
The morning star sparkles.

A zamba dance of the dawn /
Balderrama's lullaby /
He sings at midnight /
He cries at dawn.

— Nathaniel Segal *

Nathaniel consulted campbra's translation (August 14, 2016).  His/her notes –
• Balderrama - a surname *
• baguala - a musical genre from northern Argentina
• zamba - another musical genre, from northwestern Argentina

A orillitas del canal /
Cuando llega la mañana /
Sale cantando la noche /
Desde lo de Balderrama.

Adentro puro temblor /
El bombo con la baguala /
Y se alborota quemando /
Dele chispear la guitarra.

Lucero, solito /
Brote del alba /
Donde iremos a parar /
Si se apaga Balderrama.

Si uno se pone a cantar /
Un cochero lo acompaña /
Y en cada vaso de vino /
Tiembla el lucero del alba.

Zamba del amanecer /
Arrullo de Balderrama /
Canta por la medianoche /
Llora por la madrugada.

Lucero, solito /
Brote del alba /
Donde iremos a parar /
Si se apaga Balderrama.

(Used in the soundtrack of the feature film Che [IMDb].*)

Comments:

According to a posted comment from Martin Lutteral on YouTube | posted 3 years ago —
 (as I write this in 2016)

Balderrama is the surname * of Don Juan Balderrama.  He had an eatery in Salta, Argentina, which the song refers to – "Pena Boliche Balderrama."  In his tavern, locals would gather to sing folk songs and to eat and drink in parties that would last until dawn.  He passed away in his beloved Salta on April 2, 2013, at age 79.

Señor Balderrama had the "peña" that we hear in this song.  ["Feelings of sadness and tenderness produced by the suffering of someone."]

Lutteral writes, "I've been there multiple times." [to Boliche Balderrama]

(edited by Nathaniel to improve the way the English reads)

See a photo of his establishment's offerings of "regional cuisine . . . and the best entertainment."

Nathaniel writes:  Apparently, Argentinians who were well aware of the "Dirty War" frequented the shop.  We hear the lyrics, "Where will we end up if Balderrama closes?"  (my translation)

Another spelling of the last name Balderrama seems to be 'Valderrama', but the pronunciation is virtually the same.

See the photo: "Boliche Balderrama. Salta, Argentina - This food shop inspired the song 'Balderrama'."  From Roblespepe - Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 3.0.

* Nathaniel Segal - My grasp of Spanish is from three semesters in college – 2009-2010.  I've never experienced language immersion, so I speak very little.  My translation is an academic exercise.  My familiarity with Argentina comes from a month's visit in 2000, but I didn't travel outside Buenos Aires.  As little as I understand the culture of that district, I'm at a complete loss to appreciate the northern region of the country close to Bolivia (about 800 miles, 1290 km, from Buenos Aires as the crow flies) where the city of Salta lies.

Please compare my poetic translation with the translation from the YouTube video above.  I've visualized the background of the song's origin.  Does Balderrama's lullaby sing or does he himself sing?  I'm troubled by the appearance of the driver – cochero.  Is this their veiled reference to the secret police of that time?  Is this an element of the "peña" that Martin Lutteral refers to?  Regardless, it is a beautiful song, and the lyrics are beautiful poetry.

* Che - I've seen both parts of this movie, more than one time, awhile back.  I'm not prepared to review the film now.  I'd like to correlate the song "Balderrama" with the film's content.  Part 2 of the film is tedious and otherwise disappointing.

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