Guantanamera

I fell in love with “Guantanamera” when I first heard it performed by The Sandpipers long ago. A hauntingly beautiful melody matched with inspirational lyrics, it became sort of a personal spiritual Latin anthem. After researching it, my love for the song grew even as I became more confused. One might say “Guantanamera” has taken on a life of its own, molded by so many songwriters, poets, singers and interpretations.

Like such salsa classics as “El Cantante” and “Maria Lionza,” “Guantanamera” is a gold mine for anyone willing to search for its roots and ponder its meaning. (Not that “Guantanamera” is strictly a salsa song; it has also been written and performed as a rumba, bolero and son.) My questions about the song sparked a lively discussion on SalsaForums, from which much of the information for this article was taken.

Origin

I wasn’t surprised to learn that “Guantanamera” ranks as the best known Cuban song. However, I was a little surprised by its status as the country’s most noted patriotic song, and, I was a little shocked when I learned about the song’s rather lame (and confusing) history. According to Wikipedia...

“The music for the song is sometimes attributed to José Fernández Diaz, known as Joseíto Fernández, who claimed to have written it at various dates (consensus puts 1929 as its year of origin), and who used it regularly in one of his radio programs. Some claim that the song’s structure actually came from Herminio “El Diablo” García Wilson, who could be credited as a co-composer. García’s heirs took the matter to court decades later but lost the case: the Supreme Court of Cuba credited Fernández as the sole composer of the music in 1993. Regardless of either claim, Fernández can safely be claimed as being the first public promoter of the song, through his radio programs.”

Guantanamera
(Courtesy Pattye Kender)

Most sources say “Guantanamera” was born in 1928. Either way, the melody itself is reportedly an old traditional melody that existed prior to the 20th century; Joseíto Fernández merely added new lyrics and popularized the song. Some credit him with creating the familiar modern version of the song.

Fans called Joseíto Fernández, an accomplished singer who founded his own orchestra, the “King of Melody.” He met and befriended Pete Seeger, who first recorded the modern version of “Guantanamera.”

Jose Martí

(Statue of Jose Martí in Havana, Cuba)

As confusing as the song his poetry brought to life, Jose Martí is claimed as a champion by both right-wing Cuban elements and communists. So who’s side was he on?

A clue might be offered by the verse Con los pobres de la tierra quiero yo mi suerte echar (“With the poor people of this Earth I want to share my fate”). As another fan noted, that’s not a position associated with right-wing ideology.

Martí had mixed feelings about the United States. Though he admired many things about the U.S., he loathed imperialism and wanted a free, independent Cuba. But would Martí, who died in 1895, have approved of Cuba’s communist revolution?

Some view the white rose mentioned in “Guantanamera” as a symbol of compromise.

The origin of the lyrics are similarly confusing. According to one version, a woman brought a steak sandwich as a present to the radio station at which Jose Fernández worked. Fernández flirted with another woman while eating the sandwich. Disgusted, his friend snatched the sandwich out of his hands, cursed him and left. He never saw her again.

According to another version, a man made a courteous pass (a piropo, in Spanish) to a woman who replied rather harshly, offended by his gesture. Stunned by her reaction, he wrote the song’s main refrain later that day.

Fernández commented on daily events on his radio program (broadcast out of Havana) by adapting them to “Guantanamera,” which lends itself to impromptu verses, improvised on the spot (similar to the Mexican folk classic “La Bamba”). He also used the song as a show closer. Thus, “Guantanamera” became a vehicle for all sorts of ideas and ideals - from humorous to patriotic - even as its reputation spread throughout the Spanish speaking world.

The song grew in stature when the ever-changing lyrics were replaced with some “official” lyrics based on the collection Versos Sencillos (“Simple Verses”) by Cuban poet and independence hero José Martí, as adapted by Jullián Orbón. Martí’s significance to the Cuban people virtually elevated the song to unofficial anthem status. At the same time, the format of the lyrics was changed from decima to cuarteta, changing the song’s phrasing.

“Guantanamera” was first recorded with Martí’s verses by U.S. folk singer Pete Seeger during a recital in New York in 1960. The song reached an even bigger audience after The Sandpipers recorded what may be the most popular version ever.

Lyrics & Meaning

The four verses of the song were adapted from four stanzas of Versos Sencillos, each from a different poem. They are presented here in the original Spanish (poem:stanza in bold), with English translations.

Guantanamera literally translates “woman of Guantanamo.” However, the song isn’t literally about a woman; rather, the song itself is the personification of a woman - or is it? The word guajira is similarly confusing: it can refer to both a rural woman (or country girl) or a rhythm. (When applied to a person, the term guajira has a connotation of pride and toughness associated with rural life.)

So what or who exactly is “Guantanamera” - a rhythm, a woman or something else?

Rhythm...

One Puerto Rican salsa fan, Emoyeno, explains it,

...or Woman?

Guantanamera
Courtesy CubaHotelBookings (Pending permission)

The author of Guantanamera - a song of liberty and love notes that guajira is the source of some confusion and that some people believe the chorus refers to a rhythm from Guántanamera. However, he also thinks the lyrics refer to a woman...

Another salsa fan, Michelle White of Timba.com, came to a similar conclusion. She points to a four-part series about the origin of “Guantanamera” (Origen de La Guantanamera), particularly a portion of Part 2 written by Dr. Cristobal Diaz Ayala. Here’s Timberamayor’s traslation:

Location

Guantánamo is the name of both Cuba’s easternmost province and the capital of that province. Ironically, neither capital nor the province itself is as well known as Guantánamo Bay, the U.S. military installation on the south side of the island where people are “disappeared” and tortured as part of the phony war against terror initiated by George W. Bush and continued by Obama.

The continuing U.S. military presence in Cuba, along with the continuing economic embargo, is more than a slap in the face. It’s of great concern to Cubans, and it’s a monumental embarrassment and even a liability to the United States. To put it in perspective, imagine if Cuba tortured people 24/7 on a small military reserve at the foot of the Washington Monument or in the shadow of Mt. Rushmore. It’s perverted.

To make the difference clear, the song “Guantanamera” inspired the Spanish-language video Guantanamo No Es La Base Naval (“Guantanamo isn’t a naval base.”)

Jonathan M. Hansen, author of Guantánamo: An American History, wrote an editorial titled “Give Guantánamo Back to Cuba” that was published in the New York Times on January 10, 2012. Of course, that may not mean much considering the New York Times’ credentials, plus the fact that Hansen is associated with Harvard, another right-wing bastion. On a more serious note, giving Guantánamo Bay back to Cuba is part of the Fifth Republic Party’s platform.

“Guantanamera’s ” precise meaning thus appears to be complicated. Perhaps it referred to a woman in one incarnation and a rhythm in another. Or maybe a songwriter hit on a clever way to kill two birds with one stone, using the words Guantanamera and guajira to describe a woman and a rhythm (and perhaps other things) at the same time. Either way, Guantánamo is clearly part of the equation.

To me, the song almost seems inspired by Eastern religion. “The streams of the mountains” referenced in the song might be thought of as different streams of consciousness or ideas - as represented by different lyrics and interpretations - flowing towards the sea, which could in turn be a metaphor for many things.

The white rose of “Guantanamera” reminds me of the red rose celebrated in the song “Spanish Harlem,” whose lyrics also lend themselves to various interpretations.

Versions

“Guantanamera” has been recorded by many artists, from Cuba’s Celia “Queen of Salsa” Cruz to that virtuoso Puerto Rican guitarist Jose Feliciano. Edsel Gomez & Arismar do Espírito Santo recorded a jazzy (piano) version.

MP3 Downloads (Amazon.com)

• Guantanamera (Sandpipers)
• Guantanamera (Celia Cruz)
• Guantamera (Justo Lamas)
• Guantamera (Bobby Darin)
• Guantamera (Génération Soleil)
• Guantamera (Alternate Mix) (Los Cuatro de Belén)
• Guantamera (Paco Aguilera)
• Guajira Guantamera (Edsel Gomez & Arismar do Espírito Santo)
• Guantamera (Antares)

The best known version in the U.S. is probably the one that became The Sandpipers’ first big hit in 1966. It’s especially cool because one of the singers pauses to translate the song into English, while a woman sings quietly in Spanish in the background.

Buena Fe is a trova-pop/rock group from Guantánamo who did a song called “Guantanamero” on their first CD. It plays off the “Guantanamera” theme, but it’s all about Guantanamo and what it is to be a Guantanamero.” (See a video of a performance in which they lead into “Guantanamero” from “Guantanamera,” with a statue of José Martí in the background. Later in the interview Israel says that he felt like the spirit of Martí was with them that night.)

You can purchase several versions of “Guantanamera” from Amazon.com by clicking the links on the right. However, many more versions are available through iTunes, including recordings by Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Los Lobos, Julio Iglesias, Jackson Browne, Trini Lopez, Jose Felicianio and Trinidad Steel Drum Band. (Pete Seeger, Trini Lopez and Jose Feliciano are among the artists who comment on the song’s meaning and/or interpret the lyrics in English.)