La Basurita (1976) – Flor Silvestre

La Basurita (Little Garbage) was recommended to me here in Colombia and I was always fond of it. It is a type of ‘Ranchera‘ music which is traditional Mexican music that often features a Mariachi band. It originated in northern Mexico and southwestern United States and is typically sung in a plaintive style, and features lyrics that revolve around rural life and love. The style of Ranchera music has been heavily influenced by traditional Mexican folk music and is often used to express the feelings of love and loss.

A loose English translation follows of the initial verses La Basurita (Little Garbage):

I am from the sea, foam, I am sad, I regret
I am little garbage I am little garbage that the wind drags
when I came into the world I was born crying
and oh since then I keep crying I keep crying

I am like the bird that is flying
that is flying through a desert through a desert looking for the east
I found the sunset I found the sunset
Looking for bliss, looking for bliss, I found pain

I have never had anyone take pity on me
I am a little feather I am little trash that the air carries
oh, how much bitterness I feel when I remember
When I was a child, I even missed the water to be baptized

Guillermina Jiménez Chabolla (16 August 1930 – 25 November 2020) known professionally as Flor Silvestre, was a Mexican singer and actress. She was one of the most prominent and successful performers of Mexican and Latin American music and was a star of classic Mexican films during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Flor has more than a 70-year career included stage productions, radio programs, records, films, television programs, comics, and rodeo shows.

Famed for her melodious voice and unique singing style, hence the nicknames “La Sentimental” (“The Sentimental One”) and “La Voz Que Acaricia” (“The Voice That Caresses”), Flor Silvestre was a notable interpreter of the ranchera, bolero, bolero ranchero, and huapango genres.

Reference:
1. Flor Silvestre – Wikipedia