The farewell of a gentleman; for a lady, without resentment or malice, as it should be, ending in the best way with gratitude and affectionate memories of a love that’s passed; this is poetry, because this is how it is…… Salsa, from Colombia’s Salsa capital Cali (see image inset). Today’s featured track ‘Gracias Amor‘ (Thank you Love) won’t disappoint listeners who enjoy ‘Salsa Romántica’. When I listen to this song it transports me to nostalgic moments and reflections on past relationships. Colombian Fernando Tigreros, the voice below of Orquesta Matecaña expresses a profound attachment and desire that his past love will attain personal and relational growth and well-being moving forward.
Fernando Tigreros founded the salsa band in the company of Harold Herrera and Neiver Calero in 1990. The group shone with works such as ‘Con sabor a Matecaña’, ‘Se morirá el amor’, ‘Gracias amor’, ‘Quisiera callar’, ‘Cali calor’ y ‘Vientico Grosero’. Fernando Tigreros said in a 2019 interview here: “We started singing romantic salsa in Cali, but the phenomenon of renovation arose with many artists, so at that time our record company proposed to us to make a leap to ‘tropical‘ (music), and we took the risk and obtained better results.”
A raw English translation of a large segment of Gracias Amor follows:
Thank you very much heart
For what you once were
For all the time enjoyed
And for your sincerity
You knew how to understand me
and you filled me with love
That’s why I will always love you
Although ours is over
I pray to God that you do not suffer torment
And may happiness always reign in you
Thank you love for the beautiful moments
May God make your dreams come true
And although I know that ours is past
I will never forget you
Because I was so happy
Thank you love and even if time passes
The memory will live forever
Thank you love for your immense affection
All that was so beautiful
I’ll never forget
May you find someone on your path
May that you know how to love
May he never play or do you harm
to your good heart
And you will always have a good friend in me
And forever you can
Count on me
Tigreros mentioned in a 2022 interview that in the year previous he had to say goodbye to Matecaña, the group he was a part for 30 years due to the Quarantine restrictions of the Pandemia. He looked for new options abroad and decided to travel to the United States, where he faced an unexpected reality far from what I had in mind. “The money wasn’t coming in, you’re starting to run out of your savings. Now you start selling one thing, the other, the car, that’s when I started to feel a little perturbed“. According to the salsa artist, he worked as a house cleaner and held various jobs to receive an income. ‘For me music is my life, my passion‘.
References:
1. La historia detrás de la orquesta de salsa Matecaña – Wradio
2. Fernando Tigreros, voz de Orquesta Matecaña, pasó difícil momento y trabajó en oficios varios en Estados Unidos – Semana
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
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