Negra Maria: Black is beautiful (milonga, 1941)

NEGRA MARÍA (Black María)
Milonga, 1941
Words: Homero Manzi
Music: Lucio Demare

"By the end of the 1930s, the recovery of the milonga had been explicitly linked to a renewed interest in the Afro-Argentine culture of the previous centuries. In particular, Homero Manzi had begun to write lyrics with explicitly black themes for milongas by [Sebastian] Piana and Lucio Demare: "Pena mulata," "Negra María," and "Papá Baltasar," to name three of the most well known.

[Photo: "Como la luz" by Tango Decoder. Buenos Aires, April 2015.]

"In 1941, Radiolandia signaled the importance of this trend within Argentine mass culture, declaring that "the candombe is reborn within the Argentine dance." Describing the works of Piana, Manzi, Demare, and others, the magazine was enthusiastic about this "process of re-creating the black Río de la Plata": "We point out these developments with true joy. It is a way to renovate our songbook and open a path for lyricists and composers that will furnish more than one poetic and musical surprise...." (Matthew B. Karush, Culture of Class: Radio and Cinema in the Making of a Divided Argentina, 1920-1946, pp. 146-147.)

Bruna, bruna nació María y esta en la cuna, nació de dia, tendra fortuna. Bordara la madre su vestido largo. Y entrara en la fiesta con un traje blanco y sera la reina cuando María cumpla quince años. Te llamaremos, Negra María... Negra María que abriste los ojos en carnaval. Ojos grandes tendra María dientes de nacar, color moreno. Ay! que rojos seran tus labios, ay! que cadencia tendra tu cuerpo. Vamos al baile, vamos María, Negra la madre, negra la niña, Negra!... cantaran para vos las guitarras y los violines y los rezongos del bandoneón... Te llamaremos, Negra María Negra Maria que abriste los ojos en carnaval. Bruna, bruna murió María y esta en la cuna, se fue de dia, sin ver la luna. Cubriran tu sueño con un paño blanco. Y te iras del mundo con un traje largo y jamás ya nunca, Negra María tendras quince años. Te lloraremos, Negra María, Negra María cerraste los ojos en carnaval. Ay! que triste fue tu destino angel de mota, clavel moreno. Ay! que oscuro sera tu lecho Ay! que silencio tendra tu sueño. Vas para el cielo, Negra María... Llora la madre, duerme la niña Negra... sangraran para vos las guitarras y los violines y las angustias del bandoneon. Te lloraremos, Negra María Negra María que cerraste los ojos en carnaval.

Dark, dark brown María was born and she’s in the cradle, born by day, she’ll have good fortune. Her mother will embroider her long skirt. And she’ll come to the fiesta all in white and María’ll be the queen, when she turns fifteen. We’ll call you Black María, Black María who opened her eyes at Carnaval. Great big eyes will have María pearly teeth, dark skin. Ay! how red will be your lips, ay! what rhythm your body’ll have. Let’s go to the dance, c’mon María, Black mother, black daughter, Black!... they’ll sing for you the guitars and the violins and the growls of the bandoneón... We’ll call you Black María Black María who opened her eyes at Carnaval. Dark, dark brown María died and she’s in the cradle, she left by day, without seeing the moon. They’ll cover your sleep with a white cloth. And you’ll leave the world in a long gown and never, ever, Negra María will you turn fifteen. We’ll cry for you, Negra María, you closed your eyes in Carnaval. Ay! how sad was your destiny curly-haired angel, dusky carnation! Ay! how dark will be your bed Ay! how silent will be you sleep. You’re bound for heaven, Negra María... Mother cries, daughter sleeps Black... they’ll bleed for you the guitars and violins and the anguish of the bandoneones. We’ll cry for you, Negra María Negra María who closed her eyes in Carnaval.