Patxi Andión is one of the most singular Spanish songwriter. Having a Basque origins, he grows in Madrid, where he makes all his career. Being a lover of the French songwriters music, he went to France to perform; there he mets great songwriter and integral artist Jacques Brel. In Madrid, he began to record EPs in 1968: "Rogelio", "Manuela" (based on a Loyalist Spanish Civil War song), "A quien corresponda" (to whom it may concern)… All of them in a French style. With his LPs he get closer to a kind of pop music, but still with a tremendous poetry by his own. If we could define Patxi in a word, this should be individualist. Patxi’s poetry, influenced by Lorca, Miguel Hernández, Machado, etc., is one of the most originals and powerful in the Castilian songwriter movement. Some of their LPs are Joxe Maria Iparragirre (his unique LP in Basque), based upon the poems of Basque poet Joxe Maria Iparragirre; Once canciones entre paréntesis (Eleven songs between parenthesis) and A donde el agua (where the water), from which is this song.
This song, a kind of bolero named “Tierra mía” (Land of mine), from his 1973’s album A donde el agua, is a song, half homage, half critical, dedicated to his country, that maybe it’s Spain, but most probably it talks about the Basque Country.
Listen the song: http://www.goear.com/listen/bf5bd16/tierra-mia-patxi-andion
Tierra mía
Señora de horca y calvario,
valle de horca y de rosario,
tierra mía,
tierra mía.
Triunfalista fracasada,
vuelcas viento en la mirada,
tierra mía,
tierra mía.
Vientre verde que engendró mi corazón,
te amo tanto que me duele la razón,
tierra mía,
tierra mía.
Eres como un presidiario,
eres un lobo estepario,
tierra mía,
tierra mía.
Reunión de soledades,
coleccionas vanidades,
tierra mía,
tierra mía.
Vientre verde…
Silenciosamente vana
no te vence quien te gana,
tierra mía,
tierra mía.
Tierra de sal y vinagre
donde todos somos nadie.
Tierra mía,
tierra mía.
Vientre verde que engendró mi corazón,
te amo tanto que me duele la razón.
Tierra mía,
tierra mía.
Land of Mine
Lady of gallow and calvary,/ valley of gallow and rosary,/ land of mine,/ land of mine.// Failed triumphalistic,/ you overthrow wind into the regard,/ land of mine, land of mine.// Green belly that spawned my heart,/ I love you so that my reason hurts,/ land of mine,/ land of mine.// You are like a convict,/ you are like a steppenwolf,/ land of mine,/ land of mine.// Gathering of solitudes,/ you lot vanities,/ land of mine,/ land of mine.// Green belly…// Silency vain/ who wins you doesn’t beat you,/ land of mine,/ land of mine.// Land of salt and vinegar/ where everyone of us are no-one./ Land of mine,/ land of mine.// Green belly that spawned my heart,/ I love you so that my reason hurts,/ land of mine,/ land of mine.
Patxi Andión
La Nueva Canción Castellana (New Castilian Song), contrary to others originals movements as Nova Cançó, Nova Canción and Kanta Berria, was a kind of publicity trick by some journalist, as an imitation of Catalan movement. Some of the names that were in that list were Manolo Díaz, Luis Eduardo Aute, Patxi Andión, successful female singer Massiel and others. Although not true at all, most of them were in a commercial spirit. Didn’t get in the list other interesting proposition from Castilla and Madrid as Canción del Pueblo or the folk-singers and folk groups that were appearing. In despite this, most of them were not to say they belonged to this movement, and each one were going to develop and make great songs.
La Zamarra de Gustavo 