Nana a una niña de Viet Nam

Annotation — Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music

Sonia Silvestre, born 16 August 1952 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, and died on 19 April 2014 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. As suggested by the title of the album, the song "Nana a una niña de Vietnam" ("Nana to a girl from Vietnam") (Areito) fitted into the Nueva canción genre, with lyrics inspired by contemporary social and political events. This record was released in Havana, Cuba. This anti-war song looked at the perpspective of a Vietnamese girl (it does not mention North or South), caught up in the war, seeing the bombers and death: "girl from Viet Nam...rubble you will hear...you've seen the death".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Girl, girl from Vietnam / Little face like a fresh spring / Run, run, little figure / For the plane is about to arrive / Girl from Vietnam / Little surprise from the rosebush / Look, look for your doll / So that she can be saved / Iña, girl from Vietnam / With braids beyond compare / Sing your song of peace / The rubble will hear you / Girl from Vietnam / Little friend of springtime / Now that you have seen death / Perhaps for the first time / Girl, girl from Vietnam / Daughter of shield-bearing petals / By the angels of heaven / Ask the bomber... / Little surprise of a rose / Little face like a fresh spring / Girl, girl from Vietnam / Girl, girl from Vietnam __________ Spanish: Niña, niña de Vietnam / Carita de manantial / Corre, corre, figurilla / Que el avión está al llegar / Niña de Vietnam / Sorpresita de rosal / Busca, busca tu muñeca / Que ella se puede salvar / Iña, niña de Vietnam / De trenzas sin igual / Canta tu canción de paz / Los escombros te oirán / Niña de Vietnam / Amiguita de primavera / Ahora que has visto la muerte / Quizás, por vez primera / Niña, niña de Vietnam / Hija de pétalos escuderos / Por los ángeles del cielo / Pregúntale al bombardero... / Sorpresita de rosa / Carita de manantial / Niña, niña de Vietnam / Niña, niña de Vietnam

Notes

Track A6. Recorded at Estudios EGREM, Havana, with Orquesta EGREM; produced by Silvio Rodríguez and Vicente Rojas (Silvio Rodríguez on tres; Noel Nicola and Víctor J. Víctor on guitar).

About the artist

Born 16 August 1952 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic; died 19 April 2014 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Anti-War · Vietnamese Girls · Vietnamese Perspective · Air War

In collections

Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music