Three songs to remember Pablo Milanés

MADRID, Spain.- The renowned Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés, who would have turned 81 this February 24, wrote more than 400 songs. On the occasion of this anniversary we remember three of the most iconic.

Yolanda

“Yolanda”, one of Pablo Milanés’ most emblematic songs, emerged in 1970 as an ode to love, dedicated to his then wife, Yolanda Benet, mother of his first three daughters: Lynn, Suylén and Liam Milanés.

When Milanés finished the song, Lynn was barely a few days old and the lyrics are inspired by the joy of love for his wife and the birth of his daughter.

With simple but powerful verses such as “eternally Yolanda” or “if I have to die I want it to be with you”, it has remained in the collective memory.

The melancholic yet hopeful melody creates an atmosphere of emotion in this song, one of the great themes in the history of Hispanic music. “Yolanda” has transcended borders and has been covered by artists such as Joaquín Sabina and Ana Belén.

The brief space in which you are not

Another emblematic of Milanés’ discography is “The brief space in which you are not”, which evokes the feeling of emptiness left by the absence of a loved one. Written in 1984 and included on his album From the beginning and end of a green morningis a hymn of melancholy.

Introduced by a violin, the lyrics talk about a relationship that does not ask for reciprocity or commitment and that, like all human relationships, is not perfect.

To live

The song “Para vivir” is part of the album Life is worthless (1967), which also includes the renowned song “I will tread the streets again.” This composition is one of the artist’s first creations, written when he was just 24 years old, and in it it addresses the evolution of a relationship over time.

In 1985, Milanés recorded a duet version of the song with Spanish singer Amaya, which was included on the album Dear pablo. Likewise, “Para vivir” was part of the album In black and white from 1995, where Milanés collaborated with the Spanish singer-songwriter Víctor Manuel.