This week #OnRepeat is Omara Portuondo’s version of the bolero, “Dos Gardenias.” This song is actually more well-known for Ibrahim Ferrer, another singer from the Buena Vista Social Club, however, I love Omara’s interpretation of this song and her deep, expressive voice, so I had to share this one with all of you.
Omara Portuondo is a singer and a dancer from Cuba and was one of the original members of the singing group, Cuarteto d’Aida. She has performed with groups and musicians such as Nat King Cole, Los Van Van, Adalberto Álvarez, and Ignacio Piñeiro. Some of her most well-known songs are “Hasta Siempre, Comandante,” “Siguamos Amantes” and “Donde Estabas Tu.”
“Dos Gardenias” is a song speaking about a person giving these flowers–gardenias–to their significant other as a representation of their love (conversation, affection). Towards the end of the song, there is an almost poignant, heart-breaking lyric that says that if those flowers were to die, it would be because they have sensed that there is someone else; or in other words, that that couple’s love has died. It is a beautiful song–you don’t find much music out there anymore with lyrics like this that can depict such emotion in a great, story-like arc. Here is a excerpt of the lyrics below:
Dos gardenias para ti
Con ellas quiero decir
Te quiero, te adoro, mi vida
Ponle todas tu atención
Que serán tu corazón y el mio
Dos gardenias para ti
Que tendrán todo el calor de un beso
De esos besos que te di
Y que jamas te encontrarán
En el calor de otro querer [ . . . ]
Omara displays this passionate story in such a simplistic way, that she makes it look easy. Her melodic choices with each phrase, though, are intentional and work with the flow of lyrics and harmony. Her performance style and her vocal timbre has made me an avid fan for several years now, so much so that I compare other new vocalists’ performance style with her own. I’ve included a YouTube video of Omara singing “Dos Gardenias” and “Besame Mucho” from a concert she did with Maria Bethania, a singer from Brazil, just so you can get more of an idea of what her voice sounds like and how she performs. Check out the video:
Is there a musician or group who shines new light on an old standard for you? Let us know in the comments below!