Duo Guardabarranco: CORAZON DE NINO

Salvador and Katia Cardenal made a memorable anthology of music as Duo Guardabarranco. Their music carried messages of social justice, the environment, spirituality, love and solidarity. Among their songs was a tribute to their uncle Juan, who inspired them to immortalize his Heart of a Child.

Here is the song, with its lyrics in Spanish below. Click on song title for video!

Corazón de Niño

Juan decía que tenia un plan
de viejo ir a vivir al mar,
pero nunca fue viejo,
porque el mar vino a traerlo.
Y en las costas de San Juan del Sur,
pintando esta Juan de la Cruz,
un cielo para los que amó
y un ángel cruza el tragaluz
y me besa un labio herido.
Hoy Reymundo y todo el mundo
vamos a ir a ver el cine de los cielos,
hoy sabremos el teléfono de Dios
esta desocupado, esta desocupado.
Juan contanos como hacer
para tener amor y corazón de niño,
Juan sabremos el teléfono de Dios,
el corazón lo sabe, el corazón de niño
el corazón de niño.
Ser un ave del amanecer,
cantando de amor y placer
al ver la madrugada
y sumarse a la batalla
de la luz contra la oscuridad,
del bosque contra la ciudad,
del arte por la libertad
del hombre que nació a vivir
y morir en paz con todos.

Heart of a Child

Juan would say he had a plan
To go to live at the sea when old,
But he was never old
Because the sea came to take him.
And on the shore of San Juan del Sur,
Was painting Juan de la Cruz
Skies for those he loved
An angel enters through the window
And kisses my wounded lips
Now the whole world
Goes to see the cinema in the skies,
Now we know God's telephone
Is waiting for us, is waiting for us to call.
Juan, tell us how to act
To have love and the heart of a child.
To be a bird of the dawn,
Singing of love and joy
To see the sun rise
And join the battle of light against darkness,
Of forest against city,
Of art for the freedom
Of man who was born to live
And die at peace with everyone.

Yo soy de un pueblo pequeno

Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy composed this tribute to the people of Nicaragua. Come to Laguna de Apoyo and visit us at Estacion Biologica to learn more about culture in Nicaragua!

Yo Soy de un Pueblo Pequeno

I am from a small people

little like a sparrow.

With half a century of dreams,

of shame and of courage.

I am from a simple people,

Like the name "Juan",

Like the love I give you,

Like the love you give me.

I'm from a people born

Of rifle and song.

Who, from so much suffering

Have so much to teach.

Brother of so many people

That they have tried to separate.

Because they know that we are small,

But together, we are a volcano.

I am from a people of poets,

Whose verses were written

On walls and on doors

With blood, rage and love.

I am from a proud people

Of a thousand lost battles

I am from a victorious people

Whose wounds still ache.

I am from a recent people,

Whose pain is ancient

Illiterate and now

Half a century in rebellion.

I am from the people that a child

From Niquinohomo dreamt;

I am the people of Sandino

and of Benjamin Zeledon.

I am from a simple people

Fraternal and friendly

Who plants and defends

Its revolution.

Yo soy de un pueblo pequeño

Pequeño como un gorrión

Con medio siglo de sueños

De vergüenza y de valor

Yo soy de un pueblo sencillo

Como la palabra Juan

Como el amor que te entrego

Como el amor que me dan

Yo soy de un pueblo nacido

entre fusil y cantar

Que de tanto haber sufrido

tiene mucho que enseñar

Hermano de tantos pueblos

Que han querido separar

Por que saben que aun pequeños

Juntos somos un volcán

Por que saben que aun pequeños

Juntos somos un volcán

Yo soy de un pueblo que es poeta

Y sus versos escribió

En los muros y en las puertas

Con sangre rabia y amor

Yo soy de un pueblo orgulloso

Con mil batallas perdidas

Soy de un pueblo victorioso

que aun le duelen las heridas.

Yo soy de un pueblo nacido

entre fusil y cantar

Que de tanto haber sufrido

tiene mucho que enseñar

Hermano de tantos pueblos

Que han querido separar

Por que saben que aun pequeños

Juntos somos un volcán

Por que saben que aun pequeños

Juntos somos un volcán

Yo soy de un pueblo reciente

Pero antiguo su dolor

Analfabeta vigente

Medio siglo en rebelión

Yo soy el pueblo que un niño

En Niquinohomo soñó

Soy del pueblo de Sandino

Y Benjamín Zeledón

Yo soy de un pueblo sencillo

Fraterno y amigo

Que siembra y defiende

Su revolución.

Our Spanish classes at Apoyo Spanish School are conducted near the shore of the lake, with water, toucans and monkeys around. You can learn the Spanish language and the culture of the Nicaraguan people while enjoying nature around and giving back to the planet. Our director, Jeffrey McCrary, can provide discussions with groups about environmental policy in the country. 

Somos Hijos del Maiz

The US embargo against Nicaragua was part of a strategy to starve the Nicaraguans into submission to the will of the greatest military power in the world. Wheat and flour, principally products of US origin, became "illegal". Nicaraguans rediscovered their connection to maize, through the necessity brought onto them by the scarcity of wheat, as depicted in this song.

The ancestors of the Nicaraguans used corn for a multitude of recipes, many of which are still found in the popular culture today. This song reminds us of the importance of maize in the culture and in the politics of Nicaragua.

Food should never be used as an instrument of war!

Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy and Mancotal

Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy

Carlos and Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy

Because the land belongs to the people who work it!

Guerrero del Amor

Rosey Soley composed a poem dedicated to her lover, fallen in the terrible conflict between Nicaraguans. Salvador Cardenal set the words to music, and here it is presented by Salvador and Katia, as Duo Guardabarranco. This song embodied the spirit of a generation dedicated to give their lives for the Revolution.

Guerrero del Amor

Warrior of Love (Rosey Soley and Salvador Cardenal)

I’ll trade you a song for the courage of your young combatant hands,

Welded to the metal with which you will save us.

I’ll trade this love of life and its promises

For the cold of your feet in the swamps,

Making fear and homesickness burn you.

Anonymous author of the dawn,

Silent deer in the mountain,

Warrior of love;

Son of these times, windmill,

Manchild born in the jungle

To go until the end, to the victory

I’ll trade you those 20 years, duplicated

Because of this necessary war,

For the silvery flower of hope

Te cambio una canción por el coraje
de tus jovenes manos combatientes,
fundidas al metal con que nos salvas.

Te cambio este amar la vida y sus promesas
por el frio de tus pies entre los suampos;
fraguando que se te quema el miedo y la nostalgia.

Autor anónimo de la alborada,
venado silencioso en la montaña,
guerrero del amor
hijo de este tiempo, remolino
hombre niño parido pues en plena selva
para llegar al fin a la victoria para llegar al fin.

Te cambio esos 20 años duplicados
a causa de esta guerra necesaria,
por la carnosa flor de la esperanza.

Autor anónimo de la alborada,
venado silencioso en la montaña;
guerrero del amor,
hijo de este tiempo, remolino
hombre niño parido pues en plena selva
para llegar al fin a la victoria para llegar al fin.

Autor anónimo de la alborada,
venado silencioso en la montaña;
guerrero del amor,
hijo de este tiempo, remolino
hombre niño parido pues en plena selva
para llegar al fin a la victoria para llegar al fin.
(Canción Dedicada a "Sandino" General de Hombres Libres 1983)

Learn more about Duo Guardabarranco and other aspects of the Nicaraguan culture in Spanish classes at Apoyo Spanish School, or program a discussion with Gaia director Jeffrey McCrary, on society and the environment in Nicaragua. 

Nicaragua, Nicaraguita!

By Carlos Mejia Godoy, this song is among the best-loved of all songs in Nicaragua. Although composed in the context of the Revolution, its relevance transcends party politics today. Whenever sung publicly, one can expect all to sing along and many to shed a tear. Viva Nicaragua Libre!

Carlos Mejia Godoy
Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy y los de Palacaguina
Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy a cappella

This song was also recorded by Billy Bragg-hear it here: Billy Bragg

Ay, Nicaragua, Nicaraguita
La flor mas linda de mi querer
Abonada con la bendita
Nicaraguita, sangre de Diriangen.
Ay, Nicaragua, sos mas dulcita
Que la mielita de Tamagas
Pero ahora que ya sos libre,
Nicaraguita, you u te quiero mucho mas
Pero ahora que yas sos libre,
Nicaraguita, yo te quiero mucho mas.

Oh, Nicaragua, precious Nicaragua
The fairest flower of my affection
Fertilized by the sacred blood,
Nicaraguita, of Diriangen.
Oh, Nicaragua, you are more sweet
Than the honey of Tamagas
But now that you are free,
Nicaragua, I love you so much more.

Misa Campesina Nicaraguense

The Nicaraguan Peasant Mass "Misa Campesina Nicaraguense" was composed in a collaboration principally by Carlos Mejia Godoy, inspired by Ernesto Cardenal. This mass expresses the struggles of the poor in the context of liberation theology.

"Porque sos el Dios obrero, el Cristo trabajador"


Click on song title for video:
Canto de Entrada (Carlos Mejia Godoy)
Kirye (Ana Belen)
Credo (Nana Moskouri and Mercedes Sosa)
Ofertorio (Elsa Baeza)
Canto de Meditacion (Carlos Mejia Godoy, El Guadalupano y los de Palacaguina)
Santo (Miguel Bose)
Miskita Lawana (Jorge Vasquez)
Vamos a la Milpa (Carlos Mejia Godoy)
Canto de Despedida (Miguel Bose and Ana Belen)

To learn more about the culture and language of Nicaragua, visit our webpage at Gaia.