Santander, the sailor, the bride of the sea, the social one, no longer has anyone to sing to her. With the death of Chema Puentenot only the undisputed rabbelist of our streetsbut also a tireless and demanding spirit, the most recognizable and folkloric voice of the Cantabrian capital is gone.
There remain, however, their songs and demands. There is no one in this city who does not know the lyrics of ‘Santander, la marinera’, her vindication of They are from Habanera, to the sea, the blue, the wind and the goldfinches singing. Those slow Cuban rhythms have always characterized his style, as has his review of history and desire to rescue anonymous heroes from oblivion in the lyrics of their songs.
Those who were lucky enough to enjoy his live shows remember his more and less known songs, all dedicated to a corner of the ‘city of the Northeast Blue’, as he called Santander in one of his songs. But also to places like ‘Mouro Island’, ‘Sotileza’ or the ‘Market of Hope’; Not to mention dear Cueto, to whom he always alluded, as in the song he published with the Trío Cantabria, which he formed with the soloist Benito Díaz and the tambourine player Begoña Lozano, between 1999 and 2001.
THE SONG HISTORY OF SANTANDER
Puente also recalled in his album, ‘De Santander a Sevilla’, how the Santander fire and the wound it caused for all the people of Santander, who, “sick in cabins on corners and doorways, saw their homes destroyed in a few moments.” “Because you were the glory of the land of Cantabria, the children of the Mountain will never be able to forget you,” concludes this song in tribute to that dramatic passage in the city’s history.
In 2020, he also participated in the conference ‘Luis Vicente de Velasco and his time’which explained the connection of the town of Noja with Cubaespecially with Havana, the city from which his musical style par excellence emerged, and where he performed an unforgettable concert.
REVINDICATIVE SPIRIT
In addition to her role as a singer, Puente always It was characterized by its strong social commitment and its vindictive spirit.. As a tireless socialist militant, he was aware of every struggle on the streets, and became part of the PSOE electoral lists last year.
One of his last best-known compositions was a protest song, titled ‘Get rid of the breakwater!’in which he positioned himself against the creation of dikes on the beaches of Magdalena and Los Peligroswhich he defined as “a spear stuck next to the heart in the bay.”
In addition, He also sang about the controversial MetroTUS, joining the protests that took place to demand the elimination of this system in urban transport and which led to so many complaints about its inefficiency. Their song rang loud and clear in the streets, and the MetroTUS barely lasted a few more months.
The next struggles in the streets will be able to remember his voice, rescue his songs, but we will all be missing Chema.
#Santander #Marinera #longer #sing
