Meme: My favourite song? ... Why not a tango? - A tribute to Jose Luis Sampedro

As every student of English in the Official School of Languages, I have often been asked to write about my favourite song. I have always avoided doing it since I have been quite reluctant to choose a single song. Actually, every time I decided to opt for one, several of them came to my mind,  consequently making my choice a difficult task. 

However, a few days ago I was listening to the radio. Jose Luis Sampedro´s wife, fellow writer Olga Lucas, was being interviewed, and she was talking about her recently deceased husband so I knew that he loved tangos, especially this one called "Cambalache". Then the radio broadcast this fantastic song from beginning to end. I paid careful attention to it and I realized that its lyrics remain highly topical, in spite of having been written by Enrique Santos in 1934.

It was then that I decided to choose Cambalache as my favourite song,  not only because of its lyrics and the forceful performance by Carlos Gardel but, above all, because I want to show my admiration and respect for Jose Luis Sampedro as well as remember him and his wise thoughts forever and ever through this song:

Cambalache’s lyrics

Original Spanish version

English translation

Que el mundo fue y será una porquería, ya lo se... En el quinientos seis y en el dos mil también! Que siempre ha habido chorros, maquiavelos y estafaos, contentos y amargaos, valores y dublés... Pero que el siglo veinte es un despliegue de maldad insolente ya no hay quien lo niegue. Vivimos revolcaos en un merengue y en un mismo lodo todos manoseaos... Hoy resulta que es lo mismo ser derecho que traidor..! Ignorante, sabio, chorro, generoso o estafador! Todo es igual! Nada es mejor! Lo mismo un burro que un gran profesor! No hay aplazaos ni escalafón, los inmorales nos han igualao. Si uno vive en la impostura y otro roba en su ambicion, da lo mismo que sea cura, colchonero, rey de bastos, caradura o polizón... Que falta de respeto, que atropello a la razón! Cualquiera es un señor! Cualquiera es un ladrón! Mezclao con Stavisky va Don Bosco y "La Mignon," Don Chicho y Napoleon, Carnera y San Martin... Igual que en la vidriera irrespetuosa de los cambalaches se ha mezclao la vida y herida por un sable sin remache ves llorar la Biblia contra un calefon. Siglo veinte, cambalache problemático y febril! El que no llora, no mama, y el que no afana es un gil. Dale nomas! Dale que va! Que allá en el horno nos vamos a encontrar! No pienses mas, sentate a un lao. Que a nadie importa si naciste honrao. Que es lo mismo el que labura noche y día, como un buey que el que vive de los otros, que el que mata o el que cura o está fuera de la ley.

That the world was and it will be filth, I already know... In the year five hundred and six and in the year two thousand too! There always have been thieves, traitors and victims of fraud, happy and bitter people, valuables and imitations But, that the twentieth century is a display of insolent malice, nobody can deny it anymore. We live sunk in a fuzz and in the same mud all well-worn-out ... Today it turns out it is the same to be decent or a traitor! To be an ignorant, a genius, a pickpocket, a generous person or a swindler! All is the same! Nothing is better! They are the same, an idiot ass and a great professor! There are no failing grades or merit valuations, the immoral have caught up with us. If one lives in a pose and another, in his ambition, steals, it's the same if it's a priest, a mattress maker, a king of clubs, a cheeky devil or a stowaway. What a lack of respect, what a way to run over reason! Anybody is a gentleman! Anybody is a thief! Mixed with Stavinsky, you have Don Bosco and La Mignon don Chicho and Napoleon, Carnera and San Martin. Like in the disrespectful window of the bazaars, life is mixed up, and wounded by a sword without rivets you can see the Bible crying next to a water heater. Twentieth century, a problematic and feverish bazaar! If you don't cry you don't get fed and if you don't steal you're a fool. Go on! Keep it up! That there, in hell we're gonna reunite. Don't think anymore, move out of the way. Nobody seems to care if you were born honest. It doesn’t matter if you work day and night like an ox, or you live off the others, or if you kill or heal or live outside the law.

My decision might seem strange even if an absolute agreement with the man who claimed things such as "Freedom of speech is worthless without freedom of thought" or "The right to life is widely discussed but nobody refers to the most important, which is the duty to live life to the full”, is easily understandable.

Jose Luis Sampedro (1917-2013) was an economist who was proud of the period of his life that he spent as a professor at the Complutense University in Madrid. Nevertheless, he did not hesitate to resign from his post to support some colleagues who had been unfairly dismissed. He always championed a more humane and caring economy. He stated that considering money as the most essential element in our lives would lead us to catastrophe and admitted that he was absolutely outraged by how indifferent the current situation is considered in general.  He could not stand the government´s ignorance and haughtiness.

He was also an exceptional writer. Sampedro's humanist concept inspired him to create literary works such as "El rio que nos lleva", "Las sombra de los días", "El Mercado y la Globalización". In 1990, he was appointed as a member of the Royal Spanish Academy. His maiden speech, "Desde la Frontera", focused on the harmful influence of consumerism on society.

I would like to finish this post with one of the last paragraphs of this speech, which I do not dare translate into English, in case it could miss its real essence:

Muy colmado de ciencia está Occidente, pero muy pobre de sabiduría. Es decir, del arte de vivir, más aberrante que la ciencia porque, contando con ella, incluye además el misterio. Ahora no se procura alcanzar la iluminación, sino sentir el latigazo del deslumbramiento. Se busca el estrépito, lo aparatoso, los focos publicitarios; no el silencio, lo auténtico, ni el resplandor tranquilo de la lámpara. Un símbolo de nuestro tiempo es preferir la ducha, rápida, ruidosa y acribillante, en vez de envolverse voluptuosamente en la líquida seda del baño, lento y sosegado. Los países de la periferia conservan, aun en su atraso técnico, más sabiduría y eso es una esperanza para todos, porque cada día es más urgente compensar el desajuste esencial de esta civilización: el de tener muchos medios sin saber ponerlos al servicio de la vida.

Jose Luis Sampedro died on 8th April 2013 after, and I quote him, "having passed from a placid old age to a bloody awkward one".

This is my humble way of paying tribute to the late writer, an outstanding human being.

My hometown / favourite place (part II)

Oscar - El Bierzo:

Imagine a deep valley. Imagine very high mountains and beautiful landscapes. Imagine old small villages in which time doesn't go by. If you are not in a hurry, El Bierzo is the place for you.

El Bierzo is a geographical area located in the north-west of León. It has a population of around 145.000 people and a Mediterranean microclimate.

This land offers nature, rural tourism, gastronomy and, above all, the culture of wine. St. James’ Way crosses from east to west and it's good business in the area.

El Bierzo is a truly enjoyable place where you can practise a wide range of adventure sports like trekking, mountain bike and so on, or you can climb to the top of its mountains and enjoy the beautiful sceneries.

The region is also famous for its wines and plentiful in products such as the "King", Botillo, and his knights, the pippin apples, as well as Bierzo peppers and chestnuts, all of them controled by the "consejo regulador".

Indeed, no wise person should leave this region without tasting its wines. Nowadays there are a lot of wine cellars in which are producing excellent wines and Queen Mencia is coming up through the Spanish ranking. The wine festival in early May is the best way to taste many of these wines.

Inma – Paris:

Twelve years ago, I was living in Paris, in the 16th arrondissement - or district - (there are 20); it is the largest city in France and has a cosmopolitan population of about 2 million people.

People call Paris “the City of Light” and, of course, it is the city of LOVE as it is the most romantic city in the whole world!

You can visit a lot of beautiful places and awesome monuments like the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre, the Notre Dame cathedral, the Louvre Museum, etc…

Paris is crossed by the river Seine and also you can walk across all its bridges or travel along the river on a “Bateau Mouche”; the most famous / popular bridges are the Pont Neuf and the Pont Alexandre III.

Paris is also an interesting city to go shopping: the best known street is des Champs-Élysées Avenue, described as “la plus belle avenue du monde” ("the most beautiful avenue in the world"), where you will find cinemas, cafés, luxurious specialty shops like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, etc.

If you want to eat well, I recommend the “Quartier Latin”, which is known for its lively atmosphere and many small restaurants called “bistros”.

For all these reasons, Paris will be my second hometown forever!

Maria - Ciudad Rodrigo:

Ciudad Rodrigo is one of the most wonderful places in Castilla y León. It’s my second hometown after Salamanca. I stayed there every summer of my childhood because my grandparents lived there.

It’s a small town in western Spain in the province of Salamanca, about an hour by car from Salamanca. It’s also been known as Miróbriga since Roman times but it was originally a Celtic village. This is the reason why the local people are called “mirobrigenses”. 

Its historic centre is enclosed by the antique walls were built during the Middle Ages like The Walls of Ávila. They aren’t so beautiful as The Walls of Ávila, but you can also walk along them. It’s the best way to discover Ciudad Rodrigo. My favourite place on the walls is a place called “La Batería”, next to the Castle of Henry II of Castile. There you can enjoy a great view of the Águeda River and also you can watch Portugal on your right side and Peña de Francia on your left side. It’s an amazing picture!

Next you can visit the medieval castle, where there’s a Verraco (or bull) in front of it, built by the Vettones, the first people who lived in Ciudad Rodrigo. Not far away there is the ghotic cathedral, where you can see the shots on its walls from the Napoleonic Wars. 

During your walk around the town, you can find several old houses like the Palace of Águila, with a great garden, Vazquez House, Castro’s Palace and so on. The Main Square has some historical buildings around it, including The City Hall and Marqués de Cerralbo’s House. In this square are built the famous “tablaos” every year, where the town celebrates “The Carnival of the Bull” before Holy Week. It’s the best-known festival in Ciudad Rodrigo. For five days, from Friday to Tuesday, you can enjoy the running of the bulls like in Pamplona and the endless partying. 

An exhibition you shouldn’t miss is “The Theatre Festival of Castilla and León” celebrated every August. You can have fun with the theatre shows on the streets.

When you are hungry, you shouldn’t forget to taste fried eggs with “farinato” because it’s the most traditional dish in Ciudad Rodrigo. 

When your tour is over, don’t forget to visit a place of interest called “The Three Columns” because it was part of a Roman building. It’s much loved by the mirobrigenses. You can locate it on the outskirts of the town on the road to Salamanca.

Ciudad Rodrigo is a fantastic place to spend a lovely weekend or to go on holidays in summer. You shouldn’t miss it!

My hometown / favourite place (part I)

Carlos - Hervas:

Hervas is a small city in the north of Cáceres. The population is about five thousand people. The weather is warm but very wet. Its rainfall is similar to Galicia.

      

There are several forests around the town with many routes to walk or go cycling. The most famous is (the one) called “La pista Heidi", thirty one kilometers around the town to enjoy the beautiful landscape. From everywhere in Hervas, you can see the highest peak of the surroundings town, called the “Pinajarro”. Also you will find beautiful places near the unpolluted river Ambroz, where you can swim in summer.

      

But In the town centre you can visit the ancient Jewish quarter, with its old houses and narrow streets, two antique churches and a nice Classical Motorbike Museum, with more than two hundred old motorbikes. This museum is in the outskirts of the city in a remarkable and singular building.

      

In the city centre you’ll find a lot of bars and restaurants where you should taste some delicious dishes of Extremadura food. The wonderful variety of cheese and the great Iberian ham have made Extremadura a fantastic gastronomic destination.

People in Hervas are always friendly and helpful (to you). It’s a good place to spend a small break or a long holiday.

Elvira - Salamanca:

Salamanca is a little town about two hundred km away from Madrid, the capital of Spain. Nowadays the city’s population is around one hundred and fifty five thousand people plus a lot of students from many other cities and countries.

In Salamanca people are friendly and very close. It´s a cosy beautiful city with a lot of stone buildings that show all its splendor when the sun shines. The streets are crowded with foreign students and people from around the world who like to come to our city to visit its famous monuments, like the two magnificent Cathedrals (called the new and old Cathedral), the two prestigious Universities, one of them the oldest in Europe, with its impressive facade, the stunning Plaza Mayor, the most beautiful in Spain, and many other ancient monuments like  St. Esteban´s Church, almost as big as the new Cathedral.

I like the weather in Salamanca and specially I love walking  across its picturesque streets in the town centre  on those winter days when  the sun is shining in a clear blue sky.

Of course food and drink are really good too. There are many shops and restaurants offering a great variety of the typical cold meat of Salamanca.

I don´t know anyone who doesn´t like Salamanca. It is a fantastic city to live in.

Carmen Mendez - New York:

New York is one of the most modern cities in the U.S. and very famous in the whole world. When I was there it was summer and very hot, but in winter is totally the opposite, it's too cold and the city is usually covered in snow. 

The city has different boroughs, and the most crowded is Manhattan, because it's where tourists usually spend all the time. There you can find the highest buildings with hotels, shops, restaurants ... and also it is very famous for sightseeing. It's a very fast city, and everybody is running all the time in the streets.

New York is a multicultural place, because there live people from all over the world. 

In my opinion it's a gorgeous city, but not everyone would like to live in Manhattan, because it's very noisy; maybe it is good to live in Queens, for example, which is another borough, like Manhattan. 

In Queens you can find a quiet and peaceful neighbourhood where you can live and start a family; but thinking of work, Manhattan is an awesome place to have a job, where you can find lots of companies  and probably whatever you want.

When I was in New York, I decided that I'd like to live and work there.

Estefania - Verona:

I invite you all to discover the fascinating city of Verona, all its emblematic corners and sites, which will not leave you indifferent!

Near Lake Garda you will find the most romantic city in Italy, which the literary work of William Shakespeare was inspired by.

Verona is the second most artistic city in the country, after Venice, and is characterized by its medieval architecture, with a lot of Roman elements. 

You will be amazed by the beauty of its streets and the marvellous things it has to offer, for example, its magnificent second-century coliseum, the Amphitheatre called “Arena“, where the most important opera singers perform. 

By going through a porch covered by sheets of paper displaying messages of lovers, you arrive at the famous “House of Juliet”, situated in a famous inner courtyard. There, you will see the bronze statue of Juliet, with a naked breast which, people say, will bring you good luck if you touch it! Also, in one of the sites of the inner courtyard you will find the famous balcony in which Romeo “courted” his beloved Juliet. 

Moreover, Verona has one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, and the whole city is enriched by lots of palaces, statues, old districts and other architectural jewels like the “Madonna Verona” fountain.

Mercedes - Hondarribia:

Four years ago, while on holidays in the north of Spain, I discovered a wonderful town near San Sebastian called Fuenterrabia, Hondarribia in Basque. It was a nice surprise when I visited this place, which combines the peaceful countryside with the beautiful sea. It is a pleasure to watch the environment of its streets while you feel the hot rays of the sun that illuminate the locality.  

I loved the fishing port, with its typical sea houses, which seem to be taken from a fairytale, are painted in bright colours. 

The ancient walled neighborhood has numerous buildings of artistic and historical interest. The streets form a rectangular plan of paved streets and beautiful buildings with wrought-iron balconies.

The north is famous for its gastronomy, so I like eating there because the food is (quite) delicious. I like the “xaca”, a typical dish made with “boca de mar” (surimi), hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise. In Hondarribia there are many restaurants where you can eat very well. It is very typical to buy an ice cream while you walk along the maritime walk. There are very famous ice-cream shops with long queues. 

The weather is typically north, cloudy and rainy in all seasons but the temperature is nice because it is not too cold. 

It is worth visiting this wonderful town. 

Eva - Rodiles (Villaviciosa):


Rodiles is a beach near Villaviciosa in Asturias.

The beach is one kilometre long and it has a eucalyptus forest nearby. The water is cold but it has very nice waves for surfing or doing bodyboard.

Rodiles is a very nice place for camping because there are a lot of places around the beach. Moreover, it is a wonderful place because it has mountains and a beach in the same place.

It usually rains so it is a very wet place but it is all green and in summer it is hot.

Rodiles is a beautiful place and very nice for sightseeing, and you can walk at night along the beach and hear the waves.

It is a quiet and peaceful place because there aren’t a lot of people living there.