Partitura Lagrimas Negras 14 90%

In 1929, Matamoros wrote Lágrimas Negras during a moment of personal anguish. Legend has it that the lyrics emerged from a sleepless night, staring at his own reflection after a heartbreak. The opening lines are devastating in their simplicity: “Aunque tú me has echado al abandono, Aunque tú me has hecho el corazón pedazos, Yo no vivo ya en mí, vivo en tu recuerdo…” (Even though you have abandoned me, even though you have shattered my heart, I no longer live in myself, I live in your memory…) But it is the chorus that delivers the title’s bitter metaphor: “Lágrimas negras / lloro tu ausencia” (Black tears / I cry your absence). The “black tears” are often interpreted as tears of rage, deep sorrow, or the ink with which the song was written. A standard score for Lágrimas Negras is written in the key of D minor (though often transposed for vocalists), in 4/4 time. It follows the hybrid structure of the bolero-son : slow, romantic verses (bolero) that accelerate into a call-and-response montuno (son). The piano or guitar introduction is unmistakable—a descending chromatic line that mimics a sigh or a tear falling.

This article unpacks the history, structure, and enduring power of Lágrimas Negras through the lens of its written score—specifically what “Partitura 14” represents in the broader narrative of Afro-Cuban music. To understand the partitura, one must first understand the composer. Miguel Matamoros (1894–1971) was a Cuban guitarist, singer, and composer who founded the legendary Trío Matamoros in 1925. The trio—guitar, maracas, and vocal harmonies—became a vehicle for the son , Cuba’s foundational dance genre blending Spanish verse and guitar with Afro-Cuban percussion and call-and-response. Partitura Lagrimas Negras 14

Vocal line enters. The melody stays within a fifth (D to A), creating a claustrophobic feeling of grief. The guitar plays open chords (Dm, Gm, A7, Dm). The 1963 partitura adds a cello or bass clarinet doubling the vocal line—a haunting effect. In 1929, Matamoros wrote Lágrimas Negras during a