From album
Almendra
Almendra · 1969
Details
TonalidadB major
Compás4/4
Tempo161 BPM
Duración2:42
ÁlbumAlmendra
Año1969
ISRCARF036900020
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The story behind
The song Ana no duerme, included in Almendra's first album, is presented with a structure that invites attentive listening. After an intro marked by drums, guitars, and bass, the track stops abruptly. A brief silence gives way to a dialogue between the drums and the lead guitar, which resume the piece for a new section. Luis Alberto Spinetta described this composition as born from a "fast rhythm" and a "small melody that insists," although he himself admitted it was the one he liked least on the album, without disliking it.
This track, which is part of the album Almendra I released in 1969, was conceived by Spinetta when he was only 19 years old. The complete album had a fundamental influence on the consolidation of the so-called Argentine "national rock." In 1985, a survey among prominent Argentine rock journalists and musicians placed it as the most influential album, with 23 out of 31 participants choosing it. The album cover, depicting a man with one eye, a tear, and a suction cup arrow, assigns the suction cup arrow to Ana no duerme, symbolizing "themes that men sing to that tear of the man on the cover, tied to their destinies."
Spinetta associated "Ana" with his sister, Ana María, but also with all women who wait, whether for love, friendship, or understanding, seeking to escape their reality. Reflecting years later, the musician also suggested that the name "Ana" sounded good, and that the lyrics could describe a being "completely unhinged," similar to "Fermín," another character conceived for the album. A live performance of Ana no duerme was included on the album San Cristóforo (1998) by Spinetta y los Socios del Desierto.
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