Home · Songs · Joan Manuel Serrat · Buenos tiempos
From album
Sombras de la China
Joan Manuel Serrat · 1998 · Track 10
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Music Joan Manuel Serrat
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The story behind
The song Buenos tiempos has a nostalgic air that is noticeable from the first few bars, as if each note sought to evoke something that is no longer there but remains alive in memory. The arrangement, handled by Josep Mas, gives it that warm and organic touch that makes the song sound more intimate, as if you were listening to it in a Barcelona café on any given Sunday afternoon. The melody flows naturally, without pretension, yet with a quiet strength that invites you to hum along without realizing it. It is these details that make a song like this transcend time without needing grand technical flourishes.
Joan Manuel Serrat composed Buenos tiempos at a time when his music had already been resonating across Latin America for decades. The song, just over four minutes long, is part of that universe where lyrics and chords blend with the poetry of writers like Mario Benedetti or Miguel Hernández, whom Serrat has honored on more than one occasion. It is not just another song in his repertoire, but a piece that reflects the blend of tradition and modernity that has always defined him. In 2014, the Latin Grammy recognized him as Person of the Year, an award that added to the nine Honorary Doctorates he had already accumulated for his contributions to music and literature.