Home · Songs · Demetrio Ortiz · Recuerdos de Ypacaraí
Demetrio Ortiz · 0
Details
TonalidadD
Compás3/4
Tempo92 BPM
Duración3:22
ISRCCHB371010006
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The story behind
The melody of Recuerdos de Ypacaraí was born in 1948, while Demetrio Ortiz was in Córdoba. At that moment, memories of an old love overwhelmed him, and with his guitar, he shaped the notes that would later become this piece. Two years later, in Buenos Aires, he met Zulema de Mirkin, who would be responsible for writing the lyrics. The song first saw the light of day in 1951. The inspiration for the music, as related by Ortiz himself and confirmed by his daughter, came from an encounter with a young woman on the shores of Lake Ypacaraí, in San Bernardino. They met, she shared her passion for singing, and together they sang melodies in Guaraní. A reunion was agreed upon, but after the Civil War of '47, she was never heard from again. In 1950, Ortiz shared this story with Mirkin, who transformed it into the lyrics we know today.
This guarania, with music by Demetrio Ortiz and lyrics by Zulema de Mirkin, transcended borders, making known the music of Paraguay and the beauty of Lake Ypacaraí. Its global reach is undeniable, being performed by a vast list of artists. From Paraguay, Luis Alberto del Paraná and his trio Los Paraguayos included it in the film production La burrerita de Ypacaraí, and it has also been voiced by Berta Rojas and El Indio Araucano. Internationally, figures such as Jorge Cafrune, Javier Solís, Julio Iglesias —who recorded it in several languages in the early eighties—, Mercedes Sosa, Caetano Veloso, Ivete Sangalo, Jorge Drexler, Ana Gabriel, Eugenia León, and Iraida Noriega (who performed it as a duet in 2013), among many others, have added their talent to this piece. In 1971, the first edition of the Festival del Lago de Ypacaraí was celebrated, in honor of Demetrio Ortiz. The word "kuñataĩ" in the lyrics, of Guaraní origin, refers to a young lady or girl.
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