Santa Bárbara bendita
Encyclopedia
Santa Bárbara is a traditional song of the Asturian
coal miners
.
, usually sung a cappella
by a male choir, turned the song into a symbol of Asturian
coal mining
and of mining
in general. Sometimes used as a working class
anthem, the hymn was widely used during the Asturian miners uprising of 1934 and during the Spanish Civil War
.
The lyrics (usually sung in Asturian
, Spanish
or a mixture between both languages) describe the painful returning home of a miner, covered in the blood of his fellow miners, who tells his wife (Maruxina) of a mining accident
in the famous Asturian
mine known as Pozu Maria Luisa (located in Ciañu, Langreo
).
Coal mining
, which is present in Asturias since the 18th century having a pivotal role in the historical economic activity of the region, is known as a very dangerous activity. Historically, hundreds of miners have died in the mines of Asturias and deadly mining accidents were sadly common in the miner population.
Santa Bárbara is nowadays considered to be an important piece of Asturian traditional music
and is included prominently in the Asturian
folk music repertoire. The song is also often used in funerals, tributes and memorials.
Original Asturian
Asturian people
The Asturians are one of the nationalisms of Spain, issuing from the historical country of the Principality of Asturias. They have Celtiberian heritage, related to its historical and cultural links with neighbouring Galicia, as well as Visigothic cultural influences most notably found in the...
coal miners
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
.
The song
The deeply emotional lyrics and the sorrowful and heroic scoreSheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
, usually sung a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
by a male choir, turned the song into a symbol of Asturian
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and of mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in general. Sometimes used as a working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
anthem, the hymn was widely used during the Asturian miners uprising of 1934 and during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
The lyrics (usually sung in Asturian
Asturian language
Asturian is a Romance language of the West Iberian group, Astur-Leonese Subgroup, spoken in the Spanish Region of Asturias by the Asturian people...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
or a mixture between both languages) describe the painful returning home of a miner, covered in the blood of his fellow miners, who tells his wife (Maruxina) of a mining accident
Mining accident
A mining accident is an accident that occurs during the process of mining minerals.Thousands of miners die from mining accidents each year, especially in the processes of coal mining and hard rock mining...
in the famous Asturian
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
mine known as Pozu Maria Luisa (located in Ciañu, Langreo
Langreo
Langreo, , officially Llangréu / Langreo is a municipality of northern Spain, province of The Principality of Asturias....
).
Coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
, which is present in Asturias since the 18th century having a pivotal role in the historical economic activity of the region, is known as a very dangerous activity. Historically, hundreds of miners have died in the mines of Asturias and deadly mining accidents were sadly common in the miner population.
Santa Bárbara is nowadays considered to be an important piece of Asturian traditional music
Music of Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias
The traditional music of Galicia and Asturias, located along Spain's north-west Atlantic coast, are highly distinctive folk styles that have some similarities with the neighbouring area of Cantabria...
and is included prominently in the Asturian
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
folk music repertoire. The song is also often used in funerals, tributes and memorials.
Original AsturianAsturian languageAsturian is a Romance language of the West Iberian group, Astur-Leonese Subgroup, spoken in the Spanish Region of Asturias by the Asturian people...
version
- Nel pozu María Luisa
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- Nel pozu María Luisa
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- Morrieron cuatro mineros
- mirái, mirái Maruxina, mirái
- mirái como vengo yo
- Traigo la camisa roxa
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- Traigo la camisa roxa
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- De sangre d'un compañeru
- Mirái, mirái Maruxina, mirái
- mirái como vengo yo
- Traigo la cabeza rota
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- Traigo la cabeza rota
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- Que me la rompió un barrenu
- Mirái, mirái Maruxiña, mirái
- mirái como vengo yo
- Santa Bárbara bendita
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- Santa Bárbara bendita
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- patrona de los mineros
- Mirái, mirái Maruxina, mirái
- mirái como vengo yo
- Patrona de los mineros
- Mirái, mirái Maruxiña, mirái
- mirái como vengo yo
English translation
- In the María Luisa mine
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- In the María Luisa mine
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- Four miners have died
- Look, look Maruxina, look
- look how I'm coming home
- My shirt has turned red
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- My shirt has turned red
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- Stained with the blood of a fellow miner
- Look, look Maruxina, look
- look how I'm coming home
- My head has broken
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- My head has broken
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- It was broken in a blast
- Look, look Maruxiña, look
- look how I'm coming home
- Blessed Saint Barbara,
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- Blessed Saint Barbara
- Trailarai larai, trailarai
- Patron saint of the miners
- Look, look Maruxina, look
- look how I'm coming home
- Patron saintPatron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of the miners - Look, look Maruxina, look
- look how I'm coming home
External links
- http://youtube.com/watch?v=wImAm-EloKgCover by folk band NuberuNuberuThe Nuberu or Nubeiro is a character of Asturian, Cantabrian or Galician mythology. He is known by the two names respectively depending on the mythology...
at youtube.com (fanvid)] - Spanish language version sung by male choir