Soy rebelde
"Soy rebelde" (English: "I am a rebel") is a Spanish pop ballad written by Manuel Alejandro and Ana Magdalena. It was released by British-born singer Jeanette in 1971, and was her debut solo single. It has been re-recorded by Jeanette in English, French, and Japanese, and has inspired cover versions in diverse genres from flamenco to punk rock and rap.
"Soy rebelde" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Jeanette | ||||
from the album Palabras, promesas | ||||
B-side | "Oye mamá, oye papá" | |||
Released | 1971 | |||
Studio | Hispavox Studios, Madrid | |||
Genre | Canción melódica | |||
Length | 3:12 | |||
Label | Hispavox | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Rafael Trabucchelli | |||
Jeanette singles chronology | ||||
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Development
Following the dissolution of her former band Pic-Nic in 1969, Jeanette remained with the Hispavox label and moved to Barcelona the next year. Songwriter Manuel Alejandro wrote the song for a Mexican singer, Sola, but offered it to Jeanette, who is half Spanish. Jeanette originally did not like the song; in an interview posted in Cha Cha Charming magazine, Jeanette said, "My style of music was folk music . . . but Hispavox wanted me to sing this romantic music that I could not relate to." They recorded the song that summer.[1]
Composition
"Soy rebelde" is a quintessential sad song.[2] The song uses a melody based on piano, wind instruments and violins that surrounds Jeanette's soft vocals.[2]
The song begins with a combination of piano and violin. The lyrics describe a solitary person, relating a life marked by pain, and focusing on a search for happiness, friendship and love. Jeanette's voice was an angelic whisper; Alejandro remarked it was "the tiniest voice I have ever heard", and that it would have been just another Mexican song if she did not sing it.[1]
The song is one of the greatest exponents of the "Torrelaguna Sound", named after the Torrelaguna Street in Madrid, where Hispavox Studios was based.[3] This production style was influenced by Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, and experimented with the layering of instruments and reverb.[4]
Release
When "Soy rebelde" was released, the record label misspelled her name (Janette) as "Jeanette", but after the single became a "runaway hit", the label decided to retain the latter spelling as her stage name.[5] The single was played in Spain, but also extended to other countries, including: France, Belgium, England, Mexico, Italy, Argentina, and Venezuela.[1] The B-side was "Oye Mama, Oya Papa" (Listen Mama, Listen Papa).[6]
In May 1972, Jeanette released the single in Japan as "Soy rebelde (あまのじゃく, Amanojaku)", under Nippon Columbia records. She sang it in Japanese; the lyrics and arrangement were done by J. Hamada, with Waldo de Los Rios and his orchestra providing supporting music. The B-side was still the Spanish version of "Oye Mama, Oye Papa (オイェ・ママ、オイェ・パパ, Oie Mama Oie Papa)".[6]
In 1976, Jeanette released the album Porque te vas, which consisted of French versions of her singles. "Soy rebelde" became "L'inconnu Qui M'aimera" (The Stranger Who Loves Me).[5][7] She also released the song as a B-side to her single Je suis triste.[8]
Jeanette's English version, "I Am a Rebel", was released in the United Kingdom as a B-side to her Spanish single.[9]
Reception
"Soy rebelde" was a commercial success and redefined Jeanette's career to that of a romantic balladist.[10] The hit single topped the charts in Spain,[11] staying on the charts for ten weeks.[12] It also charted in the Top 10 of Latin American countries such as Argentina,[13] Colombia[14] and Peru.[15] The song became a popular teen anthem throughout the Spanish-speaking world.[16] This generation "adopted Jeanette as a symbol of a desire installed like a scalpel in the subconscious of the collective memory."[17]
Track listing
Spanish version
The Spanish version was released in 1971 by Hispavox, catalog #: HS-764.[18]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Soy rebelde" | Manuel Alejandro | 3:12 |
2. | "Oye mamá, oye papá" | Manuel Alejandro | 3:22 |
Japanese version
The Japanese version was released in May 1972 by Nippon Columbia, catalog #: LL-2543-H[6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Soy rebelde (あまのじゃく, Amanojaku)" (sung in Japanese) | J. Hamada | 3:12 |
2. | "Oye Mama Oye Papa (オイェ・ママ、オイェ・パパ, Oie Mama Oie Papa, Listen Mama, Listen Papa)" (sung in Spanish) | M. Alejandro | 3:22 |
French version
The French version was released as a B-side to the single, "Je suis triste", Hispavox catalog #: 2022 014[8]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Je suis triste" (sung in French) | M. Alejandro | 3:58 |
2. | "L'inconnu qui m'aimera" (sung in French) | M. Alejandro | 3:12 |
English version
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Yo soy rebelde" | M. Alejandro | 3:12 |
2. | "I Am a Rebel" (sung in English) | M. Alejandro/ S. LeBrocq | 3:12 |
Cover-versions/multiple-renditions
"Soy rebelde" has inspired cover versions and renditions:
- In 1978, the Brazilian singer Lilian Knapp recorded a Portuguese version of the song titled "Sou Rebelde" (on the B-side, another version of a Jeanette song, "Porque te vas").[19]
- In 1997, Albert Pla, a Catalan singer-songwriter, sang "Soy rebelde", and released it on his album Veintegenarios En Alburquerque.[20][21] It was also presented in the film Airbag as "Yo soy rebelde".[22]
- In 1998, Argentine group Attaque 77 released their album Otras Canciones, containing a punk rock version of "Soy rebelde".[23] It was also featured on their live album, Trapos.[24]
- In 2005, Esmirna sang "Soy rebelde" on his episode of Chilean animated series Diego and Glot.
- In 2007, Fernando Caro sang "Soy rebelde" on his debut album Rebelde.[25] Spanish flamenco singer Pastora Soler also sang "Soy rebelde" as a duet with India Martinez.[26]
- In 2008, French singer Nathalie Cardone did a version of "Soy rebelde" that features a guitar for the background music.[27][28]
- In 2009, Rosario Flores covered "Soy rebelde" on her Spanish pop songs from the 1970s album, Cuéntame.[29] Mariano Prunes of Allmusic remarked that Flores's version is one of her best.[30] Flores also released a video clip of the song.[31]
- In May 2012, rap music group Rebel Diaz sang "Soy rebelde" from its album Radical Dilemma. Its version's message is "that struggle against the status quo has a history that needs to be continued." It samples Jeanette's version, calling hers "a late 60s Spanish pop ballad."[32]
References
- Burgel, Sheila. "Jeanette: Spain's best kept secret". Cha Cha Charming Magazine. Archived from the original on 2008-04-05. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- Ribera, Anje (February 12, 2016). "Jeanette – Soy rebelde". El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved August 12, 2020.
- Fernández, Miguel (March 29, 2020). Desafiando al olvido: Waldo de los Ríos. La biografía (in Spanish). Roca Editorial. ISBN 978-8418014444. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- Bianciotto, Jordi (April 13, 2020). El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish) https://www.elperiodico.com/es/ocio-y-cultura/20200413/waldo-de-los-rios-biografia-desafiando-el-olvido-7926776. Retrieved August 8, 2020. Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - Birchmeier, Jason. "Biography: Jeanette". AMG. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- "Jeanette* – あまのじゃく (日本語) Soy rebelde". discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- "Jeanette – Porque Te Vas". discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- "Je suis triste / L'inconnu qui m'aimera". Rate Your Music.com. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- "Jeanette Dimech "I Am a Rebel" (soy rebelde en inglès) (Lp original) video" (YouTube). NME.com. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- José María Íñigo, Jeanette (2008). La entrevista. Las canciones de tu vida, 1981 (1) (DVD) (in Spanish). Ediciones del Prado.
- "Hits Of The World". Billboard. Vol. 84 no. 6. Nielsen Business Media. February 5, 1972. p. 53. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- Calvo Carilla, José-Luis; Peña-Ardid, Carmen; Naval, María Angeles; Ara Torralba, Juan Carlos; Ansón, Antonio, eds. (2013). El relato de la transición: la transición como relato (in Spanish). Prensas de la Universidad de Zaragoza. p. 245. ISBN 978-8415538851. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- "Hits Of The World". Billboard. Vol. 84 no. 17. Nielsen Business Media. April 22, 1972. p. 55. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- "Cromos, Números 2837-2840". Cromos (in Spanish). No. 2837–2840. 1972. p. 79. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- "7 [i.e. siete] días del Perú y del mundo". La Prensa (in Spanish). No. 723–730. Lima, Peru. 1972. p. 42. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- Clayton, Jace (August 16, 2016). Uproot: Travels in 21st-Century Music and Digital Culture. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. p. 119. ISBN 978-0374533427. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- Gendre, Marcos (July 6, 2019). "Jeanette, la voz intrusa". El Salto (in Spanish). Retrieved August 12, 2020.
- "Jeanette* – Soy rebelde / Oye mamá, oye papá". discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- http://www.discogs.com/Lilian-Sou-Rebelde-Eu-Sem-Voc%C3%AA/release/4348447
- "Discografía de Albert Pla" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-20.
- "Albert Pla – Veintegenarios En Alburquerque". Discogs.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- "Various – Airbag - Banda Sonora Original". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- "Attaque 77: Otras canciones". rock.com.ar.
- "Attaque 77: Trapos". rock.com.ar.
- "Discografía de Fernando Caro". fernandocaro.es (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2012-11-21. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
- "Flamenco-world: ¿Por qué se frotan las patitas? (B.S.O.)". flamenco-world.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14.
- "Pagina Web de Nathalie Cardone" (in French). Archived from the original on 2011-08-06. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- "Nathalie Cardone - Yo soy rebelde / Hasta Siempre". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- "LaHiguera.net: Cuéntame". LaHiguera.net.
- Prunes, Mariano. "Cuéntame – Rosario Flores". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- Ximenez, Mario (2009-12-17). "SOY REBELDE: El último video de Rosario Flores grabado con una canon 7D". xatakafoto.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- La Mala, Maeghan (2012-05-29). "MARTES MUSICA : REBEL DIAZ "SOY REBELDE"". VivirLatino. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
External links
- Jeanette: Soy rebelde (1971) on YouTube
- Jeanette: Soy rebelde (live) (1994) on YouTube
- Video clip Soy rebelde by Rosario Flores on YouTube
- Birchmeier, Jason. "Biography: Jeanette". AMG. Retrieved 17 May 2010.