Niño mío
With Niño mío (My Child) we come to the end of this wonderful journey through the different Relatos Cortos (well, almost, because there will be a final surprise).
My only suggestion is that you listen to this piece paying attention to the lyrics of the song and the wonderful voice of the girl who sings it. Niño mío is the first piece (and only one, except for the fantastic project The Trial) that I have composed so far with lyrics. Below I will tell you the story of this lullaby who just seems like it.
In addition to the lyrics, Niño mío is very special for the artists that have collaborated on this song. First of all, Patricia Berbel, a singer and actress with a prodigious voice, who gives Niño mío a sweetness, a love, a great amount of awesome nuances. Thanks Patri, for being the soul of this piece. Thanks also to Israel Martínez Melero, undoubtedly the most expressive cellist I know, for that lament that starts and accompanies the song. Thanks to Manuel Cuadrado, for that touch on the guitar, the cajon and the clapping, that covers the whole song with a flamenco spirit; and to Jaime Cuadrado, once again for that good taste in recording and the good advice in mixing.
Here is the link of the track on Spotify. If you like it, please share the music or this page on your social networks. Thanks!
(If you don’t have Spotify, you can find My Boy on iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon, Youtube Music and any digital music distribution platform)
The history of Niño mío
Niño mío looks like a lullaby that a mother sings to her baby, but nothing could be further from the truth. The story of this song explains why it looks like this, why it has this shape, why it sounds like a lullaby.
I originally composed Niño mío in 2001 for the theatre play “La bendita pureza” (The blessed purity), written by Chico Mora (José Manuel Mora) and directed by one of the people most committed to theatre, and especially with the commitment through theatre, which recently has passed away: Jorge Cuadrelli. The play intended, in the words of Cuadrelli himself, “to propose theater as an alternative to learn to prevent the consequences of drugs and alcohol, as well as to inform about sexuality in general, and AIDS in particular.” “La bendita pureza” tells the love triangle between Eva, Adán and Pablo, with AIDS as the background topic. In the final part of the play, Adán dies in Pablo’s arms, while he lulls and cradles him. Hence the idea of composing Niño mío, a song that looks like a lullaby, but is actually a cry of pain from someone who does not want to see his loved one die: “My child, don’t fall asleep, still” starts the song.