Soldado
1972 · Borinquen DG 1221 · San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Artist
- Raphy Leavitt
- Title
- Soldado
- Release
- Mi barrio
- Year
- 1972
- Label
- Borinquen # DG 1221
- Format
- LP · Album
- Language
- Spanish
- Country
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Genre
- Hispanic Music · Salsa
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
The song "Soldado" ("Soldier") (Borinquen # DG 1221) by Raphy Leavitt, born 17 September 1948, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he moved to the US, and died on 5 August 2015, in Miami, Florida. This is in the Salsa genre, derived from Cuban Son and developed in places such as Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and New York City. The song was released on a San Juan music label, founded by Dario Gonzalez. The song looked at both the soldier and home front perspective, taking an anti-war position. The narrator said that "luck has abandoned" a man, as he was sent "away from your land...your loved ones" to fight in Vietnam. He "left full of heroism", but returned "in delirium". The soldier's "mother alone screams" while the soldier is away, "only god knows destiny of that sad brother". The narrator concluded with: "enough with weapons...oh suffering great pain".
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Born 17 September 1948, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Died 5 August 2015, Miami, Florida, USA