Malena

The song "Malena Canta El Tango" performed by Adriana Varela is a poignant portrayal of a woman named Malena, who sings tango with a depth of emotion that is unparalleled. The lyrics suggest that Malena's singing is deeply intertwined with her personal sorrow, and her voice carries the essence of the suburban yuyo, a term that can refer to the grassy weeds found in the outskirts of cities, symbolizing a raw, natural, and perhaps neglected beauty. Her voice is described as perfuming the air with the scent of the suburbs, and she is said to have the 'pena,' or sorrow, of a bandoneón, the quintessential tango instrument known for its melancholic sound.

The song hints at a backstory for Malena's sadness, possibly rooted in her childhood or a past romance that haunts her, especially when she drinks. Her tango is described as a creature of the shadows, a being that comes to life in the desolation of closed doors and ghostly echoes. The lyrics poetically describe her physical features and the emotional weight they carry, with dark eyes like oblivion, lips tight with bitterness, and hands like cold doves, alluding to a sense of loss and coldness.

The song's narrative is not just about Malena's ability to sing tango but also about the emotional resonance of her performance. It speaks to the heartache and the bittersweet nature of memory that tango often embodies. The singer acknowledges that Malena's tangos, filled with the pain of remembrance, make her seem more humane and relatable. The song is a tribute to the emotive power of tango music and the way it can convey the deepest feelings of the human soul.