Orquesta de Señoritas

María Elena Walsh's song 'Orquesta de Señoritas' paints a vivid picture of a bygone era, filled with nostalgia and melancholy. The lyrics transport us to an old café in the Once neighborhood, where an orchestra of young women performed. The café, with its marble and bronze decor, is likened to a cemetery, specifically La Chacarita, suggesting a place filled with memories and perhaps forgotten dreams. The setting is a gathering spot for a group of young people, who come to listen to the music from a dark, family-reserved area, hinting at a sense of secrecy or exclusivity.

The song reflects on the lives of the women in the orchestra, who played pasodobles and rancheritas with dedication, yet their music was not enough to sustain them financially. Described as blonde and adorned with flowers, they moved like dolls with a sad composure, indicating a sense of lost vitality and constrained freedom. The repeated refrain, 'Quién no fue mujer, ni trabajador, piensa que el de ayer fue un tiempo mejor,' challenges the romanticization of the past, suggesting that those who did not experience the hardships of being a woman or a worker might mistakenly view the past as a better time.

The final verses reveal the fate of these women, who, after a night, disappeared from their faded stage, taking a tram to oblivion with their violins in hand. This imagery evokes a sense of finality and the inevitable passage of time, where memories fade and people move on. The song's melancholic tone and reflective lyrics invite listeners to consider the complexities of nostalgia and the often-overlooked struggles of those who lived through the times we romanticize.