“Carmentea” – Miguel Angel Martin (1978) * Written by Miguel Angel Martin * Colombian LP: Miguel Angel Martin y sus Joropos * Label: Orbe
Miguel Angel Martin, from the Arauca region of Colombia that borders Venezuela, composed and recorded a version of his song “Carmentea” in the early sixties, after which it caught fire and metamorphosed into regional folkore. Martin went on to develop a name for himself as a celebrated musician, folklorist and journalist, while the real life subject of his paean, the woman with “black eyes that kill” (Carmen Teresa Aguirre), inspired a number of written investigations. This 1978 version of the song features a lead harp along with a call-and-response chorus (with female voices). The sound and instrumentation of the record, which includes David Paralas and “Los Copleros del Auraca,” is of the “joropo” genre more typical of Venezuela.