La Mona Jiménez - 2005 - Trilogía 1er acto
Juan Carlos Jiménez Rufino, popularly known as La Mona Jiménez, is an Argentine quartet reference. He was born on January 11, 1951 in the city of Córdoba, Argentina. He is one of those people for whom a presentation falls short. One of those national figures who just by seeing him you know who he is, just by listening to him your body begins to move and a smile appears. Jiménez, as they call him in his native land, La Mona as he became known throughout the country or simply a “Neighborhood Boy”, in his own words. Juan Carlos Jiménez Rufino began to relate to art at a very young age. Grandson of a grandmother from Catamarca, son of a father from Tucumán and a mother from Salta, the different influences of our Argentina would begin to be sown in him to, in the near future, bear fruit. Folklore, Tango and, later in time, Rock, were breathed in his home. He was always sung and danced, in equal parts, realizing the integral artist who was approaching. So much so that at the age of 10 he was part of a folkloric ballet, becoming a second malambo dancer.
A young Carlitos Jiménez live for a presentation by the Berna Quartet.
Time did not take long to show the multiple capabilities that Carlitos had. At just 15 years old he debuted as a singer in “Berna y su Conjunto Juvenil” with the song “Diez Monedas”. This first step in professionalism ended years later, amid the differences that existed with training. Among other things, they didn't let him dance and, true to his style, that connection with the band ended. This is how he arrives at the legendary “Golden Quartet”, a group in which he was for twelve years. In his desire to continue growing, his long-awaited debut as a soloist finally arrived in 1984. A more mature Jiménez not only began to write a new page for the history of the quartet, but he was going to rewrite it forever.
With more than fifty-five years of singing as a quartet, he has almost a hundred albums in his work, more than 1,200 songs, 29 gold records, 8 platinum records, 2 double platinum records, and more than twenty-seven years of playing live from Tuesday to Sunday, around 10,000 live shows. That is Jiménez, a tireless and immense artist because of his work and dedication, but also because of his bond with the people. In the words of the renowned Afro-Peruvian percussionist Bam Bam Miranda (RIP) “He has no audience, he has accomplices . ” That complicity with the people was built through Jiménez's gestures, which have been innumerable over the years, from the material to the intangible. Recognized are the raffles on his birthday where he gave his followers motorcycles, cars, apartments, cash, a house and even taxis, yes, thinking of generating a source of work.
But there are also those gestures that fill the heart with recognition, and La Mona came to invent her own sign language to greet each person who comes to accompany her. Just by seeing the sign made to him from the audience, Jiménez repeats the gesture and names each neighborhood, city or province.
In the words of his son Carli Jiménez “Although the tarantella and the double step are the origins of the quartet, musically, in the way of interpreting it, living it and dancing it, European colonialism is not present (...) It is obvious , the color of the skin, the curl of the hair, the wide noses. Look at my old man. In the way of dancing it, how the legs move, the body, it is more of an African dance than dancing a tarantella or a double step.”
If we do a brief review of some songs we can see how he made it clear on multiple occasions: “ Oh, God, I ask you / Don't forget / About my race, black race / Don't forget / Fire in the blood / strength in the soul, hunger for freedom / murmur of a black song / that springs from the skin” (Raza Negra, 1994). Or later in time with songs like El negro no es un cabrón : “El negro was a slave, in the century that is leaving / the black was a slave, in the millennium that is leaving / and now he feels free, very truly free and sings with joy, for so much happiness” (Bien Ah!, 1999). These lyrics are some of the many where Jiménez positions himself against different themes that oppress the majority, such as in Por portación de cara (Trilogy 2nd act of 2006), Gatillo Fácil “on one side they shoot and then ask for documents” (I live again…I sing again!, 2008).
A phenomenon that transcends generations and continues to add chapters to its history. For example, the Bum Bum Festival , organized for the first time in 2022, builds bridges and brings together established and emerging artists from different musical genres each year. In its third edition, held in Jesús María, the first official registration of Jimenero tattoos took place, and people carry them on their skin in addition to carrying them in their hearts. Happy birthday Jímenez, for many more. From heart to heart".
TRACKLIST
1 El Federal (with Gustavo Cordera)
2 Busco Un Corazon
3 Cuartetizado
4 El Beso (with Fito Paez)
5 Si He Sido Infiel
6 El Cochino
7 El Secreto
8 Derecho Viejo
9 Defiende Nuestro Amor (Envidia)
10 Se Abuso
11 Ilegal
12 Mujer De La Noche
13 El Sacudon
14 Final Del Primer
