Mercedes Sosa-The New Woman Poems-La Nueva Mujer Poemas-A Bilingual Edition

People around the world appreciated her relentless will to sing out convictions of freedom and human dignity. Lacorén recounts SOSA’s experience and that of millions to whom SOSA was the voice of hope and justice. When you finish the journey of Mercedes Sosa through “The New Woman Poems” you will realize the beginning of a legend.

The name Mercedes Sosa has for some time been firmly present in the consciousness of the New Song followers around the globe. She was considered to be one of the best voices in the world. Unlike Pete Seger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Cesarea Evora, Luis Aute, Raimon, Miriam Makiba, Pablo Milanés, and Alberto Cortez, among many others artists of the New Song Movement. Mercedes wrote poetry, but she was not a songwriter, she was a performer by heart. Because of all of the above and many other reasons, I feel I can limit myself in this introduction to a few remarks on how this book came into existence.

The Project of publishing THE NEW WOMAN POEMS was first mooted with Mercedes Sosa in 1985 in the City of Boston. In November 1989 before one of her concerts at Lincoln Center, Nestor suggested the idea of publishing the book, which was written during her previous tours in the United States, in 1985, 1987 and 1988. He left the manuscript with her that same night, and the next day, she agreed to publish it.

In this new edition, my only desire has been to present to the English and Spanish reader an adequate selection of poems, compiling the whole field of Ms. Sosa’s achievements. The cardinal necessity of presenting the reader with the English text before the Spanish, and having no translations, was agreed upon by all concerned.

My first acknowledgment must go to Mercedes Sosa herself for giving this work her blessing and for the sympathetic support of all the people involved. David Byrne for including THE NEW WOMAN POEMS in his personal library that is part of The London’s Poetry Library, to Alberto Cortez for his foreword via fax from Mexico DF, Joan Baez, John and Yoko, and Nora Ephron for their words of inspiration.

I am also grateful to thousands of people around the world for helping me with this project at different times. It would overload this page to name all of them.

For those who love Mercedes Sosa, and for those curious about her art and her profound feelings, this is the one indispensable book.

Lucas Rodríguez-Editor