Santana: Corazon Espinado featuring Mana

One of Santana’s many successful collaborations on his seminal rebirth album, Supernatural, was with one of the most popular bands in the Latino market: Mana.

Due partially to the fact that the lyrics are in Spanish, Corazon Espinado didn’t have the success in the English-speaking world that “Smooth” did. However, in the Spanish-speaking countries, it became a huge hit, all but eclipsing the other songs on the album.

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Written by Carlos Santana and Fher Oliver, Mana’s founder and lead singer, Corazon Espinado is actually more of a classic Latin song than Smooth. Starting off with a traditional “montuno” on the piano (an arpeggiated, syncopated chordal pattern), Corazon Espinado maintains the same progression throughout all the verses and choruses: i – iv – V – iv, modulating only once, in the bridge.

Latin-Rock Video

Check out the new video for this guitar and percussion-driven song by the leading Santana Tribute and Latin-rock band.

Watch the Video

As in Smooth, Carlos floats over the top with riffs that mix the Aeolian mode (natural minor) and Harmonic minor (raised 7th tone). In fact, he references Smooth in a few of the licks he plays. In another appropriate gesture, he borrows from the main guitar hook in Eric Clapton’s Layla! Santana has always been a master of throwing in signature riffs from other songs.

Although its chord progression, melody and arrangement are simpler than Smooth, Corazon Espinado is undeniably hooky, and drawing as it does on traditional Latin music elements, its status in the Latin music world is well deserved. Not surprisingly, it won the “Record of the Year” and “Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group” at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards.

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What he uses currently, as well as the history of the amps, guitars, effects, and more that he has been using throughout his career.

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Corazon Espinado Lyrics

Esa mujer me esta matando

Me ha espinado el corazon
Por mas que trato de olvidarla
Mi alma no da razon

Mi corazon aplastado
Herido y abandonado
Aber aber tu sabes dime mi amor por favor
Que dolor nos quedo

Ah ah ah corazon espinado
Ah ah ah como me duele el amor

Como duele como duele el corazon
Cuando nostiene entregados
Pero no olvides mujer que algun dia diras
Hay ya yay como me duele el amor

Como me duele el olvido
Como duele el corazon
Como me duele estar vivo
Sin tenerte aun lado amor

Corazon espinado

Santana Tribute Band

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English Translation

This woman is killing me

She’s broken my heart
The more I try to forget her
My soul doesn’t reason

My heart, depressed
Hurt and abandoned
Let’s see, let’s see, you know, tell me please, my love
How much pain can we take?

Ah ah ah broken heart
Ah ah ah how love hurts me

How it hurts, how the heart hurts
When one surrenders completely
But don’t forget, woman, that one day you’ll say
Ay ay ay how love hurts me

How it hurts to forget
How the heart hurts
How it hurts being alive
Without you beside me, my love

Broken heart

Corazon Espinado Chords

Verse and Chorus
Bm – Em – F# – Em
(repeat)

Bridge
Em – Bm – Em – Bm
D – A – Em – F#