The place of Vilariño, in Os Vilares de Guitiriz (Lugo), welcomed a new inhabitant on February 19, 1914. A troubled world had arrived and was about to explode in a world conflict that would be called the Great War, today more known as World War I. But in those heights and in those places in Guitiriz, life spread slowly, setting the tone of nature and the cultivation of the peasants.
In this article by Armando Requeixo we have an affectionate review of the house where the poet was born.
Author of a single book of poems, “Nimbos”, published in 1961, Díaz Castro usually joins the generation of 1936, along with Ricardo Carvalho Calero, Celso Emilio Ferreiro and Aquilino Iglesia Alvariño. But Armando Requeixo himself publishes in “Madrygal, Revista de Estudios Gallegos” an article that includes his previous work, scattered throughout magazines, floral games or anthologies. Here you have the link, in case you are interested in delving into the work of Díaz Castro.
The song “Coma Brasas” caught us, and so we carried the torch with adolescent curiosity and restlessness to immerse ourselves in a rock scream that helps face this drama full of things. Supported by the electric guitar of Paco Cerdeira, the bass of Antón Torroncho, the tenor sax of Ricardo «Richi» Casás, the bagpipes of Fernando Román and the keyboards of Álex Salgueiro, I myself play the drums and sing, accompanied by the wonderful voices by Angeles Dorrio and Carmen Rey. A luxury band, prepared for the occasion at Arturo Vaquero’s Abrigueiro studios, in Friol, with musical production by Carlos Amil. «Coma brasas» appears as the second song on my album «Popsía Vol. I».
- COMA BRASAS Fran Amil 4:31
| Poeta ou non, eu cantarei as cousas | Poet or not, I will sing the things |
| que na soleira de min mesmo agardan. | that on the threshold of myself await. |
| Alumarei con fachas de palabras, | I will light with torches of words, |
| ancho herdo meu, o mundo que me deron. | vast inheritance of mine, the world that was given to me. |
| Eí están, coma brasas contra a noite, | There they are, like embers against the night, |
| as vellas cousas, cheas de destinos. | the old things, full of destinations. |
| Ollos que piden, de famentos nenos. | Praying eyes of hungry children. |
| Ollos que esperan, dunha adolescente. | Waiting eyes of a teenager. |
| Coma brasas. (x4) | Like embers. (x4) |
| ¡Galiza en min, meu Deus; pan que me deron | ¡Galicia in me, my God; bread they gave me |
| leite e centeo e soño e lus de aurora! | milk and rye and dream and dawn light! |
| Longa rúa de mar, fogar da terra, | Long road of the sea, home of the land, |
| e esta crus que nos mide de alto a baixo. | and this cross that measures us from top to bottom. |
| Coma brasas. (x2) | Like embers. (x2) |
| Con este alento, eu lle darei ás cousas | With this breath, I will give things |
| o drama cheo que lles nega a vida: | the full drama that denies them life: |
| dareilles rostros, pra que se coñezan, | Is I will give faces, so that they know each other, |
| palabras lles darei pra que se entendan… | I will give you words so that they can understand… |
| Coma brasas. (x2) | Like embers. (x2) |
To honor Díaz Castro, I leave here the version of “Coma brasas” that we interpret in trio format Alberto Romero on the electric guitar, Fernando Román on the soprano sax and me on the acoustic guitar. The recording of the image was made by Carlos Amil, and Miguel Otero was on the sound table. It belongs to a concert we did at the Valdoviño Municipal Auditorium on March 11, 2022. Enjoy it.
To listen to it, click on the title above the photo
To learn more about the Guitirican poet, you can visit Wikipedia.
This article by Germán Castro is also interesting.