Virgen de Guadalupe

Album: Downtown Church (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is from American singer-songwriter Patty Griffin's sixth studio album, Downtown Church, which consists of a selection of traditional religious songs, gospel numbers and original tunes by Griffin. She has stated that the album was an attempted to familiarize pop fans with gospel music.
  • Griffin sings this song entirely in Spanish. It is a traditional tune that dates back to the Aztecs of Mexico.

    Griffin has incorporated Hispanic songs in her catalogue for a long time, and this track is a Hispanic hymn: the Virgen de Guadalupe is a celebrated Roman Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary. She explained to Christianity Today: "It's from living in Texas for the past 13 years. It's certainly not a part of my upbringing; I mean, I grew up in Maine—not exactly a hotbed of Hispanic culture. Michael Ramos, who has produced me and played in my band for a long time, gets the credit for the Hispanic influence in my music. He introduced 'Virgen de Guadalupe' to me. It's such a lovely, tender hymn."
  • Downtown Church won a Dove Award for Inspirational Album Of The Year at the 42nd GMA Dove Awards. It also won the Grammy for Best Traditional Gospel Album.
  • The Latin/Country singer Raul Malo duets on this song with Griffin.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?