Two Gardenias: the history of the famous Cuban love song

Isolina Carrillo composed the famous Cuban love song ‘Dos Gardenias’

On April 23, 1948 in Havana the Society of Authors of Cuba registered in its archives not only another work by Cuban female composer Isolina Carrillo (Havana, December 9, 1907-February 21, 1996), but also one of the most legendary and international boleros of the island’s musical heritage.

Almost 80 years later that song ‘Dos gardenias’ still retains its aroma of legend, testament and universal legacy. And its lyrics also define the very essence of the Cuban romantic song.

The song was first heard on the capital’s radio station, Cadena Azul, and then popularized worldwide by Puerto Rican singer Daniel Santos with the Pérez Prado Orchestra.

There were many urban myths about what inspired Isolina to create the song. The song became part of the repertoire of artists as diverse and famous as Toña la Negra, Pedro Varga, Elena Burke, Omara Portuondo, Nat King Cole, Antonio Machín, Fernando Álvarez and more recently, Ibrahim Ferrer with the phenomenon of Buena Vista Social Club and Diego El Cigala.

According to legend, recordings made by some 100 orchestras in countries on several continents.

In 1988, journalist Mayra A. Martínez interviewed Isolina Carrillo for her book ‘Cubanos en la música’, an important compilation of famous composers and performers published by Editorial Letras Cubanas in 1993.

Among all the possible questions, there was one that, obviously, could not be avoided. The first answer? Isolina smiled enigmatically but then the secret was revealed. Mayra Martínez describes in her book that she instantly knew that neither ‘Dos gardenias’ nor the rest of the compositions had been inspired by any passionate experience of the prolific composer. In fact, Isolina confessed her sorrow for defrauding journalists and readers, and confessed that it was not even her favourite.

“Knowing my fondness for flowers, a student gave me two gardenias and, instantly, I thought: Could two flowers be the protagonists of love verses? And I wrote the song immediately in the RHC studio. I really didn’t like it much when I finished it.”

And this was her story. Simple, delicate, without drama, which she finally revealed for the book.

Isolina was like that. A woman who broke the mould as a pianist, composer, orchestra conductor, teacher and owner of an immense work. Today her creation continues to conquer hearts in love with a bolero that is probably the most covered in the musical history of Cuba. The piece does not demand technical virtuosity, but it does require a total surrender of the spirit.

“Two gardenias for you
With them I mean
I love you, I adore you, my life
Give them all your attention
Because they are your heart and mine
Two gardenias for you
That will have all the warmth of a kiss
Of those I gave you
And that you will never find
In the heat of another desire…”

“By your side they will live and talk
to you As when you are with me
And you
will even believe That they will tell you I love you.
But if one evening
The gardenias of my love die
It’s because they’ve guessed
That your love has withered
Because there’s another love.
Two gardenias… for you.”