«It is not yet now / now is never / it is not yet now / now and forever / it is never«wrote the poet when she was only 20 years old. Those verses anticipated a vision of the world that would resonate in later generations. This is how, in 1993, she appeared among the list of gratitudes of Yellow Lovethe first solo album by Gustavo Cerati. Reconfirming a certainty that we all already knew: the writings of Alejandra Pizarnik They go beyond the pages of books, they coexist in all forms of art, even in music.
Influenced by big names like Octavio Paz, Julio Cortazar and Simone de Beauvoir, the author addressed issues such as “the limitation of language, silence, the body, the night, the nature of intimacy, madness and death.” Her life was brief and turbulent, marked by an abrupt end: a self-inflicted overdose. She left behind a catalog of hermetic and moving works, which over time attracted more devotees than she did in her time. Her impact was such that numerous artists cited her poems as inspiration, taking her verse to a new creative plane and ensuring her presence over time. On what would have been her 88th birthday, we explore how her manuscripts continue to live on through the compositions of various musicians.
How Cerati reinterpreted Pizarnik
When writing that kind of love letter to Cecilia Amenábar, the composer could not help but find inspiration in Pizarnik’s verses. Piece nine of his solo release is a witness to this. “Now is never” captures the existentialist and desolate essence of the poet’s verses, exploring the uncertainty of existence and the passage of time. “It is not yet now / now is never / it is not yet now / now and always / it is never,” the writer outlined in 1965, so that the singer took as a kickoff from what would become the lyrics of one of her melodies: “Turn off the stars and extinguish the sun / is the whim of the sunset. “Now is never, everything is nothing / if I don’t rest in your gaze.”
Amed and Carlberg, fusing poetry and jazz
The meeting between the Argentine singer Roxana Amed and the Finnish pianist Frank Carlberg It was crucial for the beginning of a collaboration based on the poetry of the legend. During a dinner in Palermo, the artist recommended that she read Pizarnik’s verses, describing her as a “force of nature.” Intrigued, she devoured her work, although initially with translations that did not capture all the subtlety of the original poems.
In her search for more accurate translations, Amed found a creative affinity with Carlberg, and together they decided to create an album that fused the writer’s poetry with the harmonies of jazz. This is how it was born The shadow of his shadow (2013), a project that was years in the making due to the complexity of obtaining permissions for the poems. Finally, they managed to obtain the necessary authorization from the poet’s family, allowing her vision to become a reality.
The poet is reborn in “A Blow of the Dawn”
The Peruvian artist Nuria, known in the musical field as The Zorra Zapataalso found a source of inspiration in Alejandra’s poetry for her song “Un gol del alba”, included on her album Cliffs (2023). Pizarnik’s imprint is evident in the song’s lyrics, performance, and video clip, which explore the coexistence of darkness and light, fusing the depth of the writer’s poem with the choruses.
“Un golpe del alba en las flores,
me abandona ebria de nada y de luz lila,
ebria de inmovilidad y de certeza” -
(’27′, El árbol de Diana, 1962)
“She is a very deep person, with very interesting and rich internal labyrinths, but also very murky and dense. In the video, the characters represent a duality that while one tries to save the other, the other tries to save himself. Personally, I feel that being able to choose how to die is the ultimate exercise of freedom,” she expressed in an interview with Indie Rocks.
Pizarnik in the Argentine underground
End of the worldthe group formed by Julieta Heredia, Juliet Limia, Lucia Masnatta and Yanina Silva, extracts the lyrics of “La Noche” from a poem by Alejandra Pizarnik for her first self-titled EP. The group brings the poem “(a drawing by Klee)” to life through their interpretations. The lyrics evoke the breadth of love and the mystery of the night, capturing the poetic essence and singular vision of Pizarnik.
