La Tierra del Olvido (song)

In 1993, Carlos Vives released Clasicos de la Provincia, a collection of vallenato covers performed by the artist. The album was a modern pop take on the genre which helped revitalized its popularity and sold over 2.5 million copies.[3][4] Following the album's release, Vives and his band La Provincia spent weeks in a farm conceptualizing music for Vives's next project. The result was La Tierra del Olvido which blends Colombian folk music with contemporary music. The title track was written by Iván Benavides and Vives, who handled production alongside Richard Blair.[5][6] Benavides commented that the song was "the result of a creative laboratory that allowed us to create a powerful concept, in which the local culture dialogued with the world".[7] Vives remarked it "was a moment to understand that we could have global hits without losing our local connection."[5]

On her book, Musical ImagiNation: U.S-Colombian Identity and the Latin Music Boom (2010), Maria Elena Cepeda wrote that the song's lyrics are allegedly about a "patient ode to a far-away lover" and that it "narrates the pain and longing provoked by distance". However, Cepeda noted when read as a homage to Colombia, it references the country's culture.[8] Similarly, The Los Angeles Times editor Agustin Garza interpreted the song's meaning as an "aching nostalgia for his homeland".[9] Musically, "La Tierra de Olvido" is a neo-vallenato song that utilizes the folk guitar and accordion. According to the Miami Herald writer Fernando Gonzalez, the track sounds "closer to nuevo tango than vallenato".[3] The song was released as the album's lead single by Sonolux Records in 1995.[10]

The music video for the "La Tierra del Olvido" was filmed in Colombia. Billboard's Leila Cobo regarded the video as a "love letter to Vives' Colombia, beautifully depicted via a love story set in some of the country’s most gorgeous vistas".[11] Jose Vasquez of La Mezcla felt that it is "an emblematic audiovisual work from the 90s era in Colombia".[7] At the 8th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in 1996, it was nominated Video of the Year,[12] but lost to "Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo" by Ricky Martin.[13] Vives performed "La Tierra del Olvido" live at the Radio City Music Hall in 1995 and the Universal Amphitheatre in 2002.[4][9] Vives opened the 2020 Premios Nuestro Tierra award ceremony where he collaborated with Fonseca, Sebastián Yatra, Camilo, Andrés Cepeda, and Goyo.[14] A live version of the track was recorded for the album Más + Corazón Profundo Tour: En Vivo Desde la Bahiá de Santa Marta (2015).[15]

Parry Gettelman of the Orlando Sentinel complimented it as "definitely one of the most hummable songs of the year".[16] The New York Daily News critic Mary Talbot cited "Pa' Mayte" and "La Tierra del Olvido" as the album's "two infectious danceable Afro-Colombian numbers".[4] Likewise, an editor for RPM magazine listed it as one of the songs from the album that "seamlessly consolidate influences and innovation without losing the crucial campfire feel".[17] The track was recognized as one of the best-performing songs of the year at the 1996 ASCAP Latin Awards.[18] In the United States, the song peaked at number five and eight on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Airplay charts, respectively; it also reached the top of the Latin Pop Airplay chart.[19][20][21]

Twenty years later, Vives re-recorded "La Tierra del Olvido" with eight Colombian musicians.[22] The acts include Maluma, Fanny Lu, Fonseca, "El Cholo" Valderrama, Herencia de Timbiqui, Andrea Echeverri, and Coral Group.[11] This version was included as a bonus track for Más + Corazón Profundo Tour: En Vivo Desde la Bahiá de Santa Marta.[15] Its music video for 2015 version was produced by ProColombia and premiered at the Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy. It features the musicians performing the song in various locations of Colombia and was also nominated Video of the Year at the 28th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in 2016.[11][23]

• List of Billboard Latin Pop Airplay number ones of 1994 and 1995