La Sirenita (El Cuento Original)

Rodrigo Septién's song "La Sirenita (El Cuento Original)" offers a haunting retelling of the classic story of The Little Mermaid, diverging significantly from the sanitized versions many are familiar with. The song begins by introducing Ariel, a young mermaid who, upon turning 15, ventures to the surface and saves a prince from a shipwreck. However, unlike the romanticized versions, this prince is far from noble, and Ariel's sacrifice goes unnoticed as he mistakenly credits another woman for his rescue.

Driven by her desire to be with the prince and to gain an eternal soul, Ariel seeks out a sea witch. The witch demands a high price: Ariel's tongue, rendering her mute, and a potion that causes her immense pain with every step she takes. Despite these sacrifices, Ariel's efforts to win the prince's love are in vain. The prince, depicted as a cruel and shallow character, chooses another woman, leaving Ariel in despair.

Ariel's sisters, having sacrificed their hair to the sea witch, offer her a knife to kill the prince and save herself from becoming sea foam. However, Ariel's love for the prince prevents her from committing the act, leading her to choose death instead. In a twist, Ariel does not become sea foam but a daughter of the air, with the hope of earning an eternal soul through 300 years of good deeds. The song concludes with a cautionary message, warning against making deals with the sea witch, highlighting the dark and tragic elements of the original tale.

Septién's rendition is a stark reminder of the original story's themes of sacrifice, unrequited love, and the harsh consequences of desire. It strips away the fairy tale veneer to reveal a narrative filled with pain, loss, and a glimmer of hope for redemption through selflessness.