Music in Spanish - One song per day

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Blanco
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Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Spanish is one of the most spoken languages ​​in the world, so there is great diversity of music that uses this language. Almost every existing genre in other countries have an equivalent in Spanish. Blues, Disco, Folk, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Pop, Punk, Reggae, Rock, and many more are mixed with Bachata, Bossa Nova, Cumbia, Merengue, Salsa, Samba, Tango, Vallenato and others, creating a great hybrid that has no geographic or cultural barriers.

This topic is dedicated to the best songs in Spanish, according to my calculations. I'll start with the first place, so there will not be much suspense. Still, I hope that anyone on this forum can use this topic to say what are their favorite songs in Spanish, too. So feel free to post whatever you want, so the experience will be more rewarding.
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Blanco
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

1. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - El Matador

Spotify:

Youtube



(¡Te están buscando, Matador!)
(They are looking for you, matador!)
Me dicen el matador, nací en Barracas
They call me the Matador, I was born in Barracas
si hablamos de matar, mis palabras matan.
If we talk about killing, my words themselves kill.
No hace mucho tiempo que cayó el León Santillán,
It hasn't been very long since the Leon Santillan fell
y ahora se que en cualquier momento me la van a dar.
And now I know that at any moment I am going to be next.
(Ma-matador... Ma-matador... )
¿Dónde estás, Matador?
Where are you, Matador?
(Ma-matador... Ma-matador...)

Me dicen el Matador, me están buscando.
They call me "The Matador", they are looking for me
En una fría pensión los estoy esperando.
In a cold pension I am waiting for them.
Agazapado en lo más oscuro de mi habitación,
Crouching in the darkest corner of my bedroom,
fuzil en mano, espero mi final.
Gun in hand, I wait for my end.
(Ma-Matador, Ma-matador
Ma-Matador, Ma-matador)
La cana te busca, Matador.
The fuzz (police) is looking for you, Matador.
La cana te prende, Matador...
The fuzz is going to get you, Matador...

(¡Hey! ¡Hey!
¡Hey! ¡Hey!)

(¡Matador! ¡Matador!)
¿Dónde estás, Matador?
Where are you, Matador?
(¡Matador! ¡Matador!)
¡no te vayas, Matador!
don't go, Matador!
Matadoh oh oh oh... oh oh or
oh yeah...
(¡Matador! ¡Matador!)

Viento de libertad, sangre combativa.
Wind of liberty, fighting blood.
En los bolsillos del pueblo, la vieja herida.
In the pockets of the town, the old wound.
De pronto el dia se me hace de noche,
Suddenly the day will make me the night,
murmullos, corridas, ¡qué golpe en la puerta!
murmurs, bullfights. what a hit in the door!
Llego la fuerza policial.
The police force has arrived.

(Ma-matador... Ma-matador...)
mira hermano, en que terminaste
Look brother, how you were finished off
por pelear por un mundo mejor.
for fighting for a better world.
¿Qué suenan? Son balas. Me alcanzan.
What is that sound? They are bullets. They hit me.
me atrapan. ¡Resiste! Víctor Jara no calla.
They trap me. Resist! Victor Jara it's never silent.
(¡Matador! ¡Matador!)
¡Matador te están buscando!
Matador, they are looking for you!
(¡matador! ¡Matador!)
Matador te están matando.
Matador, they are killing you.
Matadoh oh oh oh... oh oh or
Oh yeah.
(¡Matador! Matador!)
Valiente matador...
Brave matador...

Me dicen el matador de los cien barrios porteños,
They call me the matador from the 100 port neighborhoods,
no tengo por que tener miedo mis palabras son balas,
I have no reason to be afraid, my words are bullets,
balas de paz, balas de justicia,
bullets of peace, bullets of justice,
soy la voz de los que hicieron callar sin razón,
I am the voice of those that were silenced unjustly
por el solo hecho de pensar distinto, ¡ay Dios!
by the mere fact of thinking differently, oh God!
Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires, ¡si todo estuviera mejor!
Santa Maria of Buenos Aires, If everything were better!
(¡Matador! Matador!)
Si todo estuviera mejor...
If only everything were better...
(¡Matador! Matador!)
¿A dónde vas, Matador?
Where are you going, Matador?
Matadoh oh oh oh... oh oh or
Oh yeah.
(¡matador! Matador!)
Hey, Hey...



As you can see, the song is about a revolutionary persecuted by the government. "Matador" tells the story of a man who fights and dies in defense of finding a better world, a man for whom the ideals play an important role. His bullets are fired in the name of peace and justice, unlike the bullets that kill him. The members of the band wrote a theme of a fictional epic hero battling against what he considers unfair. This song is not the story of a criminal or a villain, but a man who fights and dies in defense of equality, liberty and fraternity, in the same style of many Latin American liberators. The combination of all these elements of the song brought the band to the internationalization and the consecration of Argentine and Latin rock.

The song has been associated with different characters, in particular revolutionaries of the American continent. One is VÍctor Jara, mentioned in the lyrics, a Chilean icon for his activism and resistance to the repression of Augusto Pinochet, who was tortured and murdered in the Estadio de Chile, in 1973. Another character referred to in this song is León Santillán. "Matador" was released in 1993, shortly after the alleged assassination of Santillán.

"Matador" literally means "killer", but also refers to the matadors of bullfighting. This is not necessarily in a positive sense, as the song explains that it is a nickname that others use to describe him. The lyrics of the song has a deep political message, it speaks about the injustice that people who think differently than what has been imposed on them live. People looking for a better world (or what others would call "revolutionaries") are unjustly persecuted, killed, or missing.

This song was released as the second single from the album Vasos vacíos. The song of the Argentine group immediately became an anthem of resistance and justice. The music has all the classic elements of ska, samba and other Afro-Caribbean rhythms, such as incorporating reggae choruses. It also has string, percussion and wind instruments, clearly identifiable. All these elements, in perfect harmony, form a memorable melody. The message of the lyrics is not hidden in the rhythm and chorus of the theme, but finds a perfect balance. It's carnival style music giving a message to people all over the world.
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Romain
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Romain »

Perfect! :mrgreen:
But my thread look pathetic when I see the job you done with translation and explanation. :o


I don't have your courage. But great to see this thread.

How many nationalities and languages we have in this incredible forum?
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Blanco
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Romain wrote:Perfect! :mrgreen:
But my thread look pathetic when I see the job you done with translation and explanation. :o
I don't have your courage. But great to see this thread.
How many nationalities and languages we have in this incredible forum?
Oh, thank you very much. You say that because you are kind, but really you have all the credit for starting this kind of topics.

Now we just have to wait for users who speak Chinese, German, Japanese, Portuguese (I'm looking at you, Hyego [HRS].), Russian, or any other language, to share their musical knowledge with us.

Or regional lists, too. That would be nice.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

2. Soda Stereo - De música ligera



Youtube - studio version (with bad subtitles, but they help a bit.)
Youtube - last live version (Worth the listening.)


Ella durmió al calor de las masas
She slept with the heat of the masses
y yo desperté queriendo soñarla.
and I woke up wanting to dream of her.
Algún tiempo atrás pensé en escribirle
Some time back I thought about writing to her
que nunca sorteé las trampas del amor.
that I never escaped the traps of love.

De aquel amor de música ligera,
Of that love of light music, *
nada nos libra, nada más queda.
nothing frees us, nothing more remains.

No le enviaré cenizas de rosas,
I will not send ashes of roses to her,
ni pienso evitar un roce secreto.
nor do I think to avoid a secret chafing.

De aquel amor de música ligera,
Of that love of light music,
nada nos libra, nada más queda.
nothing frees us, nothing more remains.


* "light music" it's the literal translation, but refers to easy-listening music.




De Música Ligera is a song by the Argentine group Soda Stereo, released as a single of Canción Animal in 1990.

The lyrics of the song is subject to many interpretations, due to its ambiguous characteristics, as if it kept a secret message. Although apparently seems to be about a relationship, some of the terms used in it have different meanings to this context. "Música ligera" (easy listening) is one of the musical classifications made by the philosopher Theodor Adorno, which he used to describe this simple music that produces the industry, or what we would call "commercial music". The female character to which the song refers is actually the music itself, so the song is about the relationship one has with music. Contemporary music is talking about their relationship with itself, it is almost a self-review point of view.

Every time someone tries to explain the meaning of this song, it is inevitable to use this quote from Cerati:

"The first thing I always write is the chorus, which here was: "de aquel amor de música ligera" (of that love of easy-listening). Then it talks about the music itself: "She slept in the heat of the masses and I woke up wanting to dream of her." That's it, it's the music talking! Between us, we felt and knew that this song was going to burst. Sometimes you feel that. And by the way it came out so instantly, it was as if ten thousand groups had played it before. Perhaps it was not like that... ten thousand groups played it after! "

It must be mentioned that this song was made ​​in the studio, and the first time they played the complete song ended up being the final recording. They tried to record it more times, but it was never as good as the first time.

Like the lyrics, the music may seem misleading: simple and complex at the same time. The whole theme is built from the riff, and supported by the sequence carried out by the guitar: All the strength of the song focuses on four chords. The complexity of harmony stems from the fact that the G-D decline occurs in the middle of each verse and not at the beginning or end as the effect might suggest at first glance. And it is precisely this asynchrony between singing and harmony where lies the irresistible attraction that has made this song one of the best in the history of Latin music.

With this song Soda Stereo ended their last concert, so the version of that interpretation it is usually very heard too. In this version, the people who attended the concert stunningly chant the song, and at the end you can hear Cerati saying goodbye to their fans with the now famous words "¡Gracias... totales!" (Thank you... totally), words with which ended the career of one of the greatest bands in contemporary rock music.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by spiderpig »

Blanco, this is epic. I can only imagine how much time you'll have spent in the end. As many things created in this forum, it is deserving of a webpage entirely dedicated to it (actually, I'd love to see a webpage collecting all the best lists created in the AM forums).
What were the criteria guiding you here? Your personal taste? Historical importance? Also, is #1 the best, #2 the second best, etc.?
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Honorio »

Fantástico, Blanco!
Expect something similar from me about music from Spain in a couple of weeks or so.
Working title: 50 Songs From a Country in Flames
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Blanco
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Honorio wrote:Fantástico, Blanco!
Expect something similar from me about music from Spain in a couple of weeks or so.
Working title: 50 Songs From a Country in Flames
¡Genial! I look forward to it.
I still do not decide if I sign my list as "Writing between the bullets that the government shoots to the people", or "With love from Mexico". Suggestions are welcome.
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Blanco
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

spiderpig wrote:Blanco, this is epic. I can only imagine how much time you'll have spent in the end. As many things created in this forum, it is deserving of a webpage entirely dedicated to it (actually, I'd love to see a webpage collecting all the best lists created in the AM forums).
What were the criteria guiding you here? Your personal taste? Historical importance? Also, is #1 the best, #2 the second best, etc.?
Well, if it helps generate interest towards music in this language, I'm investing my time to a good cause.
The order of songs is based on critical lists I've found. You can see most of them here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1238
So my taste is not involved. (And that's good, because I know more about Mexican music, and that would be unfair.)

And yes, the first place ("Matador") would be the best song of the Spanish language, so far. And from there, the second is the second best, etc. At least with the songs that can be quantified, because many (such as "Bésame Mucho", "El Son de la Negra" or "Si nos dejan") do not have a specific version.

I began to calculate all this music when I realized that no matter how many lists I propose to AM, the large number of music lists in English eventually hide entries in other languages​​, which I think is unfair, but inevitable. The media of non-English speaking countries devote half his attention to music in English and the other half to regional music. Added to the fact that there is rarely consensus between the music of different countries; when averages are made, the music in English hides impressively the music of any other language.So I began to calculate just lists of Spain, Portugal and Latin America (regionally speaking, because there are also music in prehispanic languages.)

My database already have 2000 songs, but I'm still not satisfied with the order after the first 200 positions, so I'll wait to have at least 500 good positions to create, as you said, an internet site. First I thought about doing a book, but perhaps the best is to start slowly.

And well, even on my list there is some bias. Argentines seem to create more rankings lists than other countries, so Spain and Mexico are a little behind. Not much, but you can notice the difference in the top 10. More than half of the top positions are from Argentina. I hope to fix that soon getting more lists.

Oh, and finally, I had to fix that there are few lists dedicated to some decades, so the value of those decades is matched with the other decades to eliminate the trends caused by time. Gives a good result, I think.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Thank you very much to all who visit this list, and also to all those who give words of support. You help me to continue working with a smile on the face. :)
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Pierre »

I did not answer yet, but I admire your work, Blanco. Those first two songs sure are very good (I still prefer Soda Stereo (#2 over #1), though, but they have had a place in my heart for much longer, so I have to let the Fabulosos Cadillacs sink in :whistle: ). Good luck with the compilation, given the amount of countries speaking Spanish, it sure makes for a pharaonic work, but definitely a valuable one, many of the best songs I've ever heard are in Spanish ;) . I hope to create a website about French music too one day, but I'm still in the early stages of my research. :greetings-waveyellow:
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

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Pierre wrote:I did not answer yet, but I admire your work, Blanco. Those first two songs sure are very good (I still prefer Soda Stereo (#2 over #1), though, but they have had a place in my heart for much longer, so I have to let the Fabulosos Cadillacs sink in :whistle: ). Good luck with the compilation, given the amount of countries speaking Spanish, it sure makes for a pharaonic work, but definitely a valuable one, many of the best songs I've ever heard are in Spanish ;) . I hope to create a website about French music too one day, but I'm still in the early stages of my research. :greetings-waveyellow:
Thank you, Pierre. Haha I suspected that you would prefer the Soda Stereo's song. Although hey, unlike Los Fabulosos, Soda has another song in the top 10, and another in the top 20. I guess you already know what songs they are. Hahaha. No other group has achieved such a feat in terms of songs, so the fact that you like Soda Stereo shows that you have a very good musical taste-instinct. I hope to keep getting your feedback on the next songs! And yes, I hope you can create that site! I would be one of your regular visitors. Thanks again!
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Pierre »

Blanco wrote:
Pierre wrote:I did not answer yet, but I admire your work, Blanco. Those first two songs sure are very good (I still prefer Soda Stereo (#2 over #1), though, but they have had a place in my heart for much longer, so I have to let the Fabulosos Cadillacs sink in :whistle: ). Good luck with the compilation, given the amount of countries speaking Spanish, it sure makes for a pharaonic work, but definitely a valuable one, many of the best songs I've ever heard are in Spanish ;) . I hope to create a website about French music too one day, but I'm still in the early stages of my research. :greetings-waveyellow:
Thank you, Pierre. Haha I suspected that you would prefer the Soda Stereo's song. Although hey, unlike Los Fabulosos, Soda has another song in the top 10, and another in the top 20. I guess you already know what songs they are. Hahaha. No other group has achieved such a feat in terms of songs, so the fact that you like Soda Stereo shows that you have a very good musical taste-instinct. I hope to keep getting your feedback on the next songs! And yes, I hope you can create that site! I would be one of your regular visitors. Thanks again!
Thank you too :) For the Soda Stereo songs, I'd go with "Persiana americana" and "En la ciudad de la furia", but it's hard to predict, there are a lot of other candidates, "Cuando pase el temblor" for instance.
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Blanco
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Pierre wrote:For the Soda Stereo songs, I'd go with "Persiana americana" and "En la ciudad de la furia", but it's hard to predict, there are a lot of other candidates, "Cuando pase el temblor" for instance.
We'll see... :D
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

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3. Almendra - Muchacha (Ojos de papel)



Youtube - Normal version
Youtube - Version with english subtitles



Muchacha, ojos de papel,
Girl, (with) paper eyes,*
¿Adónde vas? quédate hasta el alba.
Where are you going? Stay until dawn.
Muchacha, pequeños pies,
Girl, (with) little feet,
¡No corras más! quédate hasta el alba.
Do not run more! Stay until dawn.

Sueña un sueño despacito entre mis manos
Dream a dream slowly in my hands
hasta que por la ventana suba el sol.
Until through the window the sun comes up.
Muchacha, piel de rayón,
Girl, (with) rayon skin,
¡No corras más! Tu tiempo es hoy.
Do not run more! Your time is today.

Y no hables más, muchacha,
And say no more, girl,
corazón de tiza.
heart of chalk.
Cuando todo duerma
when everything falls asleep,
te robaré un color.
I will steal a color from you.
x2

Muchacha, voz de gorrión,
Girl, (with) voice of sparrow,
¿Adónde vas? quedate hasta el día.
Where are you going? Stay until it is the day.
Muchacha, pechos de miel,
Girl, (with) breasts of honey,
¡No corras más! Quédate hasta el día.
Do not run! Stay until the day.

Duerme un poco, y yo entretanto construiré
Get some sleep, and in the meantime I will build
un castillo con tu vientre, hasta que el sol,
a castle with your belly, until the sun,
muchacha, te haga reír hasta llorar, hasta llorar.
girl, make you laugh till you cry, till you cry.

Y no hables más, muchacha,
And say no more, girl,
corazón de tiza.
heart of chalk.
Cuando todo duerma
when everything falls asleep,
te robaré un color.
I will steal a color from you.


*Here I used the literal translation, so I added a "with" in brackets to give it more sense, but any "Name, characteristic of that to which the name refers" should be flipped when translated from Spanish into English (and vice versa). So "Muchacha ojos de papel" should be translated as "paper eyes girl".



Muchacha (Ojos de papel) is a song by the argentine band Almendra, led by Luis Alberto Spinetta. It is the first song in the album Almendra I, from 1969. The lyrics of the song are a superb erotic love poem of great delicacy, describing the deep feelings of a teenager, asking for a girl to stay with him in bed until dawn. The song is inspired by the first love of Spinetta, Cristina Bustamante. and probably refers to the first sexual intercourse they had.

The lyrics of Muchacha and her innovative poetic style, accurately reflected the feelings of a whole generation of young Argentines then immersed in the sexual revolution and the need to express their loving emotions having sex with their partners, something unthinkable in the generations of their fathers, who believed that young girls should remain virgins until marriage, while young men must "satisfy his manhood" with prostitutes or "girls without values." For this, the song became revolutionary for the time, and achieved great success, whose echo is still noticeable in South American music.

The song is played with just an acoustic guitar. The first voice is Spinetta, and the choruses are made by the others in the band. It begins with a beautiful riff which at the time became very popular, and established a style which later became a standard that showed some melodic complexity, even when the songs became less catchy.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Pierre »

Blanco wrote:3. Almendra - Muchacha (Ojos de papel)
I've heard little 60s stuff from the Spanish countries but I heard this one, and if it's not the best song (for me, this honor would go to Los Bravos' "Black Is Black"), it's easily the second-best and by far the most moving. I hope many will listen to it!
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Since probably will not be much movement in the forum these days, I'll wait a couple of days (maybe even next year) to continue with this list. Meanwhile, have a good time!
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

I have updated the list and changed the formula a bit, so the results have varied slightly. The first two places ("Matador" and "De Música Ligera") remain in the top two spots, but "Muchacha (Ojos de Papel)" is now at No. 7.
I will continue my count at number 3 (counting it as number 4), and I'll skip "Muchacha" when I get there.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

4. Soda Stereo - Persiana Americana
Other Soda Stereo song? Yeah!



Youtube



Te prefiero
I prefer you
fuera de foco,
out of focus,
inalcanzable.
unattainable.

Yo te prefiero
I prefer you
irreversible,
irreversible,
casi intocable.
almost untouchable.

Tus ropas caen
Your clothes fall
lentamente.
slowly.
Soy un espía,
I'm a spy,
un espectador.
a spectator.
Y el ventilador
and the fan
desgarrándote.
tearing you apart.
Sé que te excita pensar
I know it excites you to think
hasta donde llegaré
how far will I go.

Es difícil de creer,
It's difficult to believe,
Creo que nunca lo podré saber.
I think I will never know.
Sólo así yo te veré
Only in that way I'll see you
a través de mi persiana americana...
through my Venetian blinds...*

Es una condena agradable
it's a nice condemn
el instante previo.
the previous instant.
(Mmm) Es como un desgaste,
(Mmm) it’s like a wear and tear,
una necesidad,
a need,
más que un deseo.
more than a desire.

Estamos al borde
We are on the edge
de la corniza,
of the ledge,
casi a punto de caer.
almost about to fall.
No sientes miedo,
You're not afraid,
sigues sonriendo.
you keep on smiling.
Sé que te excita pensar
I know it excites you to think
hasta donde llegaré
how far will I go.

Es difícil de creer.
I know it's difficult to believe.
Creo que nunca lo podre saber.
I think I will never know.
Solo así yo te veré,
Only in that way I'll see you,
a través de mi persiana americana...
through my Venetian blinds...

(Bridge)

Tus ropas caen
Your clothes fall
lentamente.
slowly.
Soy un espía,
I'm a spy,
un espectador
a spectator
Y el ventilador
and the fan
desgarrándote,
tearing you apart,
Sé que te excita pensar
I know it excites you to think
hasta donde llegaré
how far will I go.

Es difícil de creer,
It's difficult to believe,
Creo que nunca lo podré saber.
I think I will never know.
Sólo así yo te veré
Only in that way I'll see you.
a través de mi persiana americana...
through my Venetian blinds...

Lo que pueda suceder,
Whatever may happen,
no gastes fuerzas para comprender.
do not waste your energy to understand.
Sólo así yo te veré
Only in that way I'll see you
a través de mi persiana americana...
through my Venetian blinds...

Uhh, es difícil de creer,
Uhh, it's difficult to believe,
Creo que nunca lo podré saber.
I think I will never know.
Sólo así (sólo así) yo te veré (yo te veré)
Only in that way (only in that way) I'll see you (I'll see you)
a través de mi persiana americana... ¡Hey!
through my Venetian blinds... Hey!

Uhh, es difícil , difícil de creer,
Uhh, it's difficult, difficult to believe,
Creo que nunca lo podré saber. (podré saber)
I think I will never know. (never know)
Sólo así yo te veré
Only in that way I'll see you.
a través de mi persiana americana, oh oh...
through my Venetian blinds, oh oh...

(Sólo así yo te veré a través de mi persiana americana...)
(Only in that way I'll see you through my Venetian blinds...)



*The literal translation of "Persiana americana" would be "American Blind", but refers to the Venetian blinds. The name "American blind" is used only in Argentina.
Some say that "see you through my american blinds" is a metaphor for a way of seeing the world (an American way, of course). Others interpret the lyrics as an act of voyeurism.



Based on new wave, the song begins with a characteristic drum sounds, to which rapidly joins Gustavo Cerati, with the famous guitar riff. Then Zeta Bosio with a prominent bass and Charly Alberti on drums. Then, the electric guitar stops and Cerati starts singing.

There is not much more to say about this song. Just listen and enjoy.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Pierre »

Ah, one right out of two. I'm almost sure the next Soda Stereo song will be "En la ciudad de la furia" :mrgreen:

Everything is from Argentina so far, right? Does Argentina outweight other countries that much or is it just that there are more sources for this country?
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by HRS »

Blanco wrote: Now we just have to wait for users who speak Chinese, German, Japanese, Portuguese (I'm looking at you, Hyego [HRS].), Russian, or any other language, to share their musical knowledge with us.

Or regional lists, too. That would be nice.
That'd be great, but I don't have the time I wish I had. At least not for now, and I fear for the whole semester. It certainly would be fun. Portuguese language music is diverse, although there are plenty of interwoven points among the countries. It would be great to speak of the many brazilian flavors, from Bossa and Samba to the more contemporary approaches; or to compare how the political approach during the brazilian dictatorship, especially coming from Tropicalia artists, compares to that of Zeca Afonso, for example, during the Salazar regime. There' also the argument that brazilian music is more spoken of than listened to, so it would be a nice way of exposing some well-known names along with minor ones. Although most of the songs were subjective and plenty creative, the political history and the arts were so connected in underdeveloped countries, especially in Brazil, that it would be a shame not to discuss the influence of all time greats of lusitanian literature, as Fernando Pessoa, and Brazilian movements from the 19th and the 20th century literature. There are also the sounds, the influences, the sense of identity during the earlier years. Maybe in another moment. For now, I cranked the 'brazilianess' up to 11 on the Moderately Acclaimed Game. Anyway, I admire the work both of you, Blanco and Romain, have been developing around here. Keep 'em coming! :mrgreen:
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

HRS wrote:
Blanco wrote: Now we just have to wait for users who speak Chinese, German, Japanese, Portuguese (I'm looking at you, Hyego [HRS].), Russian, or any other language, to share their musical knowledge with us.

Or regional lists, too. That would be nice.
That'd be great, but I don't have the time I wish I had. At least not for now, and I fear for the whole semester. It certainly would be fun. Portuguese language music is diverse, although there are plenty of interwoven points among the countries. It would be great to speak of the many brazilian flavors, from Bossa and Samba to the more contemporary approaches; or to compare how the political approach during the brazilian dictatorship, especially coming from Tropicalia artists, compares to that of Zeca Afonso, for example, during the Salazar regime. There' also the argument that brazilian music is more spoken of than listened to, so it would be a nice way of exposing some well-known names along with minor ones. Although most of the songs were subjective and plenty creative, the political history and the arts were so connected in underdeveloped countries, especially in Brazil, that it would be a shame not to discuss the influence of all time greats of lusitanian literature, as Fernando Pessoa, and Brazilian movements from the 19th and the 20th century literature. There are also the sounds, the influences, the sense of identity during the earlier years. Maybe in another moment. For now, I cranked the 'brazilianess' up to 11 on the Moderately Acclaimed Game. Anyway, I admire the work both of you, Blanco and Romain, have been developing around here. Keep 'em coming! :mrgreen:
Thank you! I agree that it is a great topic that gives a lot to talk about. I do not know much about the music of Portugal, but I am a faithful follower of Brazilian music in general. I love the music of João Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque, and Os Mutantes. (In that order. :mrgreen: ) I have not studied in depth the discography of other great artists of Brazilian music, so I hope your semester ends soon. Hahaha.

Fernando Pessoa is one of my favorite writers, I have the spanish language edition of his Livro do Desassossego permanently on my desk, and his heteronyms have been a great influence on my literary work. (That is neither too much nor too good, but the attempt is made.) So if you say that he had influence on music in portuguese language, fills me with curiosity. Do you think you can give an advance on the subject, please? :greetings-waveyellow:
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Pierre wrote:Everything is from Argentina so far, right? Does Argentina outweight other countries that much or is it just that there are more sources for this country?
In general, and from an impartial point of view, the music of Argentina is not better or worse than that of other countries, but there are a few factors that influence the first places to be Argentinean:

Speaking of music in Latin America, the three giants are Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, followed by Chile, Colombia and Cuba. Unfortunately, Brazilian music does not get much spread in the rest of Latin America, probably because of the language barrier. I can go deeply into this, but since the topic is music in Spanish language, I will continue with the answer. :mrgreen:

Then, as you said, is the fact that there are many Argentine lists, and these lists are only of music made in that country; unlike Mexico, which in their list of music includes other Latin American countries; and among them, Argentina.
This is a reflection of the current state of music here: Mexico diffuses artists throughout Latin America, so those artists who want to be known outside their countries of origin, go to Mexico (Or alternatively, Spain). But of course, such recognition remains only in Latin America. Something similar happens when a Mexican artist wants to be known globally, but they go to the United States. Hello Santana! :greetings-waveyellow:

Furthermore, the lists of Argentine music focus on relatively recent music, causing it to be almost impossible to find something prior to the 60's in them. Argentina is the only country that seems to "forget" radically their musical cultural past, since other countries still include old music on their lists. This gives a big advantage and a big disadvantage: The disadvantage is that Argentines forget artists like Atahualpa Yupanqui, Horacio Salgán or Carlos Gardel, among many other greats. The advantage is that these places are replaced by contemporary artists like Charly García, Soda Stereo or Fito Páez. As all Argentine lists focus on a shorter period of time than other countries, it seems that the artists of these lists are better, but this is not necessarily like that. In some ways you could say that they "sacrifice" a few to improve others.

Then, there is the historical factor:
In Mexico in 1971, there was a massive music festival called "Avándaro" dedicated to rock music. The then President Luis Echeverría Álvarez, from the Institutional Revolutionary Party, (the same party that currently governs the country... :angry-banghead: ) had some distaste for that kind of music (And anything that had to do with young people), so he decided that any events of the same type would never happen again, so the government started to ban concerts and prevent dissemination of all kind of good art.
That, the Chilean dictatorship, and other events of the same style throughout the continent, caused a pause in Latin American music. Only the commercial pop created by television networks received support and dissemination. Except in Argentina: Although they also suffered a dictatorship, for reasons unknown to me it seems that his musical output has not stopped. They evolved as a distinct branch in the tree of Latin American music. And all went the same way until mid-1984, where latin music had to start almost from scratch. Here in Mexico, the best music was underground (literally), since it could only be heard in public transport, a la folk. And nothing more. One of those street musicians was named Rodrigo González, or "Rockdrigo". Despite only playing in cafes and on the subway, Rockdrigo founded a movement known as rock rupestre, or "Cave Rock", creating interest in rock again. He died in the earthquake of 1985, which helped to cement his cult status. And suddenly Zas! There is a resurgence of Latin American music (and although not just rock, it was mostly rock.). The resurgence of the Mexican rock helped to promote the music of other countries in Latin America again, and it was then mixed with what Argentina had done independently. Thus was created the golden age of rock in Spanish, with bands like Café Tacvba or Soda Stereo (Soda, without this musical revolution, could not have spread their music beyond Argentina and neighboring countries. So thanks, Rockdrigo.)

All this is reflected in the lists of each country, and that is why in the averages, Argentina has those top positions. Although I must say that Argentina is not really far ahead of other countries. We will see it immediately. :)
Finally, we may doubt whether they are the best or not, but one thing we can be certain: They are all good songs. :)

Thanks, Pierre.
And thank you all for following this topic!
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Pierre »

OK, Blanco, thank you for all these informations. I know some musical stuff from some Latin American countries, but there are other I know almost nothing about. I'm eager to discover more music thanks to your amazing work!

I had noticed the political factor in the few lists I had seen from Spanish countries (including Spain itself) but I was actually surprised to discover that there were still some great rock albums around the second half of the sixties - first half of the seventies for most countries, and then (almost) nothing until the eighties. The information you've provided explain this apparently chaotic evolution, I really appreciate this historical perspective.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Pierre wrote:OK, Blanco, thank you for all these informations. I know some musical stuff from some Latin American countries, but there are other I know almost nothing about. I'm eager to discover more music thanks to your amazing work!

I had noticed the political factor in the few lists I had seen from Spanish countries (including Spain itself) but I was actually surprised to discover that there were still some great rock albums around the second half of the sixties - first half of the seventies for most countries, and then (almost) nothing until the eighties. The information you've provided explain this apparently chaotic evolution, I really appreciate this historical perspective.
It is much more amazing that someone is trying to discover music from this part of the world, beyond the Music of the U.S. and the U.K. So thanks again.

Oh, and I forgot to say that in Spain, although cooked separately, there is little agreement on what is good or not, at least from my perspective. Perhaps due to the variety of music they have: besides traditional music, they receive the entire Latin American, European and U.S. influence. So groups of people with preferences for certain different genres are created, causing this lack of agreement. But maybe I'm wrong on this, so I'm sure that any forum member of Spain can explain the matter better.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

5. Caifanes - La célula que explota
Look! It's rock... It's mariachi... No, it's Latin Rock!


Youtube


Hay veces que no tengo ganas de verte,
There are times I don't want to see you,
hay veces que no quiero ni tocarte.
there are times I don’t even want to touch you.
Hay veces que quisiera ahogarte en un grito,
There are times I would like to drown you into a scream,
y olvidarme de esa imagen tuya...
and forget that image of you...
pero no me atrevo.
but I don’t dare.

Hay veces que no dejo de soñarte,
There are times I can’t stop dreaming of you,
de acariciarte hasta que ya no pueda.
caress you until I no longer can.
Hay veces que quisiera morir contigo,
There are times I would like to die with you,
Y olvidarme de toda materia...
And forget all matter...
pero no me atrevo.
but I don’t dare.

Hay veces que no sé lo que me pasa.
There are times I don’t know what happens to me.
Ya no puedo saber que es lo que pasa adentro.
I can no longer know what happens inside.
Somos como gatos en celo,
We are like cats in heat,
somos una célula que explota,
we are a cell that explodes,
Y esa no la paras...
And you can’t stop that one...
No la paras...
You can’t stop it...


This song by the Mexican band Caifanes, appeared in the 1990 album Caifanes II (album also known as "El Diablito"), It's sadly one of those songs that hardly anyone will like outside Mexico or Latin America, which is understandable, since does not fit into any subgenre of rock existing in other parts of the world. This song is an example of how Latin America can embrace foreign influences doing something completely different.

The first paragraph shows rejection, even hatred. (But not dare to prove it.) The second paragraph shows attraction, even love (and not dare, too). The third shows confusion and disorientation, but shows how it continues to progress, making it impossible to stop it despite all of the above, as a cell exploding. A cell is so small that can explode without something bigger can help it. That "explosion" is not necessarily negative, the cell can "explode" and double in two cells, and those in other two, and so on.

Along with the song's lyrics, the music is also composed of these two great contrasts: The rock music, and the traditional Mexican music, mainly the mariachi. So in some ways, you could say that in addition to talking about a relationship, the song shows a perfect description of Latin American society. This identification is the (perhaps unconscious) reason why the song is so acclaimed among Latin Americans. Somehow represents us very well, with all the good and bad, in small or large scale.

Only if the listener has a heavier visual image of the mariachi than the music they make, I would recommend listening to the song without thinking of the typical mariachi. Hear and think the music itself. In the end, the mariachis are musicians too. Oh, and pay attention to the great coda of the song. It seems to have feelings! :music-listening:
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Pierre »

Blanco wrote:It is much more amazing that someone is trying to discover music from this part of the world, beyond the Music of the U.S. and the U.K. So thanks again.
Ha ha, I was hooked in very much the same way as spiderpig a few years ago - trying to improve my Spanish and learn more about the modern Spanish-speaking world through music. There was also a girl in the story, but that part has a sad ending, although that did not stop me from continuing learning more ;)

Anyway, about the song by Caifanes, I actually liked it. The mariachi influence is there, especially through the brass in the ending, but the song remains really pop in my opinion. Actually, it may sound exactly like how people would imagine Latino-influenced 80s pop music, so it's not that hard to listen to, although the mood is not really joyful. This band sounds promising, is there anything else to listen to from them?
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Henrik »

Fantastic thread, Blanco!

:happy-partydance:
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Henrik wrote:Fantastic thread, Blanco!

:happy-partydance:
Thank you, Henrik!
Pierre wrote:
Blanco wrote:It is much more amazing that someone is trying to discover music from this part of the world, beyond the Music of the U.S. and the U.K. So thanks again.
Ha ha, I was hooked in very much the same way as spiderpig a few years ago - trying to improve my Spanish and learn more about the modern Spanish-speaking world through music. There was also a girl in the story, but that part has a sad ending, although that did not stop me from continuing learning more ;)

Anyway, about the song by Caifanes, I actually liked it. The mariachi influence is there, especially through the brass in the ending, but the song remains really pop in my opinion. Actually, it may sound exactly like how people would imagine Latino-influenced 80s pop music, so it's not that hard to listen to, although the mood is not really joyful. This band sounds promising, is there anything else to listen to from them?
Of course!

Caifanes's masterpiece is the 1992 album "El Silencio". This album has a great influence of Latin music, but is not that what makes it one of Mexico's greatest albums, but the blend of those influences, poetic lyrics, the great vocal performance from Saúl Hernández, the expertise musicians, some catchy choruses here and there, and the participation and influence of Adrian Belew. A curious fact: after releasing this record, The Cure came to Mexico. They wanted Caifanes as openers, but they refused. (Shortly after they also refused to participate in Woodstock '94.)

After that, the greatest album they have is "Caifanes. Volumen II", also known as "El diablito". It is in this record where "La célula que explota" appears, but except for that song, this album does not have a lot of Mexican or Latin influence. You could say it is just "rock". And it's a great record, oh yeah.

Those are the biggest, then would be: "Caifanes", from 1988. and perhaps "El nervio del volcán", from 1994.

I would recommend listening to the first two that I mentioned. They are two of the greatest albums of Latin rock. And maybe if you like those two; after the separation of Caifanes, some of its members formed a new band called Jaguares, and although they have not achieved as much as Caifanes, they are also very good.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

6. El Tri - Triste Canción


Youtube

Although I respect this song because of its importance, personally I do not like the music of el Tri. So it would be disingenuous of me to talk glowingly of this song. I prefer not to say anything, and if you like the song, there will surely be other places where you can find more information about it.

If you are wondering why I do not like this band, well... in this topic, I already explained the importance of the musician called Rockdrigo in Latin American music. Well... It happens that Rodrigo "Rockdrigo" González wrote a song called "Estación del Metro Balderas" (Balderas subway station). It's a brilliantly composed song, and was part of the usual repertoire of Rockdrigo, which at the time was still a street musician. Alex Lora, the leader of el Tri, usurped this magnificent song, changed a few things to the lyrics and the arrangement, changed the tempo, and released it as "Metro Balderas" in their 1984 album "Simplemente", the same album where "Triste canción" appears.

Although Rockdrigo sued Alex Lora for the use of his song, the legal process took a while. Before a verdict was given, the morning of September 19, 1985, it happened the deadliest earthquake that have occurred in Mexico, and that would take among its victims the life of Rockdrigo. After that, Alex Lora began using the song with complete freedom, and that same song would eventually give el Tri the fame and recognition that so far has.

So yeah, I dislike el Tri for a more personal matter rather than for his music as such, so I prefer to abstain to comment the music. But listen to it, maybe you will like it.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Pierre »

Thanks for the informations on Caifanes, I will definitely dig it out in due time!

Anyway, regarding El Tri's song, I must admit that I personally find it to be a good rocking record. Many musicians are no angels, after all, so many have been entangled in controversies, Ike Turner or Rod Stewart for being total jerks, Coldplay or Georges Harrison being accused of plagiarism, Elvis Costello's stupid racist joke against Ray Charles, no need to talk about Michael Jackson or Phil Spector... In France, the leader of one the most revered bands in the country, Noir Désir (it's the name of the band, the name of the singer is Bertrand Cantat) is a murderer who killed his girlfriend one night in Estonia during a fight as they were high or drunk, or both... Anyway, just to say that I can put aside the fact that the guy is a song theft, but I understand that you don't like him. I can't say I love many of the artists I just named, but I will certainly not stop listening to their stuff any time soon...

Not trying to stir any controversy, right? :greetings-waveyellow: That's just a viewpoint, and after all, who am I, me French guy, to argue about a controversial guy of the Mexican musical scene? :P
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Yes, you're right ... I agree with you on not stop listening to artists for their personal issues (I still miss Gary Glitter at sporting events). I actually like the guitar solo of "Triste canción" and know by heart at least 10 songs from el Tri. (Although I have no idea how that happened).
I think my problem is that subtle difference between listening to their music and promote their music. But this only happens to me with this album. :P But truly, I have respect for them. That's why I still promoted the song, although I did not talk much about it as the others. And at the same time I promoted Rockdrigo's music, and all without the post being too long to be boring.
Now that I think about it, I think it was an unconscious strategy. :mrgreen:

And hey, you have the same right to comment on this than I, since after all, none of us is part of that music scene, so both are practically under the same. But yeah, I guess you're right. One should leave these matters only to those involved. Let's just enjoy the music. :greetings-waveyellow:
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

7. Café Tacvba - La Ingrata
"Tonight we are saluting a band that has been together for over twenty years. In those two decades, they have been able to absorb, process and produce a whole new world of sounds. Their eclectic and ever-changing music has made these extraordinary musicians internationally known. Café Tacvba creates a unique sound by embracing and incorporating music from all over the globe, weaving it together with the traditions of their own colorful roots deep in the heart of Mexico. With each new record, they mix genres, hopping from rock to folk, to techno, to punk, to ska- sometimes all in one song. This band has always been in a state of perpetual state of creative growth. Throughout their career, they have maintained a firm commitment to their mission – to make interesting music that creates a common space where language does not matter…. Café Tacvba, in one way or another, has spoken to us all.” – Morrissey


Youtube

¡Ingrata!
Ungrateful!
No me digas que me quieres,
Don’t tell me that you want me,
no me digas que me adoras,
don’t tell me that you adore me,
que me amas, que me extrañas,
that you love me, that you miss me,
que ya no te creo nada.
‘cause I don’t believe you anything anymore.

¡Ingrata!
Ungrateful!
¿Qué no ves que estoy sufriendo?
Can’t you see that i am suffering?
Por favor hoy no me digas
Please today don’t tell me
que sin mi te estás muriendo
that without me you are dying
que tus lágrimas son falsas.
‘cause your tears are false.

¡Ingrata!
Ungrateful!
No me digas que me adoras.
Don’t tell me that you adore me.
Se te nota que en tus labios
I can notice that in your lips
ya no hay nada que tú puedas
there is nothing more that you can
ofrecer a esta boca.
offer to this mouth.

Por eso ahora yo sé que viniste
So now I know that you came
porque te acuerdas de mi cariño.
because you remember my affection.
Por eso ahora que estoy tan triste
So now that I am so sad
no quiero que nadie me mire sufrir.
I don’t want anyone to see me suffer.

Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ¡ingrata!
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ungrateful!
No me digas que me quieres.
Don’t tell me that you love me.
Tú desprecias mis palabras
You despise my words
y mis besos, los que alguna vez
and my kisses, those that once
hicieron que soñaras.
made you dream.

¡Ingrata!
Ungrateful!
No te olvides que si quiero,
Don’t forget that if I want to,
pues sí puedo hacerte daño,
well yes I can hurt you,
sólo falta que yo quiera
I just need to want
lastimarte y humillarte.
to hurt and humiliate you.

¡Ingrata!
Ungrateful!
Aunque quieras tú dejarme,
Even if you want to leave me,
los recuerdos de esos días,
the memories of those days,
de las noches tan obscuras,
of the very dark nights,
tú jamás podrás borrarte.
you will never erase from you.

No me digas que me quieres.
Don’t tell me that you want me
que me adoras, que me extrañas,
that you adore, that you miss me,
que ya no te creo nada.
‘cause I don’t believe you anything anymore.

Por eso ahora yo sé que viniste
So now I know that you came
porque te acuerdas de mi cariño.
because you remember my affection.
Y no me importa si lloro un poquito,
And I don’t care if I cry a little bit,
porque ese poquito será por tu amor.
because that little bit will be for your love.

No vengas para pedirme
Don’t come to ask me
que tenga compasión de ti.
to have compassion for you.
Si vienes luego a decirme
If you later will come to tell me
que quieres estar lejos de mi.
that you want to be away from me.

Te pido que no regreses
I ask you to not come back
si no es para darme un poquito de amor.
if it’s not to give me a little love.
te pido y te lo suplico,
I’m asking you and I’m begging you that,
por el cariño que un día nos unió.
for the love that one day united us.


¡Ingrata!
Ungrateful!
No me digas que me quieres.
Don’t tell me that you want me.
No me digas que me adoras,
Don’t tell me that you adore me,
que me amas, que me extrañas,
that you love me, that you miss me,
que ya no te creo nada.
‘cause I don’t believe you anything anymore.

Ingrata.
Ungrateful!
¿Qué no ves que estoy sufriendo?
Can’t you see that I’m suffering?
Por favor hoy no me digas
Please today don’t tell me
que sin mi te estás muriendo
that without me you are dying
que tus lágrimas son falsas.
‘cause your tears are false.
Tú desprecias mis palabras
You despise my words
y mis besos,
and my kisses,
pues si quiero hacerte daño
but if I want to hurt you
sólo falta que yo quiera
I only need to want
lastimarte y humillarte.
to hurt you and humiliate you.

¡Ingrata!
Ungrateful!
Aunque quieras tú dejarme,
Even if you want to leave me,
los recuerdos de esos días,
the memories of those days,
de las noches tan obscuras,
of the very dark nights,
tú jamás podrás borrarte.
you will never erase from you.

Por eso ahora tendré que obsequiarte
So now I will have to give you as a gift
un par de balazos, pa' que te duela.
a couple of shots, to hurt you.
Y aunque estoy triste por ya no tenerte,
And although I'm sad for not having you anymore,
voy a estar contigo en tu funeral.
I will be with you at your funeral.



The lyrics and the style of this song are a parody of the music genre of northern Mexico, known as "norteña" (which is similar to country). This song appeared in the 1994 album, "Re".

You can not say that the song is a love song, but at the same time it is. It has a very Mexican touch of humor, and fairly reflect suffering and romance, abandonment and loss. For this reason it is played and sung in pubs and bars, at parties with high or low economy, at home or on the street, in supermarkets and banks. Childrens and grandparents sing it. It's perfect when you're so sad, or when one is euphoric. It's the same. One enjoys singing it with low or screaming voice, alone or in chorus. It shows perfectly these contrasts that are hidden in every corner of Latin America, and at the same time is so absurd that reminds you not to take life too seriously, and just live. Live well.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Pierre »

Strange song. It indeed sounds like a blend of country and Mexican sounds. Definitely alien for an European guy :) (although in France, the Mano Negra has done some similar mixes, but they achieved a different effect)
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Pierre wrote:Strange song. It indeed sounds like a blend of country and Mexican sounds. Definitely alien for an European guy :) (although in France, the Mano Negra has done some similar mixes, but they achieved a different effect)
I guess. Fortunately, each Café Tacvba song seem to be played by a completely different band, so surely some of his other songs will seem less strange.
Oh, by the way, both Mano Negra and Manu Chao also appear in the list, a few places below. We'll see it soon. :music-listening:
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

8. Molotov - Gimme Tha Power


Youtube
Youtube video with lyrics literally translated.


La policía te está extorsionando. (dinero)
The police are extorting you. (money)
Pero ellos viven de lo que tú estás pagando.
But they live on what you pay.
Y si te tratan como a un delincuente, (ladrón)
And if they treat you like a delinquent, (thief)
no es tu culpa. Dale gracias al regente.
It's not your fault. Give thanks to the ones in charge.

Hay que arrancar el problema de raíz, (Ah, ha)
We have to tear the problem from the root, (Ah, ha)
y cambiar al gobierno de nuestro país;
and change our country's government;
a la gente que esta en la burocracia,
the people who are in the bureaucracy,
a esa gente que le gustan las migajas.
those people who like the crumbs.

Yo por eso me quejo y me quejo,
That's why I complain and complain,
porque aquí es donde vivo, yo ya no soy un pendejo.
because here is where I live, I'm no longer a fool.
¿Qué no wachas los puestos del gobierno?
Don't you see the government jobs?
Hay personas que se están enriqueciendo.
There are people who are getting richer.

Gente que vive en la pobreza.
People live in poverty.
Nadie hace nada porque a nadie le interesa.
Nobody does anything because nobody's interested.
Es la gente de arriba, te detesta.
It's the people above you, they hate you.
Hay más gente que quiere que caigan sus cabezas
There are more people who want their heads to fall.

Si le das mas poder al poder,
If you give more power to the power,
más duro te van a venir a coger.
they will come to fuck you harder.
Porque fuimos potencia mundial,
Because we were a world power,
somos pobres, nos manejan mal.
we're poor, they drive us wrong.

Dame dame dame, dame todo el power
Gimme gimme gimme, gimme all the power
Para que te demos en la madre.
So we can kick your ass.
Gimme gimme gimme, gimme todo el poder
Gimme gimme gimme, gimme all the power
So I can come around to joder.
So I can come around to fuck you.
x2

Dámele, dámele, dámele, dámele todo el poder
Gimme gimme gimme, gimme all the power
Dámele, dámele, dámele, dámele todo el power
Gimme gimme gimme, gimme all the power
x2

¡Así es, puto! ¡fuck you, puto baboso!
That's right, fucker! fuck you, fucking idiot!

Porque no nacimos donde no hay qué comer
Because we're not born where there's nothing to eat
no hay por qué preguntarnos cómo le vamos a hacer.
there's no need to ask ourselves how we're going to do it.
Y si nos pintan como a unos huevones,
And if they pictured us as lazy,
no lo somos. ¡Viva México, cabrones!
we're not. Long live Mexico, you bastards!

¡Que se sienta el power mexicano!
Let the Mexican power be felt!
¡que se sienta!, todos juntos como hermanos.
Let it be felt!, All together like brothers.
Porque somos más. Jalamos más parejo.
Because we are more, We make it more equally.
Por qué está siguiendo a una bola de pendejos
Why be following a bunch of assholes

que nos llevan por donde les conviene,
that lead us where is convenient for them,
Y es nuestro sudor lo que los mantiene,
and it's our sweat that keeps them there,
los mantiene comiendo pan caliente.
it keeps them eating hot bread.
Ese pan, es el pan de nuestra gente.
That bread, is our people's bread.

Dame dame dame, dame todo el power
Gimme gimme gimme, gimme all the power
Para que te demos en la madre.
So we can kick your ass.
Gimme gimme gimme, gimme todo el poder
Gimme gimme gimme, gimme all the power
So I can come around to joder.
So I can come around to fuck you.
x3

Dame, dame, dame, dame el poder.
Gimme gimme, gimme the power.
Dame, dame, dame todo el power.
Gimme gimme, gimme all the power.
X2

¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!
The people united will never be defeated!
¡El Tito y el Huidos*, jamás serán vencidos!
The Tito and the Huidos* will never be defeated!

Dame, dame, dame, dame el poder.
Gimme gimme, gimme the power.
Dame, dame, dame todo el power.
Gimme gimme, gimme all the power.
X3


*Tito and Huidos are two of the band members.


Gimme Tha Power it's a song from the controversial 1997 album "¿Dónde jugarán las niñas?". Like the other songs on the album, it is evident the influence of bands as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against The Machine, but with a very particular style, that at the same time reflects the different personalities of the band members.

Their seemingly vulgar language and almost punk attitude produced much controversy and many problems in the distribution of their music. It is also important to notice that besides the usual instruments of a rock band, they play two basses at the same time. This combination produces a very distinctive sound in their music, and this song is no exception.

Like many songs of this band, the lyrics reflects the thinking of the Mexican people. The issue in this case is a criticism of the Mexican government, but using different viewpoints. In some parts, the song seems to be sung by the Mexicans to the government ("That's why I complain and complain, Because here is where I live, I'm no longer a fool."). In some other parts, the song seems to be sung by the government. (As in the chorus, or in "Because we're not born where there's nothing to eat, there's no need to ask ourselves how we're going to do it.") and in some other parts it seems that the band is calling the Mexican people to be aware that Mexicans are more and stronger than their own government ("Do you see the government jobs? There are people who are getting richer." or "Because we are more, We make it more equally. Why be following a bunch of assholes.").

Despite being focused on Mexico, the song was a hit in all Spanish-speaking countries, and politically influenced the Mexican people, helping to change the political party that until then had over 70 years ruling Mexico.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by edderramirez »

First of all let me congratulate you for taking your time to bring to this community a list of great songs in Spanish language, but in my perspective I think that you are going too much rock list, it would be great to find some salsa and trova songs in the top ten.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Thank you, Edder! Yeah, what happens is that this list is based on an average of critics lists. My personal taste is involved only in the description of the songs. Although I agree with you. ¡Falta salsa! Unfortunately, I have not found a list of the best songs of salsa or trova yet, but I would love to add one to the database. So if you know of any publication (a magazine, a book, a professional website, or something like that) that could have any list of this kind of music, please do not hesitate to tell me. That music would be a great contribution to this list.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Honorio »

Blanco wrote:Fortunately, each Café Tacvba song seem to be played by a completely different band, so surely some of his other songs will seem less strange.
Exactly. My favourite song from them is La muerte chiquita (1999), in my opinion their peak integrating easily tradition and modernity. Also remarkable is M.C. (1999), the instrumental version played by Kronos Quartet.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Pierre »

About the song by Molotov: good rap-rock politically-charged stuff. Less violent than a Rage Against the Machine but catchy and definitely shocking still.

About Café Tacvba: surely this song posted by Honorio sounds different than the other. I will check that band out as soon as I have time for that.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by edderramirez »

Blanco wrote:Thank you, Edder! Yeah, what happens is that this list is based on an average of critics lists. My personal taste is involved only in the description of the songs. Although I agree with you. ¡Falta salsa! Unfortunately, I have not found a list of the best songs of salsa or trova yet, but I would love to add one to the database. So if you know of any publication (a magazine, a book, a professional website, or something like that) that could have any list of this kind of music, please do not hesitate to tell me. That music would be a great contribution to this list.
That explain why there are only mexican and argentine 80-90's rock songs so far.
I'm in the same position as you, I haven't found any professional list; I know someone that like to do list of this kind, maybe he know where you can find professional list of any kind. Here is his profile in RYM:

https://rateyourmusic.com/~JICAMARCA
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

edderramirez wrote:That explain why there are only mexican and argentine 80-90's rock songs so far.
I'm in the same position as you, I haven't found any professional list; I know someone that like to do list of this kind, maybe he know where you can find professional list of any kind. Here is his profile in RYM:

https://rateyourmusic.com/~JICAMARCA
Thanks for the link, I'll check it. And yes, with the sole exception of "Muchacha", the first songs are from the 80's and 90's, the golden era of rock in Spanish. I guess that rock is the most "international" of Latin American music genres, so it ends up having more impact. And it's very different than the rock created in the English speaking countries, not only by the language, of course; so maybe it is not so bad that this genre occupy the top positions. However, results vary more after the top 10.

Anyway, I invite you and everyone to post in this topic any song in Spanish you want, especially these days, because I've been a little busy and I could not update the list as often.

Thank you all for the comments!
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

9. Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio - Pachuco
A good song that also pays tribute to one of the greats.



Youtube


(¡Ya llegó su pachucote!)
(¡Your big Pachuco is here!)

No sé cómo te atreves
I don't know how you dare
a vestirte de esa forma
to dress that way
y salir... así.
and go out... like that.

En mis tiempos todo era elegante,
In my day everything was elegant,
sin greñudos y sin rock.
without disheveled hair and without rock.

¡Hey Pa', fuiste pachuco!
Hey Pa, you were a pachuco!
¡También te regañaban!
You were scolded too!
¡Hey Pa', bailabas mambo!
Hey Pa, you danced mambo!
¡Tienes qué recordarlo!
You have to remember!

No sé cómo se atreven
I don't know how you dare
a vestirte de esa forma
to dress that way
y salir... así.
and go out... like that.

En mis tiempos, todas las mujeres
In my day, all women
eran serias, no había punk.
were serious, there was no punk.

¡Hey Pa', fuiste pachuco!
Hey Pa, you were a pachuco!
¡También te regañaban!
You were scolded too!
¡Hey Pa', bailabas mambo!
Hey Pa, you danced mambo!
¡Tienes qué recordarlo!
You have to remember!

(Bridge and solo)

No sé cómo se atreven
I don't know how you dare
a vestirte de esa forma
to dress that way
y salir... así.
and go out... like that.

Y recuerdo:
And I remember:
Mi generación era
My generation was
decente y muy formal.
decent and very formal.

¡Hey Pa', fuiste pachuco!
Hey Pa, you were a pachuco!
¡También te regañaban!
You were scolded too!
¡Hey Pa', bailabas mambo!
Hey Pa, you danced mambo!
¡Tienes qué recordarlo!
You have to remember!

(-¿¡A ver, aquí quién despacha?! ¡Aquí, señor, un tequila!
-Let's see, who attends here?! Here, sir, a tequila!
-¿Qué quiere?
-What you want?
-Un tequila, antes de que empiecen los trancazos.
-A tequila, before the hitting start.
-¿Sencillo?
-One shot?
-No, doble.
-No, a double shot.
-¿Doble?
-A double?
-No, no, mejor no doble.
-No, no, better not a double.
-¿Sencillo?
-¿One shot?
-No, triple. Y antes de que empiecen los trancazos, sí señor.
-No, a triple one, and before the hitting start, yes sir.
-¿Triple?
-¿Triple?
-¡Triple!
-¡Triple!
-Ahí le va.
-There you go.
-¡Antes de que empiecen los trancazos!
-before the hitting start!)



"Pachuco" is a song from the 1991 album "El circo". It is the most representative song of the band, and provides a good example of misunderstanding between generations. The final dialog is part of the beginning of a song of the great comedy actor and singer Germán Valdés "Tin Tan", the pachuco par excellence.

If you do not recognize that name, perhaps you may be interested in a little history:
Tin-Tán did not act as pachuco, he really was one. And he was also a genius of comedy, but he really did not act, he was always the same. So while this genius conquered the Spanish language cinema, on the other side of the world, two other geniuses, this time dedicated to music, told an artist named Peter Blake: "We want you to design the cover of our new album, something like a band at the end of a concert in the park "With that brief description, he started one of the most commented album covers in the history. These two musicians were, of course, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

On the cover of the album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, you can see the four Beatles made ​​of wax, made by Madame Tussaud, as well as the original beatles, dressed as Sergeant Pepper with Ontario police and UK army badges. Also, you can see a group of 70 celebrities, including writers, musicians, film stars and, at the request of George Harrison, an Indian guru.

So we can see into this work to Marlene Dietrich, Bob Dylan, Edgar Allan Poe, Fred Astaire, Oscar Wilde, Marlon Brando, Aldous Huxley, Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Stuart Sutcliffe (the first bassist of the Beatles) among others. Hitler's image was removed from the final framing, like that of Gandhi, though this one had a better reason: the person who had taken an entire country to the British Empire, should appear on an English album? For the record company, this did not seem a good idea, and the same fate happened to Christ, Elvis and... yeah: Tin Tan.

The reason why Germán Valdés declined to appear in one of the best albums of the most famous band in the world, it's stored in a phone call he made to Ringo Star, and although the recording of that call has not been published so far, what is known is that days before the album design was completed, Ringo Star received a package from Metepec, with a message saying: "Greetings, Tin Tan"

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of the masterpieces of the English band, and Tin Tan is, and will be, one of the best comedians of all time. And well, in the album, between Edgar Allan Poe and Richard Merkin, there is a gap that was reserved for the Mexican artist, and just below the actress Diana Dors, we find what Germán Valdés thought that was worth more than himself to appear on the cover, a representation not only of him, but of all Mexico: a tree of life designed by a potter from Metepec.

Image

This story is my adaptation of a longer story I read in Spanish. I must also say that Sergeant Pepper's attire is purely Mexican too. That outfit was designed by Manuel Cuevas, who also design the classic attire of Elvis Presley.

Finally, here in Latin America, Tin-Tan is still very popular, even without relating it to the Beatles. He represents an era that despite no longer exist, his influence continues to this day. That's probably one reason why la Maldita used one of his dialogues for this song. And well, this song seemed like the perfect excuse to talk about Tin Tan. Oh, and if the dialogue used in the song does not seem to make much sense, here I translate you the rest:

-Salud... ¡Ay! coff coff...
-Cheers... ¡Ay! coff coff...
-¿Qué, pateó?
-What, it kicked you?
-¿Más mezcla, Maestro? ¿o le remojo los adobes? ¡a ver, otro tequila!
- More mixture, Master? Or I will soak the bricks?* Let's see, another tequila!
-¿Triple también?
-A triple shot too?
-Si señor, y antes de que empiecen los trancazos.
-Yes Sir, and before the hitting start.
-Bueno, ahí le va.
-Ok, here you go.
-Salud. Otro tequila, antes de que empiecen los trancazos
-Cheers. Another Tequila, before the hitting start.
-Oiga ¿cuáles trancazos?
-Hey, what hitting?
-Pos los que va a haber.
-Well, those hits that are going to be.
-¿A qué hora?
-At what time?
-A la hora que se entere que no traigo pa' pagarle.
-When you find out that I did not bring money to pay.
-¿Ah si?
-Oh really?
-Si señor.
-Yes Sir.
-¿No trae?
-You don't have?
-No traigo.
-I don't.
-Pues ahora se desquita aunque sea cantando.
-Well, now you pay me, even if it's singing.
-Pues échele un cinco al piano, pues vamos...
-Well, then take a five on the piano, and let's go...

*This expression and the language used refers to how an apprentice mason would talk to his teacher. Waiting for orders from the teacher, one shows inferiority. Here it is used sarcastically.

Then they start to sing "Échale un cinco al piano". (Not his best song, but holds its own.)
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Romain »

I realy like this one Blanco. I love this kind of Band. Thanks.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Pierre »

Honorio wrote:
Blanco wrote:Fortunately, each Café Tacvba song seem to be played by a completely different band, so surely some of his other songs will seem less strange.
Exactly. My favourite song from them is La muerte chiquita (1999), in my opinion their peak integrating easily tradition and modernity. Also remarkable is M.C. (1999), the instrumental version played by Kronos Quartet.
OK, I was intrigued by all the praise Café Tacvba was getting. I was not very impressed by "La ingrata", I liked "La muerte chiquita" better, and decided to explore. The easiest way to go was to listen to the three bubblers listed here on the AM.net site.

I confess I was not really excited by Re. To me it sounded like a band of great musicians who decided to just try as much sonorities as possible on the same album, and the result is impressive, there are few real failures on the album. However, it feels sprawling and unfocused, and that's a problem to me. "La ingrata" sounds better in the context of the album, though.

Therefore, I was a bit concerned when I saw that Revés/Yo soy was a (long) double album, I hoped that it was not the same stuff done for double the length. But as you said, each Café Tacvba work seems to be done by a completely different band, and I was not prepared for what I discovered. Revés is a fantastic experimental ambiant work, that mixes very different sounds just like Re, but first, these are entirely different sounds, with much more electronics and less guitars, and second, it sound more focused. There are shortcomings, for instance, the strings-heavy "M.C." sounds out of place in the middle of all this ambiant stuff, but it's still impressive. The second disc, Yo soy, is more straightforward 90s indie-influenced pop-rock, but remains as melancholic as the first disc, and most songs are great too. What some people could argue against the album (and they might be right) compared to Re is that there's less musicianship and playfulness than before. But the whole album is sprawling and for the most part, focused, and the resulting work is a masterpiece.

I had therefore much more enthusiasm for the last album, Cuatro caminos, and I was not disappointed. The album is just as different from Revés/Yo soy as this album was from Re. It is full of guitar-driven alternative rock anthems and although there are still a few ballads à la Yo soy, it showcases just another different side of their talent. The resulting album is my favourite of the three (although objectively, I think Revés/Yo soy is the best of the three), and I think "Puntos cardinales" could become one of my favourite songs in the long run.

I also want to commend the work of their producer Gustavo Santaolalla. Following such a versatile and imaginative band requires as much talent from the producing team, and he does a fantastic job on all three albums.

I understand that you've been backing Café Tacvba that much for the AM Hall of Acclaim, and on the strength of what I've heard here, I feel like they deserve it. Gustavo Santaolalla might also deserve a spot in the backstage wing.

So, Blanco, what's the next stop, if any, with Café Tacvba? I would be glad if there was more to listen to :music-listening:
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by edderramirez »

Blanco wrote: Anyway, I invite you and everyone to post in this topic any song in Spanish you want, especially these days, because I've been a little busy and I could not update the list as often.
It would be a pleasure to share some songs, I hope that everybody likes them.
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Romain wrote:I realy like this one Blanco. I love this kind of Band. Thanks.
You're welcome, Romain. The next four songs from La Maldita on the list are:
Kumbala
Solín
Ojos Negros
Fiesta de barrio (Tijuana No! feat. La Maldita Vecindad & Manu Chao)


And what do you mean with that kind of band? If it is due to the instruments used, I recommend you listen to Panteón Rococó, and Inspector. Or the less euphoric and more melancholic Triciclo Circus Band (This one it is in French, I think...), and Paté fe Fuá. All great bands. :music-listening:
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

Pierre wrote:OK, I was intrigued by all the praise Café Tacvba was getting. I was not very impressed by "La ingrata", I liked "La muerte chiquita" better, and decided to explore. The easiest way to go was to listen to the three bubblers listed here on the AM.net site.

I confess I was not really excited by Re. To me it sounded like a band of great musicians who decided to just try as much sonorities as possible on the same album, and the result is impressive, there are few real failures on the album. However, it feels sprawling and unfocused, and that's a problem to me. "La ingrata" sounds better in the context of the album, though.
I have always believed that the theme of this album is in fact the lack of focus of the Latino culture. Somehow Re reflects what one would hear walking down the street anywhere in Latin America. That somehow gives a focus, although this may seem ambiguous. Still, Café Tacvba balances the difference of musical genres with the messages given in each song. For example, in "El Metro", all instruments use as a musical base the typical sounds of the stations and the machinery of the subway of Mexico City, while the lyrics of the song tells the story of a man who spent months living in one of the subway cars, because every time he tries to leave "someone always pushes inward." Or "El borrego" (the sheep), that tells the story of a guy who just seems to like the musical genre that the song has, just to please people; but in other circumstances he changes radically. Or "The Madrugal" which begins narrating the beauty of a morning in the city, to finish saying "the cathedral disappears between smog and pigeon poop.", but with the seriousness of a bolero. Or the love-hate relationship in "La Ingrata", which we have already spoken. This duality in each song ends giving a focus to the album, despite its diversity of musical genres. At least in my opinion.
Still, I respect that you did not like this album so much. It also has some songs that I sometimes skip, so I understand your point. Still, I'm glad you've wanted to hear it.

Pierre wrote:Therefore, I was a bit concerned when I saw that Revés/Yo soy was a (long) double album, I hoped that it was not the same stuff done for double the length. But as you said, each Café Tacvba work seems to be done by a completely different band, and I was not prepared for what I discovered. Revés is a fantastic experimental ambiant work, that mixes very different sounds just like Re, but first, these are entirely different sounds, with much more electronics and less guitars, and second, it sound more focused. There are shortcomings, for instance, the strings-heavy "M.C." sounds out of place in the middle of all this ambiant stuff, but it's still impressive. The second disc, Yo soy, is more straightforward 90s indie-influenced pop-rock, but remains as melancholic as the first disc, and most songs are great too. What some people could argue against the album (and they might be right) compared to Re is that there's less musicianship and playfulness than before. But the whole album is sprawling and for the most part, focused, and the resulting work is a masterpiece.
Great! I'm glad you have enjoyed it. I've always thought that Revés seems to be the soundtrack of the film that is Mexico. (If that makes sense.) As in this short film. It's a great album, yeah. It is one of my favorites.
Pierre wrote:I had therefore much more enthusiasm for the last album, Cuatro caminos, and I was not disappointed. The album is just as different from Revés/Yo soy as this album was from Re. It is full of guitar-driven alternative rock anthems and although there are still a few ballads à la Yo soy, it showcases just another different side of their talent. The resulting album is my favourite of the three (although objectively, I think Revés/Yo soy is the best of the three), and I think "Puntos cardinales" could become one of my favourite songs in the long run.
I completely agree with you. I do not know what else to say. You said it all. Hahaha.
Pierre wrote:I also want to commend the work of their producer Gustavo Santaolalla. Following such a versatile and imaginative band requires as much talent from the producing team, and he does a fantastic job on all three albums.
I understand that you've been backing Café Tacvba that much for the AM Hall of Acclaim, and on the strength of what I've heard here, I feel like they deserve it. Gustavo Santaolalla might also deserve a spot in the backstage wing.
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed these albums. I always have trouble when someone asks me advice on Latin American music, due to the large difference in genres. Except when the recommendation is in a more "global" musical genre, it's hard to know what to recommend to others. And it is not practical to say "Listen to the full discography of Café Tacvba!". But you've done that, which is one of the coolest things I've seen in this forum. Thank you very much.
Pierre wrote:So, Blanco, what's the next stop, if any, with Café Tacvba? I would be glad if there was more to listen to :music-listening:


Well, yeah! You still have a little more to hear.
According to my spreadsheet, these are the best albums of Café Tacvba, in order:

1. Re
2. Cuatro Caminos
3. Alavancha de éxitos
4. Revés/Yo soy
5. Café Tacvba
6. Sino

Recently, they released "El objeto antes llamado disco". I have not heard this one yet, and it does not appear in my spreadsheet because I have not many recent lists yet, but I liked his single "Aprovéchate".

Avalancha de éxitos is an album of covers, many of which were better than the original songs, in my opinion.
And though not listed here, I like a lot "Vale Callampa" too, a tribute album to a Chilean band called "Los Tres". Worth a listen.
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Blanco
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by Blanco »

edderramirez wrote:
Blanco wrote: Anyway, I invite you and everyone to post in this topic any song in Spanish you want, especially these days, because I've been a little busy and I could not update the list as often.
It would be a pleasure to share some songs, I hope that everybody likes them.
All the songs you want. I am sure that like me, many other forum users would be happy to hear your recommendations.
edderramirez
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Re: Music in Spanish - One song per day

Post by edderramirez »

Julio Iglesias - La vida sigue igual

Unos que nacen, otros morirán
Some are born others will die
Unos que ríen, otros lloraran
Some laugh others will cry
Aguas sin cauces, ríos sin mar
Waters without riverbeds, rivers landlocked
Penas y glorias, guerras y paz
Shames and glories, war and peace

Siempre hay por que vivir, por que luchar
There is always why to live, why to fight
Siempre hay por quien sufrir y a quien amar
There is always for who suffer and to love
Al final las obras quedan las gentes se van
In the end the works remain, the people will go
Otros que vienen las continuaran, la vida sigue igual
Others who come will continue them, life goes on the same

Pocos amigos que son de verdad
Just a few friends are truth
Cuantos te halagan si triunfando estás
How many flatter you if you are triumphing
Y si fracasas bien comprenderás
And if you fail well you will understand
Los buenos quedan los demás se van
The good ones stay, others will go away

Siempre hay por que vivir, por que luchar
There is always why to live, why to fight
Siempre hay por quien sufrir y a quien amar
There is always for who suffer and to love
Al final las obras quedan las gentes se van
In the end the works remain, the people will go
Otros que vienen las continuaran, la vida sigue igual
Others who come will continue them, life goes on the same

Here is my first contribution to extend the knowledge of iberoamerican music to members of this forum. The songs that I will be presenting are important for the complete understanding of music in Spanish. I will avoid to post two song in a row of the same genre, this with the intention of making the topic the most varied.

I hope you enjoy the music.
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