La Malanga - Eddie Palmieri (what is the song about? Any lyrics please?)

S

smiling28

Moderator
Hi,

Love this song:

La Malanga - Eddie Palmieri

Anyone know what the song is about please?

Any lyrics in english please?

thanks
 
Here are the lyrics as I've found them on a CD from Mercadonego:

Coro1: Se acabó ya la malanga y no puedo comer.
No sé lo que hacer, no puedo comer.

Oye no sé lo que hacer, mira que hombgre me da,
quiero malanga mamá, oye quiero malanga.
No puedo comer, mira que hombre me da.
Dame malanga mamá, oye quiero malanga

Coro1: ...

Que sie no puedo jamar, oye que hombre me da.
Dame malanga mamá, mira quero malanga.
No se lo que hacer, mira que no puedo más.
Dame malanga mamá, oye que yo quiero malanga

Coro1: ...

Coro2: la malanga

Now, somebody who knows spanish, needs to translate. :)
 
The line "que hombre me da" should be "que hambre me da." A loose translation of that would be "it really makes me hungry."

The song is a doble entendre; with sexual undertones. Malanga is a type of food.

The chorus: Se acabó ya la malanga y no puedo comer. No sé lo que hacer, no puedo comer.

The malanga is gone already and I can't eat. I don't know what to do, I can't eat.
 
Makes me really glad not to offer a translation, since it would have been completely literal and completely missing the point. That's the thing with language; often there are a lot of other meanings hidden to the most elementary user. I find it absolutely incredible that songs I salsa to often have absolutely nothing to do with ideas, thoughts or feelings I associate them with.

I'm still wondering about that Los Van Van song "Esto de Pone la Cabeza Mala" song. A literal translation makes absolutely no sense to me. El Caobo, would appreciate if you could explain that song to me.
 
The song "Esto Le Pone La Cabeza Mala" refers to messing up your hair...this song will get your hair messed up. As with all latin american music there are, of course, sexual undertones, as well as just if you dance to this song you'll get all worked up and your hair will get out of place.
 
dosvueltas2 said:
Makes me really glad not to offer a translation, since it would have been completely literal and completely missing the point. That's the thing with language; often there are a lot of other meanings hidden to the most elementary user. I find it absolutely incredible that songs I salsa to often have absolutely nothing to do with ideas, thoughts or feelings I associate them with.

I'm still wondering about that Los Van Van song "Esto de Pone la Cabeza Mala" song. A literal translation makes absolutely no sense to me. El Caobo, would appreciate if you could explain that song to me.
Click to expand...
 
dosvueltas2 said:
Makes me really glad not to offer a translation, since it would have been completely literal and completely missing the point. That's the thing with language; often there are a lot of other meanings hidden to the most elementary user. I find it absolutely incredible that songs I salsa to often have absolutely nothing to do with ideas, thoughts or feelings I associate them with.

I'm still wondering about that Los Van Van song "Esto de Pone la Cabeza Mala" song. A literal translation makes absolutely no sense to me. El Caobo, would appreciate if you could explain that song to me.
Click to expand...
Te pone la cabeza mala makes perfect sense. It's a song about their music first and foremost, with pride in the African roots of Cuban music and how they experiment with the music they make, etc . And basically about how the music will drive you crazy, and possibly mess your hair up dancing? Just before the end there is ataca guayacan. guayacan is one of Roberto Hernandez' nicknames - it's a type of tree. So they're saying Attack, Roberto. I don't really see any sexual double entendre in this one.

I would translate it like this:

I come from Nigeria, Yoruba, Arará and Carabalí
Guinea and Congo are my land
Mozambique and Angola I am from there
(2x)

That music we inherited,
children and grandchildren of Africans,
That we mix with the Spanish
with the French and the Portuguese
the one that we mixed well with the English
that's why we say it's just one [music]

timba with rumba and rock
mambo with conga and pop
salsa with mozambique
and clave from guaguancó

cumbia with jazz with swing
songo with samba and beat
merengue with bomba and son
and clave from guaguancó

bombo taniyé, campana [this section is referring to instruments: base drum, cowbell, congas, güiro]
tumba and güiro until tomorrow
ay bombo taniyé, campana!
tumba and güiro until tomorrow

bombo taniyé, campana
tumba and güiro until tomorrow
ay with this rhythm so rooted
Dance well, because here the dancer wins [phrase from aqui el que baila gana]

bombo taniyé, campana
tumba and güiro until tomorrow
bombolayé, layé, ay bombolayé
so that you dance

bombo taniyé, campana
tumba and güiro until tomorrow
sa la la la la la la la la aaaah
campanero

bombo taniyé, campana
tumba and güiro until tomorrow
and if it works or doesn't work,
the thing is the learning [phrase from A ver qué sale - basically it's all about learning or a learning process]

This makes your head spin (makes you crazy etc)
brrrrrrrr what's this! Oh my God!
This makes your head spin
An aspirin, my head hurts
This makes your head spin
and if you don't care, why you are interested mamá
This makes your head spin
but dance like chen chen chen chen

This makes your head spin
from seven to twelve so you enjoy yourself
This makes your head spin
yalambile yalambile yalambalamba
This makes your head spin

and everyone on your feet
with your hands on your head
This makes your head spin
tell Cristina and also Teresa, mamá
This makes your head spin
Hey, mamá, how am I doing this year?
This makes your head spin
Oh how, ending and ending
This makes your head spin, hey, and angolona'o
This makes your head spin

What does it do to yours [your head]
What does it do to yours
What does it do to yours

etc a few more guías but nothing significant to the meaning of the song.
 
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