Categories
Colombia culture music

Carlos Vives

Translated by Paula Samper.

The text chosen for translation for this project consisted of three songs from a Colombian singer/songwriter, Carlos Vives. My aim is to provide a translation for some of Carlos Vives’ sbest songs for those who do not speak Spanish to be able to understand them and appreciate the songs for their beautiful lyrics. Ideally, those who would like to listen to the songs could have the translated lyrics with them and hear the rhythm, melody and voice of Carlos Vives to get the fullest musical experience possible.

Source texts: “Jaime Molina”, “Quiero verte sonreir”, and “Dejame entrar”.

(Compare “I Want See You Smile” and “Let Me In”.)

Carlos Vives Official Site

“Jaime Molina”
By Carlos Vives

I remember Jaime Molina,
with a few too many drinks
he would always say to me
“If you pass away first I will make you a painting
But if I pass away first you will write me a song.”
Echo: “If you pass away first I will make you a painting
But if I pass away first you will write me a song.”

Now looking back, I’d much prefer
that he’d paint me a picture
and not write him this song.
Echo: Now looking back, I’d much prefer
that he’d paint me a picture
and not write him this song

Famous for going out all night, and keeping his friends from falling fast asleep
With every drink he downed would come a friendly jab
with a kind twinkle in his eye which only he could give
Echo: With every drink he downed would come a friendly jab
with a kind twinkle in his eye which only he could give

Following this he’d sit on my lap
tell me a joke and then have a laugh
Echo: Follwing me he’d sit on my lap
tell me a joke and then have a laugh

It all started as fun and games
Jaime Molina taught me to drink
Wherever he was I would not be far behind
and he would be by my side whenever I needed him
Wherever he was I would not be far behind
and he would be by my side whenever I needed him

Now it hurts to know that he’s gone
I’m left without Jaime and he’s left Rafael
Now it hurts to know that he’s gone
I’m left without Jaime and he’s left Rafael

“I Want to See Your Smile”
By Carlos Vives

I want to see your smile, I want to give you my song
And on a summer day , give you the sun
A scent of jasmine, and piece of my music
I want to give you this song and a thousand kisses just for you.

I want your dreams to meet mine halfway,
I want to be your thoughts and I want
To meet you when the sun sets behind the hills
To discover you with my kisses and give you my love

Laraira, laraira
I want to give you this song
Laraira, laraira
Many promises of love
And the last song that I write, will be written out to you
And plant in your garden things made only for you
I’ll ask Juan Luis for a candle and a match
to be able to brighten the sadness that is in you

I want our eyes to meet in time
I want to be your thoughts and I want
To meet you when the sun sets behind the hills
To free you with my kisses and give you my heart

Laraira, laraira
I want to give you a song
Laraira, laraira
And to plant in your garden
Laraira, laraira
things made only for you
Laraira, laraira
I want to see you smile

I’m looking for you, I want you back
You’ve left me here, alone in the desert
I’m looking for you, I want you back
You’ve left me here, alone in the wild

I’m looking for you, I want you back
You’ve left me here, alone in the desert
I’m looking for you, I want you back
You’ve left me here, alone in the wild

Laraira, laraira
I want to give you a song
Laraira, laraira
And to plant in your garden
Laraira, laraira
things made only for you
Laraira, laraira
I want to see you smile

“Let Me In”
By Carlos Vives

Let me into your life
I want to reach the depths of your soul
to find comfort in the warmth of your lips
to know you more

Let me stay within the silence
And remember your past…
To know if you really are the girl,
the girl of my dreams

The girl with hair like the wild grass
the girl with the earth within her fingertips
the girl with a smile you’ve never seen before
the girl who delights in making dreams
who perfumes the mornings
with her body’s sweet aroma
and says good morning to the sun
with the warmth of her kisses
oh oh
lara

To watch you leave and see you come back
learn to live with the calmness you have
let me be your thoughts
know what you carry with you

Let me into the silence
into your past
to know if you’re the girl
the girl of my dreams.

The girl with hair like the wild grass
the girl with the earth within her fingertips
the girl with a smile you’ve never seen before
the girl who delights in making dreams
who perfumes the mornings
with her bodies’ sweet aroma
and says good morning to the sun
with the warmth of her kisses
Chorus: Let me into your life
Let me in through the window
Chorus: Let me into your life
The window of your heart
Chorus: Let me into your life
Let me see you in the mornings
Chorus: Let me into your life
Even after the sun won’t rise again

Whenever I am with you
I can’t keep my thoughts straight
my heart starts to race

I never thought I’d feel this way again,
it had been so long
to you I sing this song.

Chorus: Let me into your life
Chorus: Let me into your life
Chorus: Let me into your life
Chorus: Let me into your life…

Show me that this is it
Chorus: Let me into your life
Let me be the only one you kiss
Chorus: Let me into your life
Let me into your past
Chorus: Let me into your life
Let your silence bring me life
Chorus: Let me into your life
and let me trace every inch of your body.
Chorus: Let me into your life
let me be the last one to kiss you
Chorus: Let me into your life
Chorus: Let me into your life
Chorus: Let me in , into your life

Categories
culture music Puerto Rico

Wisin y Yandel

Translated by Erin Guest and Shima Safari.

When I first heard about the final project I was excited about the freedom we had to choose to do whatever we wanted to do. I was also a little nervous to have to post something publicly as translation is difficult and this was my first class that involved it. After careful consideration, Shima and I decided we wanted to do something fun for this project and since we both love music (as I think most people do) we decided we would translate one of our favorite artists’ work. I had just come back from Chile in January and while I was there they were constantly playing Wisin y Yandel so it was fresh in my mind and on my iPod so we decided we wanted to translate their work. At first we thought it would be easy as we knew the lyrics off by heart but because we had never considered those lyrics in English, it proved to be a lot harder than we expected but it was still enjoyable. We knew the biggest problems were going to be translation loss and literal translation. The songs contain a lot of Spanish slang so English idioms were going to be necessary to complete this project.

Erin and I were really excited about this project because this was our chance to find something creative to translate. We thought about translating articles, research papers, even books but none of those excited us. However, we both love music so we decided to translate one of our favourite Spanish singers called Wisin y Yandel, they’re from Puerto Rico and their music is very Latino and fun to listen to. Therefore, we each picked two of our favourite songs and began the process of translating. Halfway through, it wasn’t as easy as we thought. There were many things we had to think about prior to translating it, we thought about if we could keep the same rhyming scheme, or use the same expressions, but what we did notice was a lot of translation loss that came with translating the songs.

Source texts: “Besos Mojados”, “Gracias a ti”, “Emociones”, “Abusadora”.

(Compare “Wet Kisses”, “Thanks to You”, and “Abuser”.)

Wisin y Yandel Official Site

Wet Kisses

The revolution
W, Ya-Yandel
Luny Tunes!

Hey Shorty! How’s it going?
It’s been awhile since I’ve heard from you
(You’re not going to believe it when I tell you…)
Honestly, I can’t stop thinking about you
(And I’m being sincere…)

I can’t forget your wet kisses
And the way in which we devoured each other
That night in my room
And the moon was the only witness
To the heat our bodies created
(You know it!)

(You know what I’m talking about…)
Honey, you’re so serious, give me a little of that sweetness
You know how hot you are; now give me a passionate kiss
Take the key, take the code; give me some of that love
And we’ll steam up the windows of this ship

I feel you…
I’m caught up in you…
I want you…
You want me…

So stick to me like a snail
Today you won’t escape me
Honey, give me a little kiss and let’s aim for the top
W, the ladies man
Beautiful, the bottles of champagne are open

(Chorus x2)

(Tell the people what you feelin’…)
Go, tell all these guys hittin’ on you
The man who makes you melt has arrived and today I roll with the gang
If you kiss me, give me the combo that excites me
It’s very simple, if I mark her neck with my lips, she demands me

Here I am: your stallion
The one with the bank account
Honey, cover up cuz in this dilemma you stick out
Love me, cuz when I’m not with you, I die

Dance, so I can do the same
I pet my kitty so that in return she shows me love
I have confidence in her and so that she always returns to me
I feel like I’m in a trance, I smell a romance

(It makes me so happy to see you…)
How’s it going?
It’s been so long since I’ve seen you
(You’re not going to believe it if I tell you…)
(The revolution…)
Truthfully…
(Princess…)
I still can’t forget you…
(No…)

(Chorus x2)

Two protagonists, two witnesses
Only you and I know what happened
W, Yandel… The revolution

Luny Tunes, Victor the Nazi
Simple friend, you know where to find me

I feel you…
I’m caught up in you…
I want you…
You want me…

Thanks to You

W with Yandel
We’ve laughed
We’ve cried
We’ve had many beautiful moments in our lives
(The revolution)
Thanks for being here
You’re special
I only want you to hear to this song

I felt cold and you covered me up
I’ve fallen down and you’ve picked me up
A woman with determination (thank you)
You gave direction to my life (W Yandel)

I felt cold and you covered me up
I’ve fallen down and you’ve picked me up
A woman with determination (aha!)
You gave direction to my life (Yandel)

Thanks to you today I’m happy
When you arrived I learned to live
And it’s thanks to you (thank you)
Today I can be happy
When you arrived I learned to live

(Princess)
A smile (please)
Priestess
You are my queen, my everything
My submissive princess
I iron my shirt so I can accompany her to mass
Always with a laugh
Cutie pie, my sweet breeze

And before, I was bad
Today I want to be good

Aware that sometimes I give up on myself
When you touch me and talk to me I stop and I am calm
Speak no more
She is the owner of my terrain

Thanks to you
Today I am happy
When you arrived
I learned to live
And it’s all thanks to you
Today I can be happy
When you arrived
I learned to live

(Close your eyes and think of something)

A tribute
My babe has courage
She changed me from a savage
She has the potion
That makes me bad (you know it)
And I start to tremble
And I start to fly
And I don’t want to come down

Tremendous lover
So much that without her it is agonizing
That which my heart feels
For her is gigantic
Give me a shock to the heart
Of fulminating passion

Come with me
And never ask me to be somebody I’m not

Gratefully, and yeah you know, I’ve failed to respect you
Thank you for still being here
Thank you for being part of my life
You know you are very special
W, Yandel, Víctor el Nazi, el profesor Gómez

Princess
Pay attention

I felt cold and you covered me up
I’ve fallen and you picked me up (thank you)
A woman with determination
You gave direction to my life

I felt cold and you covered me up
I’ve fallen and you’ve picked me up
A woman with determination
You gave direction to my life

Thanks to you
Today I’m happy
When you arrived
I learned to live

And it’s all thanks to you
Today I can be happy
When you arrived
I learned to live

Emotions

The revolution
Unpredictable
She is my vice

I feel emotions in my body
I am thirsty for you
I feel emotions in my body
I am thirsty for you (the revolution)
When you begin to dance
I have this tension
When you being to sweat
You take me to another dimension
When you being to dance
I have this tension
When you being to sweat
You take me to another dimension
I feel emotions in my body

You want to kiss me
She has skill
Like a spider
You entangle me in your web
Baby I know your type
I’m already ready & chilling the champagne
When you cry I’m here and the one that yells at you
Hey boss, listen I’m crazy by throw
They didn’t tell me your boyfriend had abandoned you
She’s crazy with 2 types that control her throne
W…Yandel…

When she begins to dance
There is tension
When she sweats
You take me to another dimension
When she dances
There is tension
When you start to sweat
You take me to another dimension
The revolution
(W)

I feel emotions in my body
(I’m nervous)

Woman, lion, I am your scavenger
I cut the flower & and next day it grows a sprout
Bite it, hug it, get the poison
Woman, I like it when you perform
Listen crazy & you already fell
If I’m romantic I won’t hide
I won’t front
Knowing Wisin will hit that!
(The revolution!)

I feel emotions in my body
I’m thirsty for you
I feel emotions in my body
I’m thirsty for you (W, Yandel)

When you start to dance
I feel tension
When you begin to sweat
You take me to another dimension
When you start to dance
You make me feel tension
When you start to sweat
You take me to another dimension

I feel emotions in my body…
(You already know)

You are well aware of who has control
Baby I’m asking you for a favor
Never go
W
Yandel
Victor ‘the Nazi’
Nesty ‘the Mastermind’
Marioso
Simple, bringing revolution to Latin music
W
Yandel
El sinónimo de los lideres del movimiento urbano a nivel mundial
Just another name for the leaders of the worldwide urban movement
You know it
Baby, calm down
What we have is pure mind, guaranteed.

Abusive

Eheheh
Eheh
(Yandeel!)
It’s imposible to stop her (doble u)
She’s the best (la revolución)
Aaaah!

Abusive, abusive, abusive (ah hah)
Blessed is the hour in which I found you
Abusive, abusive, abusive
Blessed is the hour in which I found you (Victor el Nazi)

It’s hot in the club, the heat is rising
(You know who we are, the leaders)
It’s hot in the club, the heat is rising
(the revolution)

(Wisin)

Feel it
Feel it
hot
In the club its loud
Women come and say peace out
I holler at her and fall for her
She’s got me
She’s looking to find a ride in a Ferrari
Lined up walking, dressed in a tie
The new leaders have no control to the crawl
The business is a matter of winning
Seduce me I already turned on the fire
The lights are seen of neon and the smoke (I hardly see you)
Girlfriend I want a “cantito” if you leave me I’ll burn you
I consume you
You leave me speechless
I’m sorry to tell you that you couldn’t do it without me

(Yandel)

Its hot uh huh in the club the heat is rising

(Welcome to the revolution)
It’s hot in the club the heat is rising

I feel an energy that I cant already stop
It’s something that takes control of me and I want more, more
Of your seduction love, love
Don’t stop (please listen baby)

(Wisin)

You shield me with your flow come to the show
It’s hit with tequila rose
Move come, go go
You won the screens of touch (super talde)
Janguea at night like an owl
Its sharpened
In her bed, she doesn’t want no rabble!
When you are hot you use it, use it
Si me duermo me saca la gamuza

(Yandel)

Abusive, abusive, abusive (ah hah)
Blessed is the hour in which I found you
Abusive, abusive, abusive
Blessed is the hour in which I found you

It’s hot…
In the club the heat is rising
It’s hot…
In the club the heat is rising

We keep showing that musically
We’re on top of you all
(Eeeeeh)
That’s the way it is…
So you keep taking classes from us
The revolution!!
And… W, Taini, Victor the Nazi
Los campeones del pueblo papi
Del Pueblo Papi!!

Categories
culture music

New Music from Latin America

Translated by Megan Edgerton.

In terms of the genre, I want to maintain a casual, but informed register as you would expect to see in a music review magazine or journal. I will do this by utilizing musical terminology where it is possible and a professional but casual tone, especially in the descriptions, verbs, and transitions that could use a boost.

Source texts: “Se avecina tormenta, Doma Tornados”, “Ximena Sariñana: Actriz y cantante nada ‘Mediocre'”, and “Entrevista – Todos Tus Muertos”.

“Monte Negro: Two languages, One ‘Cicatrix’”

Every once in awhile, you’ll stumble upon a band that stands out among the rest. In this case, they’re called Monte Negro. With their first LP, Cicatrix, Monte Negro offers an impressive mix of what truly represents the “Alterlatino” rock scene.

Confining Monte Negro to a specific genre is debatable ; Kinski, the vocalist of the group, jumps from Spanish to English as if they were the same language, leaving the listener wondering whether to classify it as “rock” or “Spanish rock” . The hybridity of their music is clear to see in their first single, “Give me Love (no Llores).” It exhibits a reggae rhythm carried in the guitar line while simultaneously incorporating lyrics that could be confused for those of a rock ballad by Poison or Whitesnake.

On a Monday night, I was lucky enough to witness Monte Negro play a set in the basement of a bar in New York. The room is nearly empty , filled with only the hum of casual conversation and no more than eight people anxiously awaiting the arrival of the quartet. But just ten minutes before the show starts, the venue is filled from wall to wall with rowdy fans. Things are looking good for Monte Negro given their undeniably strong following .

The crowd’s reaction alone is proof that their music is anything but mediocre . As soon as they take the small stage , jumping, clapping, and sweating ensues, and Monte Negro manages to turn this hole-in-the-wall basement venue into a full-fledged rock show . Among the songs from their album, Monte Negro slips in a cover of “Break on Through” by the Doors; nonetheless, their potential clearly stands out in songs like “Pena Colectiva”, “Give me Love (No llores)”, and “Arde el Corazón (Triangled Love)”.

Many of these songs are available for streaming on their Myspace : http://www.myspace.com/montenegrorocks

“An Imminent Storm: Doma Tornados”
Zigor Cavero

Unafraid to put a fresh spin on his South American heritage, up-and-coming artist Doma Tornados has arranged the perfect musical balance between the traditional and the avant-garde. He’s not to be underestimated, despite the region’s unfamiliarity with his take on electronic music. Doma Tornados’s prowess lies in his creative ability to fuse regional music styles, such as his crossbreed of cante jondo and bajos gordos.

Guillermo Piacenza, the man behind Doma Tornados, keeps a busy schedule juggling two other side projects, TANOX (http://www.myspace.com/tanoxmusic) and Guillermo Piacenza (http://www.myspace.com/guillermopiacenza). But other aliases aside , we’re most interested in Doma Tornados, the project in which Piacenza mixes native rhythms (focusing mainly on cumbia but without dismissing funk, champeta, or malambo ) with digital genius , dressing up his creation with imported styles (house, minimal techno) and bringing it to life with lots of dub spirit.

Although Doma Tornados is yet to have a record hit stores – he’s on the verge of releasing his debut on his netlabel, Hipi Duki Muzik– he has already received tons of praise for his musical achievements .

All this said, the best thing to do is to check out Doma Tornados for yourself. When, you may ask? His next appearance is October 10th at Le Rock Party in Barcelona , but he can regularly be caught opening for The Peronists as well as playing percussion for MeNeO in clubs across the city .

“Ximena Sariñana: An actress and singer far from Mediocre”

With a broad range of influences from Fiona Apple to Bjork, it’s hard to know what to expect from young Ximena Sariñana . Her debut album, Mediocre, is critically acclaimed in México and is currently taking over charts in the U.S. at record speed.

Generally speaking, Sariñana’s music can be described as a fusion of jazz, rock, and pop. Regardless of a relatively fixed style, each song bears something unique; the opening title track, “Mediocre,” is so unforeseen it is hard to compare it to the rest of the album. As the album progresses, Sariñana continues to keep listeners on the edge of their seats, especially with the singles, “Normal” and “No Vuelvo Más.”

Despite the fact that she only recently completed her first album, Sariñana has been deeply involved in entertainment since childhood. Her parents, both professionals in the television and film industries in Mexico, introduced her to the business as a young girl. In 1994, Sariñana’s acting career launched with her appearance in Hasta Morir, a film produced by her father. Soon after in 1996, she starred in the soap opera, Luz Clarita. During this time, her music career began with her recording of the theme song for the program. From then on, Sariñana has continued to contribute to the soundtracks of programs and movies that she has appeared in.

If anyone can do it, Sariñana can. Having composed majority of the songs from Mediocre, she’s undeniably armed with compositional and vocal talent that will help her rise to the top of the Latin American alternative scene.

“An Interview with Todos Tus Muertos”

Recently, Spinner was fortunate enough to get ahold of Félix Gutiérrez, the bassist of Todos Tus Muertos, in Argentina via e-mail .

Many groups have recognized Todos Tus Muertos as having a significant influence on their music. What bands have inspired Todos Tus Muertos?
There are lots; we could say that at first it was music from groups like Bauhaus, Crass, The Clash, Dead Kennedys, Stiff Little Fingers…At the same time we were listening to Bob Marley, Rubén Blades, Hector Lavoe, Armando Hernández, The Specials, and with time the list branched out to include hip hop, Los Tigres del Norte…it keeps growing everyday.

An emphasis on peace and justice resonates in the majority of your songs. Do you write each song with reggae or punk in mind?
We like to create a mix of everything that we listen to, but more than anything we mix those [styles] that you mentioned. But we also have a Latin vibe…and even in early songs like “El Tango Traidor,” you can hear our attempts to create a tango-funky-punk.

As a group, you’ve been playing together for quite awhile. What would you say is the difference from being a musical group in the 90s? Do you think listeners have changed much, specifically as a result of the war, the economy, or the environment? Does this affect the way they think and receive the TTM’s messages?
Yeah, there were a lot more people involved in the scene in the 90s. [Back then] It was more underground, but it eventually blew up.

Your latest album, Greatest Hits, recently hit shelves in the U.S. Would you consider going on a U.S. tour? You’ve had a following there for years.
For sure, we’d like to play there. We’re working on it, but it’s gotten a bit hard for us living on this side of the border; it’s getting stricter everyday.

Lastly, do you have any plans for another record?
Of course! We’ve got ten new songs that we occasionally throw into our shows. They’ll all be a part of our next album.

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Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada
This work by Spanish 401, UBC, Professor Jon Beasley-Murray is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada.