Song Translation - got anything that needs translating?

[windhorse]

Our main focus at Rumbas used to be how to play the different parts,, but now it's more about the singing. So, we are now gathering whatever we like that fits with rhythms. Being an English speaker who hasn't spent much time immersed in Spanish doesn't help with understanding the songs, so we're always asking each other, "What does that mean?" Occasionally, the free online translator can help,, but more often than not, nouns just have special meanings to the Cubans that translators don't know.

My favorite song to play with Yambu has got to be:
"El Tahonero" - what is a tahonero?

We're thinking it might be one who calls the angels - since later in the song it says - "Me llevan los elementos"
Or is it just a player of music?

Also - what does "biton" mean?

Thanks for any help with this.. Nothing critical,, just curious..

[Mbalax]

HI!
Literally in spanish, Tahona is the mill that makes Flour, but nowadays tahona is also where it is made and sell the bread and other products like cakes and this things.
So literally Tahonero is the man who works in the tahona, but im not cuban and i dont know if that word has other mean in the rumba context.
In the song there are a lot of expresions that for me haven`t meaning, looks like if are afrocuban choirs

Chevere que chevere que chevere
( Cool, how cool...)

guaguanco, pa gozar, mi yambu
( guaguanco, to enjoy, my yambu)

Mi china bole Sanson tu tiene de to
( My chinesse* "bole sanson"** you have a lot of things)
* mi china i think is an expresion to refer a girl, mi china = my girl
** ? ? ? i think its a noun or an cuban expresion, don't know

yo soy tahonero, me llevan los elementos
( i am tahonero, the elements bring me
or:i'm tahonero, they bring me the elements, or components)

cuele víto vitó vitó cuele vito ye ye mama
(afro choir )

vito vito vito cuele para gozar, ... pa guarachear ... pa cumbanchar
(vito vito vito cuele -afro choir- to enjoy, to party)

yambu del tiempo españa
( spain time yambu*)
"tiempo de españa" is the times when cuba was a spanish colony, but in this way, yambu del tiempo españa is Old times yambu. the oldest yambu.

aurorora la meta como yama fuele vito pa'cumbanchar
( like african language, and pa cumbanchar or para cumbanchar i think is a cuban expresion, like "guarachear" or other and i think it means to enjoy, to make party.

orororo la rumba buena para gozar
( orororo the good rumba to enjoy )

mi pico y to ye ye ( afro choir )
ye ye mama...
yeye..
...que como llama ( that how it calls )
...que fascina ( that fascinate )
...que provoca ( that provoke )
...pa guarachar ( to do party )
...para gozar ( to enjoy )
...como dice ( how it tell - say)
...como llama ( how it call )
...como goza ( how it enjoy
...que te llama ( that calls you)

The song itself for me hasnt much meaning, but i think that is more important the rythmic of the words than the meaning...
But how i say before, im not cuban and i dont know the rumba context, and i dont know the meaning of the expressions that they use...
I hope that the cuban users of the forum could help more.
Greetings from spain
Dani.



Edited By Mbalax on 1138033349

[pavloconga]

My favorite song to play with Yambu has got to be:
"El Tahonero" - what is a tahonero?

We're thinking it might be one who calls the angels - since later in the song it says - "Me llevan los elementos"
Or is it just a player of music?

Also - what does "biton" mean?

Thanks for any help with this.. Nothing critical,, just curious..

Hi Mbalax and Windhorse,
Tahonero may be referring to someone who plays a rhythm called Tahona, from Cuba. One of the masters of this rhythmic form is an elderly (born 1925) rumbero from Havana called Mario Dreke "Chavalonga" - known in Cuba as "El Rey de la Tahona". Chava was a contemporary and friend of Chano Pozo and continues to sing and perform.

In 2003 I was fortunate enough to meet and study with Chavalonga in Cuba.
best regards

Pavlo

See attached pic from the cover of his CD (great CD by the way!) I think I may start a separate post on this amazing man and his life..
Online CD review and his CD is available from http://www.descarga.com



Edited By pavloconga on 1138063350

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... onga_s.jpg

[SkinDeep]

OH YEAH HE WAS IN SPIRITS OF HAVANA WITH JANE BURNETT, ONE THING I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THAT DVD WAS THE FACT THAT THEY NEVER MENTIONED ERNESTO CHACHA BACALAO WHO WAS RIGHT THERE IN THE CROUD WHEN THEY SHOWED THE MUNEQUITOS PLAYING. SOMETHING SHOULD'VE BEEN SAID, HE WAS THE QUINTO FOR GUAGUANCO MATANCERO. SUAVE!

[pavloconga]

Hey thanks for that,
can you tell me more about that DVD and Chavalonga's role in it?
Where can I get the dvd?

Pavlo

[windhorse]

So, Tahona is a rhythm?

[pavloconga]

As I understand it, Tahona is a lesser known, older rumba style related to Guaguanco but with its own distinct rhythm. I did not study this rhythm with Chava so I do not have much knowledge of it.

Listening to Chava's CD "El Rey de la Tahona", it is a different rhythm, yet has the rumba clave, gua gua, call and response songs, quinto, congas as well as cajon. Perhaps some other members may know more about this rhythm, its history and how it is played?

best regards
Pavlo