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Carlos Varela - Una Palabra

For anyone that was curious about that beautifully haunting song at the end of “Man on Fire,” here it is in all of its glory. I love this song and everytime I listen to it I wander around the house for hours and hours singing it to myself. And inevitably my beau gets tired of it and asks if I know any other words besides “una palabra, no dice nada…y el mismo tiempo lo escondo todo.”

*Sigh*

I do but its just such a pretty sentiment. “A word doesn’t say anything and at the same time hides everything.” Very loose translation but you get the gist. Gorgeous gorgeous song. Enjoy!

-Calidre

Los Lonely Boys - Heaven

Happy New Year DailyCrack! As I was doing a little bit of cleaning for the new year this past weekend, I found my old school Ipod Photo - the very first ipod the featured a color screen. I decided to charge it and see if it still worked since at last view, it hadn’t.

Zing Zam Zoom..still kicking with the 2700 songs I’d last updated it with. So I then decided to check out what I was listening to back in 2005 and ooooooh the nostalgia. I’ve lost 2 harddrives worth of music since then and I hadn’t heard some of these songs in forever. So…expect the next few posts to be trips down memory lane for me. To start us off, the Garza brothers with their first single Heaven. This band is a wonderful mixture of American Rock and Tejano so I hope you get to check more of them out if you’re not already a fan.

Enjoy!

-CaliDre

Los Lonely Boys - Heaven

Save me from this prison
Lord help me get away
Cause only you can save me now
From this misery
Cause I’ve been lost in my own place
And I’m getting’ weary
How far is heaven
And I know I need to change
My ways of livin’
How far is heaven, Lord can you tell me

Cause I’ve been locked up way too long
In this crazy world, how far is heaven
I just keep on prayin’ Lord
Just keep on livin’, how far is heaven
Lord can you tell me, how far is heaven
I just got to know how far, how far is heaven
Lord can you tell me

Tu que estas en alto cielo,
Echame tu bendiciòn
[translated from Spanish]
[You that’s in a higher place
Send me down a blessing]

Cause I know there’s a better place
Than this place I’m livin’, how far is heaven
So I just got to show some faith
And just keep on giving, how far is heaven
Lord can you tell me, how far is heaven
I just wanna know how far, how far is heaven,
Lord can you tell me, how far is heaven,
‘cause I just gotta know how far,
I just wanna know far

The Revels - Comanche

I have for a long time been a fan not only of Quentin Tarentino, but of his taste in music. I mean…this dude knows his music. The soundtracks to his films are always superb - filled with obscure songs that tie seamlessly into the plot. This dude found some bad ass spanish jams for Kill Bill 2, reminded everyone Nancy Sinatra had a great rendition of Bang Bang (it was originally by Cher I think), and don’t even get me started on the fabulousness that was the music of Grindhouse.

He used this track in Pulp Fiction, and might I say he used it perfectly. Man I would LOVE to peruse his music collection. If any of ya’ll have the hook up - let me know! Enjoy!

-Calidre

Ritchie Valens - La Bamba

If you like Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys or Carlos Santana, you pretty much have Ritchie Valenzuela to thank. A rock genious whose career only lasted for 8 months, he is pretty much the father of Chicano rock. Not only was he one of the first to have a spanish lyric rock song, but he is widely considered the first latino to crossover into the Rock and Roll mainstream. 

Ritchie Valens had an intense fear of flying after some of his jr. high school friends died when two planes crashed above their playground. Tragically enough, after overcoming his fear of flying so that he could perform across the country, he died in a small plane crash a few months before his 18th birthday on what was later called “the day the music died.” Buddy Holly and JJ “The Big Bopper” Richardson were also killed on the flight. 

Pretty much all of his songs are great but I especially recommend you listen to Donna written about his actual girlfriend. And check out the movie starring Lou Diamond Phillips - its classic. Enjoy!

-Calidre

Ritchie Valens - La Bamba

Para bailar La Bamba
Para bailar La Bamba
Se necessita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia
Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba
Ay, arriba arriba
Por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere

Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitan
Soy capitan, soy capitan
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba, bam

Para bailar La Bamba
Para bailar La Bamba
Se necessita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia
Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba

(Guitar solo - Richie & instrumental)

Para bailar La Bamba
Para bailar La Bamba
Se necessita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia
Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba
Ay, arriba arriba
Por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere

Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
FADES-
Bamba, bamba.

English translation:

In order to dance The Bamba
In order to dance the Bamba
You need a little bit of grace
A little bit of grace
For me, for you, ah up, ah up(or higher and higher)
Ah, up, up (literally “faster, faster”)
By you I will be, by you I will be, by you I will be
(Por can also mean by and not just for)

I am not a sailor, 
I am not a sailor, I am a captain
I am a captain, I am a captain
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba, bam

In order To dance The Bamba
In order To dance The Bamba
You need a little bit of grace
A little bit of grace
For me, for you, ah up, ah up (higher and higher)

(Guitar only - Richie and set of instruments)

In order to dance The Bamba
In order to dance The Bamba
You need a little bit of grace
A little bit of grace
For me, for you, ah up, ah up
Ah, up, up.
For you I will be, for you I will be, for you I will be
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
FADES-
Bamba, bamba.

(Repeats)

Shakira & Alejandro Sanz - La Tortura

I love me some Shakira. She is one hot lady. But I have to make a confession - I think I prefer when she sings in Spanish. I love her songs in both languages, but there’s just something about when she sings in Spanish…a certain quality that gets lost when she’s singing in English. Its kinda like…when your voice goes a pitch higher when you’re speaking a non-native language.

At any rate, I love this song. And Alejandro Sanz is freaking hot. But ya’ll already know I have a thing for spanish men. So….where was I going with this….oh yea…the song. Awesome song. One of my favorite lines is when Shakira says “man can’t live on bread alone and I can’t live on just excuses”. Boo yow. Take that you excuse having man whore.

On that note - enjoy!

-Calidre

Shakira & Alejandro Sanz - La Tortura

Ay payita mía
Guárdate la poesía
Guárdate la alegría pa’ti
(Ay dame dame damelo)

No pido que todos los días sean de sol
No pido que todos los viernes sean de fiesta
Tampoco te pido que vuelvas rogando perdón
Si lloras con los ojos secos y hablando de ella

Ay amor me duele tanto
Me duele tanto
Que te fueras sin decir a dónde
Ay amor, fue una tortura perderte

Yo se que no he sido un santo
Pero lo puedo arreglar amor
No solo de pan vive el hombre
Y no de excusas vivo yo

Sólo de errores se aprende
Y hoy sé que es tuyo mi corazón
Mejor te guardas todo eso
A otro perro con ese hueso
Y nos decimos adiós

No puedo pedir que el invierno perdone a un rosal
No puedo pedir a los olmos que entreguen peras
No puedo pedirle lo eterno a un simple mortal
Y andar arrojando a los cerdos miles de perlas

Ay amor me duele tanto me duele tanto
Que no creas más en mis promesas
Ay amor es una tortura perderte
Yo sé que no he sido un santo

Pero lo puedo arreglar amor
No sólo de pan vive el hombre
Y no de excusas vivo yo
Sólo de errores se aprende

Y hoy sé que es tuyo mi corazón
Mejor te guardas todo eso
A otro perro con ese hueso
Y nos decimos adiós
(Ay dame dame damelo)

No te bajes, no te bajes
Oye negrita mira, no te rajes
De lunes a viernes tienes mi amor
Déjame el sábado a mi que es mejor

Oye mi negra no me castigues más
Porque allá afuera sin ti no tengo paz
Yo sólo soy un hombre arrepentido
Soy como el ave que vuelve a su nido

Yo se que no he sido un santo
Y es que no estoy hecho de cartón
No sólo de pan vive el hombre
Y no de excusas vivo yo

Sólo de errores se aprende
Y hoy sé que es tuyo mi corazón
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay
Ay, todo lo que he hecho por tí

Fue una tortura perderte
Y me duele tanto que sea así
Sigue llorando perdón
Yo, yo, no voy a llorar hoy por tí

Gipsy Kings - Trista Pena (Sad Pain)

The Gipsy Kings are pure awesomeness! Like…seriously…pure awesomeness.

The group consists of two sets of brothers - Los Hermanos Reyes y Los Hermanos Baliardo. Born in France, the men are all of gitano descent. Gitanos are Romani (Gypsies) from Spain. The fact that the men are all Romani actually makes for some very interesting lyrics as the words in the songs include Spanish, Andulusian dialect words and Romani. Its not uncommon for me to have NO idea what a word is in a song but that doesn’t stop the music from being amazing.

The Gipsy King’s style is based in flamenco with traces of pop, reggae, salsa and Gypsy rhapsody. I was introduced to them back in high school by a co-worker (I worked at a tire shop) and have been in love ever since. Gipsy Kings are IMMENSELY popular in spanish speaking countries and are the best selling French artists of all time. I’ve even caught live concerts on pbs and let me just say…these old men get down!

These group has some awesome love songs and some equally great dance numbers (their cover of Hotel California was featured in The Big Lebowski). I’m sure I’ll be posting something else from them in the future, but I decided to post one of my personal favorites - Trista Pena. Absolutely beautiful song. Enjoy.

-Calidre

Gipsy Kings - Trista Pena (Sad Pain)

Yo se que un dia volvera
trista pena
ya dejala ya

Yo se que un dia volvera
trista pena
yo la voy buscar

Y yo no me acuerdo de ella
amor amor amargo
amor bien agitanado
amor con mi querer

Hoy para vivir
amor confundi
y no sabe llorar
hoy manana vivir
no sabes confundir
un amor de verdad
pero ya lo siento ya

La que mas queria
amor mas agitanado
amor ya mas agitanado
amor ya sin tu querer

Hoy para vivir
amor confundi
y no sabe llorar
hoy manana vivir
no sabes confundir
un amor de verdad
pero ya lo siento ya

Hoy para vivir
amor confundi
y no sabe llorar
Hoy para vivir
amor confundi
y no sabe llorar
pero un amor verdad

I know that someday she will return
sad pain
leave her alone now

I know that someday she will return
sad pain
I’m going to look for her

And I don’t remember her
a love, a bitter love
a love very gypsy-like
a love with my wanting

Today to live
I confused love
and you don’t know how to cry
today, tomorrow to live
you don’t know how to confuse
a real love
but I already feel it

The one whom I most loved
the most gypsy-like love
the most gypsy-like love
a love without your love

Today to live
I confused love
and you don’t know how to cry
today, tomorrow to live
you don’t know how to confuse
a real love
but I already feel it

Today to live
I confused love
and you don’t know how to cry
Today to live
I confused love
and you don’t know how to cry
but a real love

- Special thank you for translation & lyrics by Rennie Selvaggio

Reyli Barba - Amor Del Bueno

A few days ago, someone asked me to help them find a song song in Spanish that they could dance to at a wedding. I don’t really know the details (are they getting married? is it a tribute to someone else?) but what I did know was there was a short list for me to choose from.

I gave them three songs to choose from: Barba’s Amor del Bueno, Los Lonely Boys’ La Contestion, and Marc Anthony’s duet with Ana Gabriel Quiero Vivar La Vida Amandote. Which song they ended up choosing? No idea. But I do know that I had to post this song because it is ABSOLUTELY beautiful. Whether you speak Spanish or not, this is one of those songs I feel can still be appreciated. I’ve included both the Spanish lyrics and the english translation but let me just mention that there is definitely something lost in translation.

I hope everyone enjoys! This is a love song at its best.

-Calidre

Reyli Barba - Amor Del Bueno (True Love)

Como un cuchillo 
En la mantequilla
Entraste en mi vida 
Cuando me moria

Como la luna 
Por la rendija
Asi te metiste 
Entre mis pupilas

Y así te fui queriendo a diario 
Sin una ley sin un horario
Y así me fuiste despertando 
De cada sueño donde estabas tu

Y nadie lo buscaba
Y nadie lo planeó así
En el destino estaba
Que fueras para mi

Y nadie le apostaba
A que yo fuera tan feliz
Pero cupido se apiadó de mí
Se apiadó de mí
Se apiadó de mí

Como la lluvia
En pleno desierto
Mojaste de fe mi corazón
Ahogaste mis miedos

Como una dulce voz
En el silencio
Así nos llegó el amor
Amor del bueno

Y así te fui queriendo a diario 
Sin una ley sin un horario
Y así me fuiste despertando 
De cada sueo donde estabas tu

Y nadie lo buscaba
Y nadie lo planeó asi
En el destino estaba
Que fueras para mi

Y nadie le apostaba
A que yo fuera tan feliz
Pero cupido se apiadó de mi
Y nadie le apostaba
A que yo fuera tan feliz
Pero cupido se apiadó de mi
Se apiadó de mi

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Like knife
In butter
You entered my life
When I was dying

Like the moon
In the aperture
You got
Into my eyes

And so did I
Love you daily
Without any rules
Without a timetable 

And so did you wake me
From every dream where
You were

And nobody searched for it
And nobody planned it this way
It was written
That you were mine

And nobody bet
That I would be so happy
But… Cupid pitied me

Like the rain
In plain desert
Did you moisten my heart with hope
Suffocate my fears

Like the sweet voice
In the silence
This is how love got to us
True love

And nobody bet
That I would be so happy
But… Cupid pitied me

Selena - Como La Flor

One thing that many people don’t know about Selena as that spanish was not her first language. She grew up in Texas and only learned to sing in Spanish at her father’s insistance. 

Como La Flor is a beautiful love song with the juxtapositon that the man Selena is singing to has found someone else. Its pretty much one of those “I love you so much I just want you to be happy even if its not with me and even though I don’t think I’ll ever love again” songs. I absolutely love it! If you’re new to Selena and want to hear more of her, my suggestion would be to go out and buy Ones - her greatest hits album. Its 20 tracks and includes I Could Fall In Love and Dreaming of You. Enjoy!

-Calidre

Selena - Como La Flor

Spanish/English

Yo se que tienes Un nuevo amor/I know you have a new love
Sin embargo Te deseo lo mejor/Nevertheless I wish you the best

Si en mi no encontraste felicidad/If in me you found no happiness
Tal vez alguien mas te la dara/Perhaps someone else will give it to you

Como la flor/Like the flower
Con tanto amor/With so much love
Me diste tu/You gave me
Se marchito/It withered
Me marcho hoy/Today I leave
Yo se perder/I know how to lose
Pere ay…como me duele/But oh, how it hurts me
Como me duele/Oh, how it hurts me
Si vieras/If you were to see 

como duele perder tu amor/how it hurts To lose your love
Con tu adios/With your farewell
te llevas mi corazon/you take with you my heart

No se si pueda volver a amar/I don’t know if I’ll be able To love again
Porque te di todo el amor que pude dar/Because I gave u all the love I could give

Como la flor…/Like The Flower….

Ximena Sariñana - Cambio De Piel

I’m always on the look out for free mp3s on the net. Who knows? Maybe hearing one good song would lead to hearing a great album, possibly one of, or the best I’ve ever heard. It has happened before. So when the store in my mp3 software offered a free mp3 of Ximena Sariñana, I decided to download it in hopes that it’ll be something earth shattering to my ears. I was bit surprised to hear a woman singing Spanish (sometimes I’m not too keen on reading descriptions) and even more surprised that I actually liked it.

See, when it comes to listening to music in another language, I’m very picky. I think you have to really like a music artist in order to endure listening to them in a language other than your own, especially if you don’t understand a word, which is always the case for me. Well I liked Ximena Sariñana, who is Mexican, by the way, enough to obtain her album and have been listening to her on and off. To be honest, I only really like the first song I heard from her, which is the one I decided to share. I’m not entirely sure what the song is about and I kind of like that I don’t because it adds a sort of mystery to the song and if I want, I could pretend to make the song be about anything I want. Enjoy.

EL calor de el sol
El dolor de los pis
Tengo que acostarme
Nada que perder

El amor que dejé
La familia atrás
El secreto que guardo
No descansaré
Sé que llegaré

Camino lento
Lo que soy se va descosiendo
Las raíces quedan al centro
Lejos de aquí
Estrenaré
Cambio de piel

Los estragos de ti
La pérdida de fé
Tengo que concentrarme
No descansaré
Sé que llegaré

Camino lento
Lo que soy se va descosiendo
Las raíces quedan al centro
Lejos de aquí
Estrenaré

Nunca supe qué estaba bien o mal
Pero siempre es fácil dejar atrás
Si lo que me llama es un lugar
¿Cuánto faltará?

Camino lento
Lo que soy se va descosiendo
Las raíces quedan al centro
Lejos de aquí
Estrenaré
Cambio de piel

- moises