The Afro-Cuban All Stars is a Cuban band led by… Read Full Bio ↴The Afro-Cuban All Stars
The Afro-Cuban All Stars is a Cuban band led by Juan de Marcos González (formerly tres player for Sierra Maestra). Their music is a mix of all the styles of Cuban music, including bolero, chachachá, salsa, son montuno, timba, guajira, danzón, rumba and abakua. They are known internationally for their 1997 album A Toda Cuba Le Gusta, which was recorded at the Buena Vista Social Club sessions. Members have included Rubén González, Orlando "Cachaito" Lopez, Ibrahim Ferrer, Raul Planas, Pío Leyva, Manuel "Puntillita" Licea, Yanko Pisaco and more recently Caridad Hierrezuelo and Pedro Calvo.
The Afro-Cuban All Stars is a unique orchestra that has always been devoted to promoting the full range of Cuban music, one that embraces several generations and all musical styles. Over the years many of the band’s musicians have become international stars, including brilliant performers such as Rubén González, Ibrahim Ferrer, Guillermo Rubalcava, and Manuel "The Guajiro" Mirabal.
The genesis of the Afro-Cuban All Stars has its roots early in the 1990s. At this time the son ensemble Sierra Maestra, headed by Juan de Marcos, received a lot of international exposure. As a consequence, de Marcos was introduced to Nick Gold, president of World Music Records (at that time a small independent world music label). That encounter led to a couple of very successful tours in Europe. Later the group went to London and recorded Dundumbanza, considered one of the jewels of the world music scene of the early ‘90s. (In retrospect, this recording opened the doors to the further incredible boom of the traditional Cuban music of the period.)
Months later, de Marcos got the go-ahead to do an album celebrating the classic Cuban sound of the ‘50s – a recording whose personnel would feature many great musicians that de Marcos knew. An agreement reached, the plan was to prepare two projects: one featuring a Cuban big band, the other record favoring a more traditional sound reminiscent of the acoustic style of Nico Saquito or Portabales.
In March 1996 they recorded the album A toda Cuba le Gusta, featuring nearly 60 performers. Then, with the addition of celebrated artists such as Compay Segundo, Omara Portuondo, Eliades Ochoa, and American guitarist Ry Cooder, what became the legendary Buena Vista Social Club CD was recorded. Finally, with low budget and only during two live sessions and with simple orchestrations carried out at the studio by de Marcos, they also recorded the first solo album of Rubén González, Introducing Ruben Gonzalez. This was destined to be one of the most successful of the “Buena Vista” series of recordings.
During the spring of 1997 and along with the release in Europe of the three albums, de Marcos and a select group of stellar musicians started touring all over the continent under the banner of a band christened the "Afro-Cuban All Stars." The original line up, familiar from the records, included Ruben González and Guillermo Rubalcava (piano), Orlando López (bass), Amadito Valdés (timbale), Carlos González and Roberto Valdés (bongos & cuban percussion), Ángel Terry (congas), Daniel Ramos, Alejandro Pichardo y “Guajiro” Mirabal (trumpets), Alberto “Molote” Martínez and Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos (trombones) and, Raúl Planas, Manuel Licea, Pío Leiva, Ibrahim Ferrer and Félix Baloy (lead singers).
After several years of tremendous and unexpected success – including four Grammy nominations, being the subject of several documentaries and films, and being recipients of many other distinctions – the All Stars are certainly the best-known and successful Cuban orchestra after Los Van Van and Irakere.
The Afro-Cuban All Stars has also opened the doors to a new generation by incorporating young musicians into the band. With The Afro-Cuban All Stars, de Marcos has developed a concept more so than simply creating a band. His approach has allowed him to expand its creative range by incorporating contemporary styles of Cuban music; as well, a fluid approach to adjusting the orchestra’s line-up by changing or adding musicians as appropriate has made it easier to reflect the different styles of music from the various periods that the band features. The Afro-Cubans are the same orchestra that can be seen in those distinct performances captured in the famous Oscar-nominated Buena Vista Social Club documentary by Wim Wenders, the Tony Knox documentary Salon of Dreams, or the DVDs Live in Japan or Live in The Hague.
In 2002, de Marcos founded his own independent label, DM Ahora! Records, with which he released the Afro-Cuban All Stars’ albums Live in Japan and Step Forward (which was Grammy nominated in 2006). He also released A Diario (Telmary) and Goza Pepillo (Interactivo), projects that represent a new generation of Cuban music, one that fuses hip-hop with contemporary Cuban genres. More recently de Marcos, along with his wife Gliceria Abreu, has founded, GG and LL, a musical production company based in Mexico City that aims to create a space for the new Latin American Music, especially that interpreted by songwriters.
The recent plans for the Afro-Cuban All Stars include the recording of the albums Breaking the Rules and Step Backward. This documents de Marcos’ latest project, where he has gathered the most remarkable expatriate Cuban musicians from around the world. This new version of the Afro-Cuban All Stars started touring internationally from February 2009 and its debut was in the United States, Singapore and Canada.
Fiesta De La Rumba
Afro Cuban All Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que gocen de salud y prosperidad
Mañana te espero niña, mañana te
Espero niña, y no dejes de venir
Mira que mi alma está penando por ti
Penando por ti
Hace falta una ponina pa'comprar una
Botella, consorte
Oye yo no tengo nada boncó, mira a ver
A maceo, asere
Asere, yo no tengo dos fulas
Tu siempre estás en lo mismo
Oye Monina, yo si no tengo na', pa', que sepas
Pero en la shopping, hay que comprar y
Son siete faos
Maceo tiene dos faos, cuanto tu tienes virgilio?
Oye yo te dije que tenía veinte quilos de fao
Luis, tú que estás en la volá, de
¿Himely no te pagó la gasolina?
Mira, yo no tomo, pero como ustedes son mis socios
Yo tengo medio fao aquí que se lo voy a prestar
Yo no sé, a mi me gusta el lager, yo quiero mi lager
Bueno, vamos a hablar con David Flower
Que trae fulas
¡Oye, no se compliquen caballeros
Vamos a tamor chispa!
Escobillones baratos, paños de hule de mesa
Para la niña y para señora
A peseta el pan de piquito
¡Ay! Pero mira morena como vengo bailando
Te estoy llamando pa'los sitios
Bombo, pero boubolaye, magüé, magüé
¡Ay!
Lo, lo, lo, lo ¡cómo vengo gozando ahora!
Esa niña que me está llamando, señora, señora
¡Qué viene saliendo la aurora!
¡Ay pero, mira, mira etc qué lindo!
Recoge un poquito y ven a bailar
¡El! Que cayohueso, a tí te está llamando morena
Pan de a quilo, ven conmigo que te estoy buscando
Oh, lo, lo, lo
Suavecito, yo vengo quaranchando bueno
¡Qué bueno, qué bueno!
¡Ay, cosita buena!
¡Ven, ven, ven que te estoy vacilando!
¡Es que esa niñita, a mi también me está llamando!
Si, cuba hermósa
¡Qué linda, qué primorosa, bonco!
¡Qué yo me voy a gozar, con mi
Ahí!
Pero ven, ven, que, ven a gozar morena
Pero morena, morena, morena, qué
Buena y qué linda
The lyrics of "Fiesta De La Rumba" by Afro Cuban All Stars are an ode to the joys of life, love and happiness. The song is written in Spanish and features a lively and upbeat rhythm that transports the listener to the streets of Cuba, where the rumba is king. The lyrics are playful, flirtatious and colloquial, reflecting the spirit of the dance and the people who celebrate it.
The song opens with a wish for health and prosperity in the coming year, setting the tone for a festive celebration. The main verses consist of banter and flirtation between the male and female voices, with exchanges about buying drinks, having no money, and needing a partner to dance with. The chorus is an invitation to dance and enjoy life, with the repeated line "ven a gozar morena" (come and enjoy, my beautiful/dark-skinned woman).
Throughout the lyrics, there are references to specific cultural elements of Cuba, such as the "ponina" (a type of small currency), the "maceo" (a denomination of Cuban peso), and the "bombo" (a type of drum used in rumba music). The playful banter and use of colloquial phrases reflect the informal style of rumba music and the spirit of spontaneity and improvisation at the heart of the dance.
Line by Line Meaning
Para el año venidero, señores
Wishing good health and prosperity for the upcoming year, gentlemen.
Que gocen de salud y prosperidad
May you all enjoy good health and prosperity.
Mañana te espero niña, mañana te
I'll be waiting for you tomorrow, my girl, don't fail to come, my soul is suffering for you.
Espero niña, y no dejes de venir
Don't forget to come, my girl.
Mira que mi alma está penando por ti
My soul is pining for you, don't make it suffer.
Oye valoy, asere
Hey friend, listen up.
Hace falta una ponina pa'comprar una
We need some money to buy a bottle of liquor.
Botella, consorte
Bottle, my friend.
Oye yo no tengo nada boncó, mira a ver
Hey, I have no money, can you help me out?
A maceo, asere
Hey, Maceo, my friend.
Asere, yo no tengo dos fulas
My friend, I don't have any money.
Tu siempre estás en lo mismo
You're always on about the same thing!
Oye Monina, yo si no tengo na', pa', que sepas
Hey, Monina, I have nothing, just so you know.
Pero en la shopping, hay que comprar y
But we need to buy things at the shops.
Son siete faos
It's seven pesos.
Maceo tiene dos faos, cuanto tu tienes virgilio?
Maceo has two pesos, how much do you have, Virgilio?
Oye yo te dije que tenía veinte quilos de fao
Hey, I told you I have twenty pesos.
Luis, tú que estás en la volá, de
Luis, you're in the know about these things.
¿Himely no te pagó la gasolina?
Didn't Himely pay you for the gasoline?
Mira, yo no tomo, pero como ustedes son mis socios
I don't drink, but since you're my partners.
Yo tengo medio fao aquí que se lo voy a prestar
I have half a peso here that I'll lend you.
Yo no sé, a mi me gusta el lager, yo quiero mi lager
I don't know, I like lager and I want my lager!
Bueno, vamos a hablar con David Flower
Alright, let's talk to David Flower.
Que trae fulas
He's got money.
¡Oye, no se compliquen caballeros
Hey, let's not make things complicated, gentlemen.
Vamos a tamor chispa!
Let's have some fun!
Escobillones baratos, paños de hule de mesa
Cheap brushes, tablecloths.
Para la niña y para señora
For the girl and the lady.
A peseta el pan de piquito
One peseta for a small bread roll.
¡Ay! Pero mira morena como vengo bailando
Oh! Look, my girl, how I'm dancing!
Te estoy llamando pa'los sitios
I'm inviting you to come with me to the places I go.
Bombo, pero boubolaye, magüé, magüé
Bombo, but boubolaye, magüé, magüé.
¡Ay!
Oh!
Lo, lo, lo, lo ¡cómo vengo gozando ahora!
Oh, how I'm enjoying myself now!
Esa niña que me está llamando, señora, señora
That girl is calling my name, miss, miss.
¡Qué viene saliendo la aurora!
Look at the dawn rising!
¡Ay pero, mira, mira, etc qué lindo!
Oh, but look, look, etc how lovely!
Recoge un poquito y ven a bailar
Get yourself together and come dance.
¡El! Que cayohueso, a ti te está llamando morena
Hey, my friend, my girl is calling you.
Pan de a quilo, ven conmigo que te estoy buscando
One-kilo bread, come with me, I'm looking for you.
Oh, lo, lo, lo
Oh, lo, lo, lo.
Suavecito, yo vengo quaranchando bueno
Nice and smooth, I'm enjoying myself.
¡Qué bueno, qué bueno!
How good, how good!
¡Ay, cosita buena!
Oh, good thing!
¡Ven, ven, ven que te estoy vacilando!
Come, come, come, I'm teasing you!
¡Es que esa niñita, a mi también me está llamando!
That girl is calling me too!
Si, cuba hermósa
Yes, beautiful Cuba.
¡Qué linda, qué primorosa, bonco!
How beautiful, how lovely, excellent!
¡Qué yo me voy a gozar, con mi ahí!
I'm going to enjoy myself with my friends!
Pero ven, ven, que, ven a gozar morena
But come, come, come and enjoy yourself, my girl.
Pero morena, morena, morena, qué buena y qué linda
But my girl, my girl, my girl, how good and how beautiful you are.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JUAN DE MARCOS GONZALEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind