Alabina (aka Alabína), is a France-based worldbeat group which performs a m… Read Full Bio ↴Alabina (aka Alabína), is a France-based worldbeat group which performs a mix of Middle Eastern (Arabic and Hebrew), French and Spanish gypsy music. Members include Eti Zach (lead vocal - Hebrew: אישתאר, best known as Ishtar and Ishtar Alabina) and all of Los Niños de Sara (aka Los Ninos De Sara): Antoine Contreras (guitar, lead male vocals), Ramón Compas (guitar), Santiago Lorente (guitar) and Coco (percussion, backing vocals). They début with the album "Alabina" (Nov 1996, Atoll - aka Alabína's "Alabina") and their latest is the single "Loli, Lolita, Lola" (1999, UDP).

Zach frequently sings in Arabic, complementing the Spanish of rest of the band. She often sings Arabic-style, with a wavering voice and trilling. Occasionally she joins the others in Spanish (Los Niños de Sara, are four cousins, who perform only in Spanish).

Zach is frequently featured on the band's album covers.

La Cubanita
Alabina Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hay va yame
Ay va yame

(Chorus) repeat twice
La otra noche en una juerga
Yo vi que baila un negra
Esa negra me baliaba
Ese ritmo tropical

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (ven tu mami, contigo)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (hay, ven, ven, ven)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical

(Chorus) repeat twice
La otra noche en una juerga
Yo vi que baila una negra
Esa negra me baliaba
Ese ritmo tropical

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (ven tu mami, contigo)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (hay, ven, ven, ven)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (ven tu mami, contigo)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical

Ay mi cubana
Ay como la quiero
Cubana, cubana, cubana
Ay que eres mi vida

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (hay vente tu conmigo)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (hay, ven, ven, ven)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (ven tu mami contigo)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical

Ole, ole, asi se toca.! vamonos!
! Azucar!

(Chorus repeat twice)

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (amonos cubana, eehh)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (! ay, ay, ay, cubana!,! yo quiero ir contigo!)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (! ay, mi cubana!, yo me quiero ir contigo!)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (! ay, ven, ven, ven!)

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (! ay cuba linda de mi vida!)
Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical

Overall Meaning

The song "La Cubanita" by Alabina talks about the experience of the singer attending a party and seeing a black woman dancing to the tropical rhythm. The lyrics describe the scene vividly, with the singer emphasizing how the black woman's dance moves perfectly match the tropical rhythm. The singer is captivated and drawn towards the woman, hoping to dance with her and share the experience of the rhythm. The chorus of the song is repeated twice, with the singer expressing how positively entranced they are by the tropical rhythm.

As the song progresses, the singer exclaims how much they love this Cuban woman and repeatedly mentions her in the lyrics. The singer expresses their desire to go with her with repeated cries of "ay" and "ven." The song concludes with the singer exclaiming how much they adore the Cuban culture and how much they want to experience it.

Overall, the song is a celebration of Cuban culture and music, with the singer expressing their deep love and passion for it. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a vibrant and lively party, with the tropical rhythm captivating everyone.

Line by Line Meaning

Hay va yame
Here it comes

Ay va yame
Here it comes

La otra noche en una juerga
The other night at a party

Yo vi que baila un negra
I saw a black girl dancing

Esa negra me baliaba
That black girl was dancing with me

Ese ritmo tropical
The tropical rhythm

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (ven tu mami, contigo)
Here it comes, that tropical rhythm (come with me, darling)

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (hay, ven, ven, ven)
Here it comes, that tropical rhythm (come, come, come)

Ay mi cubana
Oh my Cuban girl

Ay como la quiero
Oh how I love her

Cubana, cubana, cubana
Cuban, Cuban, Cuban

Ay que eres mi vida
Oh you are my life

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (hay vente tu conmigo)
Here it comes, that tropical rhythm (come with me)

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (ven tu mami contigo)
Here it comes, that tropical rhythm (come with me, darling)

Ole, ole, asi se toca.! vamonos!
Ole, ole, that's how it's played! Let's go!

! Azucar!
Sugar!

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (amonos cubana, eehh)
Here it comes, that tropical rhythm (let's go, Cuban girl, come on)

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (! ay, ay, ay, cubana!,! yo quiero ir contigo!)
Here it comes, that tropical rhythm (oh, oh, oh, Cuban girl! I want to go with you!)

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (! ay, mi cubana!, yo me quiero ir contigo!)
Here it comes, that tropical rhythm (oh, my Cuban girl! I want to go with you!)

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (! ay, ven, ven, ven!)
Here it comes, that tropical rhythm (oh, come, come, come!)

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical (! ay cuba linda de mi vida!)
Here it comes, that tropical rhythm (oh, beautiful Cuba of my life!)

Ay va yame, ese ritmo tropical
Here it comes, that tropical rhythm

Writer(s): Santiago Antoine, Antoine Contreras, Ramon Campos, Georges Lionel Teboul, Jean Michel Motos

Contributed by Joseph L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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