Although most people have labeled Calle 13's music as reggaeton, they have tried to distance themselves from the style. Visitante, being a professional musician, tries to fuse diverse styles in the group's songs. Early cuts featured elements from jazz, bossa nova and salsa, while recent songs feature cumbia, tango, electronica and others. In their recent tours around Latin America they have added different musical elements according to the place the band is playing in, yet many of their songs carry the traditional reggaeton "Dem Bow" beat such as in their hit Tango del Pecado and the remix to "Suave".
Singer Residente is reluctant to label their music in a specific genre, instead calling it plain urban style. He has a clear preference of hip hop over traditional reggaeton and both he and his brother justify it by saying that only three songs out of fifteen songs in their eponymous debut album, as well as four out of fifteen songs in their album "Residente o Visitante", feature reggaetón beats.
Residente's lyrical style is inspired partly by the lyrical approach used by artists such as Vico C and Tego Calderón, trying to minimize what they refer to as "clichés" of the genre -such as open confrontations with other rappers, known in Spanish as "tira'era", or tiradera. Residente's trademark, by his own account, is a lyrical style full of sarcasm, satire, parody and shock value, which some critics and fans have likened to Eminem's. It also uses Puerto Rican slang considerably (which in turn incorporates a sizeable dose of Spanglish), as well as allegory.
Residente's distinctive lyrics treat a wide and random variety of subjects. He mentions (and sometimes derides) celebrities and known icons such as Diddy in the song "Pi-Di-Di-Di (La Especialidad de la Casa)" ("The Specialty of the House"); Mickey Mouse, Red Man, and 2Pac, in "Tengo Hambre" ("I'm Hungry"); 50 Cent in "La Crema" ("The Cream"); Madonna ("I mean, Maradona", Residente says) in "Sin Exagerar"; Puerto Rican singer Nydia Caro (rather affectionately) in "La Era de la Copiaera", wrestler Abdullah the Butcher in Tributo a la Policía ("A Tribute to Police"), and most controversially, his diss track aimed at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Querido F.B.I. ("Dear F.B.I."). The song "A Limpiar El Sucio" ("Cleaning Up The Dirt") is rumored to be a veiled (some say direct) attack on Puerto Rican entertainment journalist Milly Cangiano.
Visitante, on the other hand, is strongly influenced by electronica, world music, and particularly Latin American folk and popular music. Recently, Visitante has claimed to be influenced by music from Central Europe such as Fanfare Ciocarlia (particularly its collaboration with Roma band Kaloome, also known as "The Gypsy Kings and Queens") and Emir Kusturica's group, "The No Smoking Orchestra". In live presentations, Visitante can be seen playing a variety of instruments: an electric guitar, synthesizers, an accordion, a melodica, a Puerto Rican cuatro and a theremin.
Discography:
2005 - Calle 13
2007 - Residente O Visitante
2008 - Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo
2010 - Entren los Que Quieran
2014 - Multi Viral
2016 - En Vivo En Mexico City (Live)
Todo Se Mueve
Calle 13 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tu cuerpo se construye y se destruye
Se caen los huesos, la piel se estira
Todo lo que tiene ritmo respira
Todo tiene ritmo, todo se menea
Aunque seas paraplejico tu corazón bombea
Marcando el tiempo, un patrón de movimiento
Uso mis latidos como instrumento
Aunque sea sordo lo siento
Hay que moverse, hay que asumir el rol
Como los planetas giran alrededor del sol
La misma órbita, diferente velocidad
Desafiando la ley de gravedad
El volumen de tu cuerpo dando un concierto
Como un huracán moviendo el viento
Todo se mueve, la tierra se mueve
Las piernas se mueven, el agua se mueve
El tiempo se mueve, la sangre se mueve
Cuando yo recito tu te mueves
Todo se mueve, la tierra se mueve
Las piernas se mueven, el agua se mueve
El tiempo se mueve, la sangre se mueve
Cuando yo canto tu te mueves
El sonido baila aunque no lo veas
Sube y baja como la marea
Si te detienes el corazón se atora
Lo que no se mueve no se mejora
Se enferma y se queda quieto
No se reproduce, envejece sin nietos
Por eso no hay excusa para el que no menea
Si no tienes cuerpo menea las ideas
Por dios menea lo que sea
Si no Fela Kuti te va a dar con la correa
No te justifiques, no quiero quejas
Si te aburres solo pues busca una pareja
Lo mio con lo tuyo rima
Como Peru rima con Lima
Baila con todo lo que te rodea
Cuerpo con cuerpo como si fuera una pelea
Nuestra movida violenta mete matadora
Judo, lambada, patadas voladoras
Tírame con todo pero que sea ahora
Se junto la batidora con la lavadora
Todo se mueve, la tierra se mueve
Las piernas se mueven, el agua se mueve
El tiempo se mueve, la sangre se mueve
Cuando yo recito tu te mueves
Todo se mueve, la tierra se mueve
Las piernas se mueven, el agua se mueve
El tiempo se mueve, la sangre se mueve
Cuando yo canto tu te mueves
The song Todo Se Mueve by Calle 13 is a celebration of movement. The lyrics describe how when the beat of the percussion resonates with us, our bodies respond by moving, building and destroying themselves with each passing rhythm. It doesn't matter if we are able-bodied or not, our hearts continue to beat and mark time with the rhythm, using our bodies as instruments. The song acknowledges that everything in the world has its own rhythm, and thus everything moves - the earth, the water, and even time itself. Moving is a part of life, something that cannot be avoided or ignored, and it is important to embrace it and use it to better ourselves.
The lyrics also suggest that movement is necessary for growth and improvement. Inaction leads to stagnation and decay, while movement leads to regeneration and creation. The song encourages the listener to not only move their bodies physically but also to move their ideas and thoughts. It promotes the idea that movement leads to innovation and problem-solving, and that every individual can contribute positively to the world by simply moving forward with their ideas.
Overall, the song is a celebration of the power of movement and rhythm, and how we are all part of this larger cosmic dance. It is a reminder to appreciate the beauty of motion in all its forms.
Line by Line Meaning
Cuando la percusión fluye
When the percussion starts flowing
Tu cuerpo se construye y se destruye
Your body is being built and destroyed rhythmically
Se caen los huesos, la piel se estira
Your bones fall apart, your skin stretches
Todo lo que tiene ritmo respira
Everything that has rhythm breathes
Todo tiene ritmo, todo se menea
Everything has rhythm, everything moves
Aunque seas paraplejico tu corazón bombea
Even if you're paralyzed, your heart beats
Marcando el tiempo, un patrón de movimiento
Marking the time, a pattern of movement
Uso mis latidos como instrumento
I use my heartbeats as an instrument
Todo lo que suena lo siento
I feel everything that sounds
Aunque sea sordo lo siento
Even if I'm deaf, I feel it
Hay que moverse, hay que asumir el rol
We must move, we must assume the role
Como los planetas giran alrededor del sol
Like the planets revolve around the sun
La misma órbita, diferente velocidad
The same orbit, different speed
Desafiando la ley de gravedad
Defying the law of gravity
El volumen de tu cuerpo dando un concierto
The volume of your body giving a concert
Como un huracán moviendo el viento
Like a hurricane moving the wind
El sonido baila aunque no lo veas
The sound dances even if you can't see it
Sube y baja como la marea
It goes up and down like the tide
Si te detienes el corazón se atora
If you stop, your heart gets stuck
Lo que no se mueve no se mejora
What doesn't move doesn't improve
Se enferma y se queda quieto
It gets sick and stays still
No se reproduce, envejece sin nietos
It doesn't reproduce, it ages without grandchildren
Por eso no hay excusa para el que no menea
That's why there's no excuse for not moving
Si no tienes cuerpo menea las ideas
If you don't have a body, move your ideas
Por dios menea lo que sea
For God's sake, move anything
Si no Fela Kuti te va a dar con la correa
Otherwise, Fela Kuti will whip you
No te justifiques, no quiero quejas
Don't justify yourself, I don't want complaints
Si te aburres solo pues busca una pareja
If you're bored, find a partner
Lo mio con lo tuyo rima
My stuff rhymes with your stuff
Como Peru rima con Lima
Like Peru rhymes with Lima
Baila con todo lo que te rodea
Dance with everything around you
Cuerpo con cuerpo como si fuera una pelea
Body to body as if it were a fight
Nuestra movida violenta mete matadora
Our violent move is killer
Judo, lambada, patadas voladoras
Judo, lambada, flying kicks
Tírame con todo pero que sea ahora
Throw everything at me, but do it now
Se junto la batidora con la lavadora
The mixer joined the washing machine
Todo se mueve, la tierra se mueve
Everything moves, the earth moves
Las piernas se mueven, el agua se mueve
Legs move, water moves
El tiempo se mueve, la sangre se mueve
Time moves, blood moves
Cuando yo recito tu te mueves
When I recite, you move
Cuando yo canto tu te mueves
When I sing, you move
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Rene Perez, Eduardo Cabra, Rafael Ignacio Arcaute
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind