Piña was a pioneer in the mixture and fusion of tropical sounds with many of his works having elements of cumbia, regional mexicano, cumbia sonidera, ska, reggae, rap/hip-hop, R&B, etc. Piña is also known as El Rebelde del acordeón or the Cacique de la Campana.
Piña started playing music in his hometown Monterrey with his brothers Eduardo, Rubén and Enrique. Together they would go to several homes and perform for local citizens, especially teenage girls from their neighborhood.
In 1980, Celso Piña bought his first accordion and was introduced to the world of musica norteña. He spent numerous hours of practice and work in the popular district of La Colonia Independencia, south of the city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Having lived for a majority of his life there, he titled one of his songs Mi colonia Independencia, which is located at the heavily populated area of Cerro de la Campana, near of the downtown in Monterrey.
Piña's group decided to change their musical rhythm to encompass a more tropical style during the mid-1980s after having seen Aníbal Velásquez and Alfredo Gutiérrez in concert at "Baile de las Cintas (reproducción de música mediante cintas)". The group decided to switch into the genre of cumbia, and became what today is Celso Piña y su Ronda Bogotá.
Piña taught himself how to play the accordion with no formal training. As a result he was able to create the unique sound he is well known for. His most popular songs include, La quebradita de la paz, El tren, Como el viento and La piragua by José Barros. He was featured in the song Sufran con lo que yo gozo along with Mexican singer Gloria Trevi.
Celso had several successful international tours that included countries as Germany, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Switzerland, Morocco, Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Argentina, Chile, Canada and the United States.
On August 21, 2019, Piña died from a heart attack in Monterrey, Mexico at the age of 66.
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Celso Piña was a Mexican singer, composer and accordionist. In 2002, Pina was nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards: "Best Contemporary Tropical Album" and "Best New Artist From the North" as well as for "Best Alternative Artist" by the MTV Latino Awards. He is also know by the nicknames: El Rebelde del Acordeón and Cacique de la Campana.
He's an accordion player and singer who has risen to be one of the most notable figures in cumbia music. Cumbia has it's origins in Colombia's African and indigenous populations but has since spread to be one of the most universal Latin American genres. Celso Piña is a pioneer in mixing or blending a tropical base with popular genres from Norteño to Sonidero, Ska, Reggae, Rap, Hip Hop, and R&B.
Celso's album Barrio Bravo, which includes collaborations with other popular Latin musicans of various genres, produced the mega crossover hit Cumbia Sobre el Rio. He made a special appearance on the track Sufran Con Lo Que Yo Gozo by Gloria Trevi. He also played with the likes of: Lila Downs, Control Machete, El Gran Silencio, Los Humildes, Julieta Venegas, Blanquito Man and Sargento García.
But it was in the year 1980 when Celso Piña bought his first accordion to enter the world of vallenato music, with long hours of trial and effort, in the popular suburb Independencia, south of the city of Monterrey. In this area there was a very well know cumbia called Mi Colonia Independencia.
In the mid 1980s they changed their musical style and began playing tropical music. After listening to the distinguished Aníbal Velasquez and Alfredo Gutierrez during a baile de cintas (dancing with ribbons to music playback), decided to enter fully into the vallenata music, and so he formed his own band Celso Piña y su Ronda Bogotá.
Piña began playing regional music from long ago together with his brothers Eduardo, Rubén, and Enrique together serenading the neighborhood with all the girls on the block. Celso is a self-taught accordion, not attending any school and so just by practising again and again, as to come to a style of his own. From its early beginnings as several important cumbias La cumbia de la paz, El Tren, Como el Viento and his very famous version of La piragua (José Barros).
Cumbia sobre el río / Interludio
Celso Piña Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A ver toca en vivo, noo pues quien la va a tocar en vivo
Pues yo la voy a tocar compadre, y ahi'ta y ya hace veinte años...
Oye no se oye de aqui tony, no se oye guey
Noo... aahh.
Y en el nuevo milenio, sigue cabalgando triunfante
Y desde monterrey, una cumbia colombiana
Para todo el mundo...
Mira emociona y suena,
Si ya agua ritmo lleva
Ella como gira y vuela
Mientras aquel se menea
Aquel se menea
Y un saludo para todos mis seguidores
My much respect to la campana
Celso piña yessh yes in a the area
Cummbiaa sonidero sonidero sonidero nacional...
Sonidero nacional tarareando el compas
Salido del barrio vallenato freestyle
Sonidero nacional tarareando el compas
Salido del barrio meca mexican, meca mexican...
El rio y la cadencia buena
Sobre melodia sueña
Ella como gira y vuela
Mientras, aquel se menea
Aquel se menea, aquel se menea...
Y para mi buen hermano lalo y sus cuatro cuerdas magicas
Y el blue de piña, el quique y el celso piña
Aqui presente compa... suena, suena y emociona
Nuestra, nuestra acordeona
Cumbia by de river
Sweet bless this you're the leader
Right no fighters
Word of jah believe it
Columbia te canto con la mano arriba
Cumbia reggae-sound alegrandote la vida
Chilling en la cima, suena nueva rima
Bailando en la campana con mi pana celso piña
Rubahada, cumbia fina
Bailando en la campana con mi pana celso piña
Voy a aprovechar para mandar saludar
A quien comenzo a bailar
Zarandeando el compas
Aprieto y sintonizar
Cuando comienza a soñar
Desde el rio en la ciudad
Nunca deja de soñar
Suena, suena y emociona
Nuestra, nuestra acordeona
Que pasa nelly santana?, baila con el rebelde
Y al buen paso, un gran saludo
Y al blanquito man de venezuela nueva york
De nueva york a monterrey... miren como la goza
Suena, suena y emociona
Nuestra, nuestra acordeona
Suena nuestra acordeona
The lyrics to Celso Pina's song Cumbia Sobre el Río / Interludio describe the power and energy of live music, particularly the power of the accordion, as it has been played for over twenty years. The singer questions why this music is not played live, and then decides to take on the task himself. The song then jumps to a celebration of Celso Piña, the rebel of the accordion, and his band Ronda Bogota. The song acknowledges the influence of Colombian cumbia on the world and highlights the energy and movement that this music inspires.
The lyrics also contain shoutouts to different people and groups of fans, showcasing the community that this music creates. The song suggests that the power of cumbia and the accordion comes from a connection to the river and the cadence of its flow. The song's chants and repetition of "suena, suena y emociona, nuestra, nuestra acordeona" (it sounds, it sounds and excites, our, our accordeon) highlight the power and importance of live music, particularly the accordion, in creating a powerful and emotional experience for those listening and dancing.
Line by Line Meaning
Pero esta musica porque no se toca en vivo
Why isn't this music played live?
A ver toca en vivo, noo pues quien la va a tocar en vivo
Who's gonna play it live then? I will, buddy, I have been for 20 years.
Pues yo la voy a tocar compadre, y ahi'ta y ya hace veinte años...
I'll play it, my friend. I've been doing it for twenty years now.
Oye no se oye de aqui tony, no se oye guey
I can't hear it from here, Tony. I can't hear it, guy.
Noo... aahh.
No, aah.
Y en el nuevo milenio, sigue cabalgando triunfante
In the new millennium, it continues to ride triumphantly.
El rebelde del acordeon, celso piña y su ronda bogota
The rebel of the accordion, Celso Piña and his Ronda Bogotá.
Y desde monterrey, una cumbia colombiana
And from Monterrey, a Colombian cumbia.
Para todo el mundo...
For everyone...
Mira emociona y suena,
Look, it excites and sounds,
Si ya agua ritmo lleva
If it already has rhythm,
Ella como gira y vuela
She spins and flies,
Mientras aquel se menea
While that one shakes.
Aquel se menea
That one shakes.
Y un saludo para todos mis seguidores
And a greeting to all my followers.
My much respect to la campana
My utmost respect to La Campana.
Celso piña yessh yes in a the area
Celso Piña, yes in the area.
Cummbiaa sonidero sonidero sonidero nacional...
Cumbia sound system, sound system, national sound system...
Sonidero nacional tarareando el compas
National sound system humming the beat.
Salido del barrio vallenato freestyle
Coming out of the Vallenato freestyle neighborhood.
Sonidero nacional tarareando el compas
National sound system humming the beat.
Salido del barrio meca mexican, meca mexican...
Coming out of the Meca Mexican neighborhood, Meca Mexican...
El rio y la cadencia buena
The river and the good cadence,
Sobre melodia sueña
Dreams over melody,
Ella como gira y vuela
She spins and flies,
Mientras, aquel se menea
While that one shakes.
Aquel se menea, aquel se menea...
That one shakes, that one shakes...
Y para mi buen hermano lalo y sus cuatro cuerdas magicas
And for my good brother Lalo and his four magical strings.
Y el blue de piña, el quique y el celso piña
And the blue of Piña, Quique, and Celso Piña.
Aqui presente compa... suena, suena y emociona
Here, compa, present... it sounds, it sounds, and excites.
Nuestra, nuestra acordeona
Our, our accordion.
Cumbia by de river
Cumbia by the river,
Sweet bless this you're the leader
Sweet bless this, you're the leader.
Right no fighters
Right, no fighters.
Word of jah believe it
Word of Jah, believe it.
Columbia te canto con la mano arriba
Colombia, I sing to you with my hands up.
Cumbia reggae-sound alegrandote la vida
Cumbia reggae sound, making your life happier.
Chilling en la cima, suena nueva rima
Chilling at the top, a new rhyme sounds.
Bailando en la campana con mi pana celso piña
Dancing in La Campana with my buddy Celso Piña.
Rubahada, cumbia fina
Rub a dub, fine cumbia.
Bailando en la campana con mi pana celso piña
Dancing in La Campana with my buddy Celso Piña.
Voy a aprovechar para mandar saludar
I'm gonna take the opportunity to send greetings.
A quien comenzo a bailar
To those who started dancing.
Zarandeando el compas
Shaking the beat.
Aprieto y sintonizar
I tighten and tune in.
Cuando comienza a soñar
When it begins to dream.
Desde el rio en la ciudad
From the river in the city.
Nunca deja de soñar
It never stops dreaming.
Suena, suena y emociona
It sounds, it sounds, and excites.
Nuestra, nuestra acordeona
Our, our accordion.
Que pasa nelly santana?, baila con el rebelde
What's up, Nelly Santana? Dance with the rebel.
Y al buen paso, un gran saludo
And a big greeting to the good step.
Y al blanquito man de venezuela nueva york
And to Blanquito Man from Venezuela, New York.
De nueva york a monterrey... miren como la goza
From New York to Monterrey... look how they enjoy it.
Suena, suena y emociona
It sounds, it sounds, and excites.
Nuestra, nuestra acordeona
Our, our accordion.
Writer(s): Gildardo Montoya
Contributed by Camden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.