Yo la vi
Dioris Valladares and His Orchestra Lyrics


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Six lessons from Madame La Zonga
You do the Rumba and the new La Conga
Six lessons in Madame's cabana
And you will imagine you're down in Havana

Her four Latin daughters will help you to start
While finding the rhythm you might lose your heart
Six lessons from Madame La Zonga
And you'll develop your hip and your knee
And say, by the way, if you're sure it's okay
If Madame likes you, the lessons are free

Rosita gives you lesson one,
Chiquita gives you lesson two
Madame gives you all the rest
And her methods are the best

The Madame shows you how to walk
The Madame marks it with her chalk
When the Madame starts to squawk
That's her Cuban double talk

Six lessons from Madame La Zonga
And you'll develop your hip and your knee
And say, by the way, if your sure it's OK




If Madame likes you, the lessons are free
If Madame likes you, the lessons are free!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dioris Valladares and His Orchestra’s song, “Yo La Vi,” tell the story of an individual who wants to learn how to dance the Rumba and La Conga just like they do down in Havana, Cuba. The individual seeks help from Madame La Zonga and her four Latin daughters who will help them find the rhythm they need. The song claims that after six lessons with Madame La Zonga and her daughters, the individual will have developed their hip and their knee and will be able to move just like they do in Cuba.


The lyrics of the song emphasize Madame La Zonga's unique methods as the best way for the individual to learn to dance. However, the Madame uses "Cuban double talk" to communicate, which may be confusing to the individual during the lessons. Additionally, the song implies that Madame only offers the lessons for free if she likes the individual seeking assistance.


Line by Line Meaning

Six lessons from Madame La Zonga
By taking six lessons from Madame La Zonga, you can learn how to dance the Rumba and the new La Conga


You do the Rumba and the new La Conga
Madame La Zonga teaches you how to dance the Rumba and the new La Conga


Six lessons in Madame's cabana
You will take six dance lessons with Madame La Zonga in her cabana


And you will imagine you're down in Havana
The dance lessons will make you feel like you're in Havana


Her four Latin daughters will help you to start
Madame La Zonga's four Latin daughters will assist beginners in starting to learn how to dance


While finding the rhythm you might lose your heart
It's possible to become so engrossed in finding the rhythm that you may become emotionally invested in the dance


And you'll develop your hip and your knee
Through the lessons, you will improve your hip and knee movement while dancing


And say, by the way, if you're sure it's okay
Asking if it's alright, you may let Madame La Zonga know if you're willing to take the free lessons she offers


If Madame likes you, the lessons are free
If Madame La Zonga likes you, she will allow you to take lessons without payment


Rosita gives you lesson one,
Rosita, one of Madame La Zonga's daughters, teaches the first lesson


Chiquita gives you lesson two
Chiquita, another one of Madame La Zonga's daughters, teaches the second lesson


Madame gives you all the rest
Madame La Zonga teaches all the remaining lessons herself


And her methods are the best
Madame La Zonga's teaching methods are considered superior


The Madame shows you how to walk
Madame La Zonga demonstrates how to walk while dancing


The Madame marks it with her chalk
Madame La Zonga uses chalk to mark dance steps on the floor as a teaching aid


When the Madame starts to squawk
When Madame La Zonga starts speaking in her unique Cuban dialect


That's her Cuban double talk
The unique dialect Madame La Zonga speaks is referred to as Cuban double talk




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHARLES NEWMAN, JAMES V. MONACO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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