His parents were immigrants from Ecuador, but Roberto grew up in the materialistic lifestyle of southern Florida, U.S.A. Pounding bass beats from passing cars, boom boxes bouncing down the block, and late-night parties provided a foundation for Lange’s interest in sound.
Lange has collaborated with visual and sound artist David Ellis to compose a new series of kinetic sound sculptures. These include typewriters that self-type the lyrics to Grand Master Flash's "The Message" (in rhythm to the song, none-the-less), musical owls drawn out of liquor bottles, owl costumes made out of straws, flying musical birds, motion paintings, and trashcans (full of trash) that are actually living drum machines. Lange has also worked with Paul Duncan and Bear in Heaven as well as famed music producer Guillermo Scott Herren to produce Prefuse 73 and Savath and Savalas as an active member and contributor.
Lange's other projects include ROM, Epstein, as well as Helado Negro. Epstein is Lange's “beats and loops” project, a friendly beast born of the MPC sampler. Epstein's wildly prolific output, including a series of digital releases, full-lengths, and a remix album, is a gauzy, sunny kind of dance music that references DJ mixing, summertime block parties, and mellow compositional noise.
Helado Negro began when Lange moved to New York in 2006. The early group concept grew through projects and experiments Roberto would conduct while recording himself and others in his home studio. Loops, computer synthesis, record samples, and live instruments provided the foundation for the first full-length, Awe Owe, a vibrant, shimmering, full-band Latin psyche-funk-folk epic.
After taking time to create a new series of sound sculptures, release a Helado Negro EP, score one film and begin work on another (based around his animation), Lange recently holed up in a cabin in the Connecticut woods to record the follow-up to Awe Owe. Canta Lechuza is the latest incarnation of Helado Negro and its sound may come as a surprise. Gone is the big collaborative group jam of previous work and in its place is Helado-Negro-as-intimate-solo-project. Canta Lechuza feels like the place it was recorded—its vocals and beats and synth lines coming together to craft a warm, buoyant, comforting electronic dance sound, an effortless, personal thing anchored by Lange's warm, earthy, conversational voice. Based around field recordings and live instrumentation fed through computer processing, Canta Lechuza is a thoroughly modern affair.
Sabana de luz
Helado Negro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leí tu nombre
Nadie quiere pensar
Que hay algo en la nada
Y el cuerpo de luz aparece
Cuando veo, oh
Tu cara, ah
Cuando guiño, oh
A tu alma, ah
Sábado se quedan
Dormidos todo el día
Sábanas de estrellas
Resbalan sobre mí, oh oh
Y tu cuerpo de luz brilla
Y tu cuerpo de luz sale
Este cuerpo, oh
Tiene millones de dolores
In the first verse of "Sabana de luz," Helado Negro expresses a connection to someone that transcends time. The line "Y hace mil años, leí tu nombre" (And a thousand years ago, I read your name) suggests a deep familiarity with this person, as if their name has been etched in the singer's mind for centuries. However, the following line, "Nadie quiere pensar que hay algo en la nada" (No one wants to think that there is something in nothing), reflects the fear or hesitation to acknowledge the existence of such a connection. It implies that others may dismiss or overlook the significance of their bond, perhaps because it arises from an intangible or elusive place.
The chorus portrays the manifestation of a "body of light" when encountering the person referred to. This light seems to be both literal and metaphorical, representing the glow and radiance that emanates from this person's presence. The lyrics "Y el cuerpo de luz aparece / Cuando veo, oh / Tu cara, ah" (And the body of light appears / When I see, oh / Your face, ah) illustrate the transformative power of encountering this person and the profound impact it has on the singer's perception and experience.
The second verse introduces the idea of the "Sábana de estrellas" (Sheets of stars) where the characters spend their Saturdays. Here, the lyrics shift to a dream-like atmosphere, as indicated by the line "Sábado se quedan dormidos todo el día" (On Saturdays, they sleep all day). This conjures images of lazy, tranquil days, where time seems to lose its significance. The metaphor of "sheets of stars" sliding over the singer further emphasizes the dreamy state, as if they are floating or enveloped in a cosmic embrace. This celestial imagery enhances the sense of the magical connection between the singer and the person they are addressing.
The final lines of the chorus convey a sense of longing and pain within the singer. The lyrics "Y tu cuerpo de luz brilla / Y tu cuerpo de luz sale / Este cuerpo, oh / Tiene millones de dolores" (And your body of light shines / And your body of light emerges / This body, oh / Has millions of pains) suggest that while the connection with this person is powerful and luminous, it doesn't eliminate the pain or challenges that the singer experiences. It highlights the complexity of relationships and the coexistence of joy and anguish within them. This juxtaposition of light and darkness further underscores the richness and depth of the connection portrayed in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Y hace mil, años
And a thousand years ago
Leí tu nombre
I read your name
Nadie quiere pensar
Nobody wants to think
Que hay algo en la nada
That there's something in nothing
Y el cuerpo de luz aparece
And the body of light appears
Cuando veo, oh
When I see, oh
Tu cara, ah
Your face, ah
Y mi cuerpo de luz aparece
And my body of light appears
Cuando guiño, oh
When I wink, oh
A tu alma, ah
At your soul, ah
Sábado se quedan
Saturday stays
Dormidos todo el día
Sleeping all day
Sábanas de estrellas
Sheets of stars
Resbalan sobre mí, oh oh
Slide over me, oh oh
Y tu cuerpo de luz brilla
And your body of light shines
Y tu cuerpo de luz sale
And your body of light comes out
Este cuerpo, oh
This body, oh
Tiene millones de dolores
Has millions of pains
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Roberto Carlos Lange
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Johana Quintero
Y hace mil años
Leí tu nombre
Nadie quiere pensar
Que hay algo en la nada
Y el cuerpo de luz aparece
Cuando veo, oh
Tu cara, ah
Y mi cuerpo de luz aparece, eh
Cuando guiño, oh
A tu alma, ah
Sábado se quedan
Dormidos todo el día
Sábanas de estrellas
Resbalan sobre mí, oh oh
Y tu cuerpo de luz brilla
Y tu cuerpo de luz sale
Este cuerpo, oh
Tiene millones de dolores
Ge De De
"Frazada de cactus"
Alguien se enreda en los astros,
y cae a la tierra,
y no sabe volver
son dos enormes bocas,
de un río,
que cantan y cantan
y no saben porque
frazada de cactus
estómago de miradas.
L.A.S.
Johana Quintero
Y hace mil años
Leí tu nombre
Nadie quiere pensar
Que hay algo en la nada
Y el cuerpo de luz aparece
Cuando veo, oh
Tu cara, ah
Y mi cuerpo de luz aparece, eh
Cuando guiño, oh
A tu alma, ah
Sábado se quedan
Dormidos todo el día
Sábanas de estrellas
Resbalan sobre mí, oh oh
Y tu cuerpo de luz brilla
Y tu cuerpo de luz sale
Este cuerpo, oh
Tiene millones de dolores
pan y vino
Esta es ya una de mis canciones favoritas de la vida, mística y hermosa :)
Eri Muñoz
❤️✨❤️✨❤️
Ge De De
"Frazada de cactus"
Alguien se enreda en los astros,
y cae a la tierra,
y no sabe volver
son dos enormes bocas,
de un río,
que cantan y cantan
y no saben porque
frazada de cactus
estómago de miradas.
L.A.S.
B Hidalgo
Muchas gracias por este maravilloso album que nos has regalado. Espero poder verte algún día en Madrid.
Rafael Gamas
Una de mis canciones favoritas sin lugar a dudas. Talento latinoamericano!
José Antonio Miranda Arpide
Hermosa canción, la amooooo.
Eri Muñoz
This is just so beautiful <3
valeria lorenzo
hermosa cancion
Saymon de César Reis
Meu Deus do céu, Roberto Carlos... cadê a piedade com meu coração?