Born Peter Nitollano, of African-American/Filipino parents, Joe Bataan grew up in Spanish Harlem, where he ran with Puerto Rican gangs and absorbed R&B, Afro-Cuban and Afro-Rican musical influences. His music career followed a pair of stints in Coxsackie State Prison. Self taught on the piano, he organized his first band in 1965 and scored his first recording success in 1967 with "Gypsy Woman" on Fania Records, . The tune was a hit with the New York Latin market despite the English lyrics sung by Joe, and exemplified the nascent Latin Soul sound. In early anticipation of the disco formula, "Gypsy Woman" created dance energy by alternating what was fundamentally a pop-soul tune with a break featuring double timed hand claps, . Joe would take this tendency even further on his influential Salsoul, which fused funk and latin influences in slick yet soulful orchestrations. Salsoul remains influential as a rare groove cult item, but pointed to the future at the time of its release. The LP embodied the artist's highly deliberate and culturally aware musical concept. Bataan theorized the '70s next big thing as a hybrid: an Afro Cuban rhythm section playing Brazilian influenced patterns over orchestral funk. In many ways, his vision was on the money, though most of the money would go to others, and mainstream stardom would elude him. He did, however, get in on the ground floor of the new trend as an early hit maker. His biggest commercial move was a Salsoul production released under the Epic umbrella, and promoted to the new disco market as Afrofilipino, which included 1975's "The Bottle", a much anthologized classic that drives an R&B horn arrangment with a relentless piano montuno.
Always in touch with the street, Joe Bataan picked up on rap very early in the game. His minor rap hit, "Rap-O, Clap-O" was a bit more successful in Europe than in the States, and is remembered as rap's debut in the European market. Nevertheless, his legacy remains his gritty and realistic Latin soul lyrics, his self identification as an "Ordinary Guy", and his highly personal and prophetic merger of Latin and soul influences.
Mi Nube
Joe Bataan Lyrics
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Para que todos la vieran la pusiste ahí
Para tener una casita entre las estrellas
Para curarme los dolores y todo lo que duela
Para pasear muy alto en mi nube
En el cielo
Para vivir juntos
Pero estoy cansado de vivir en esta nube
Necesito una mujer para que me ayude
Voy a buscar y buscar la vida entera
Hasta que encuentre a la muchacha que me quiera
Para pasear bien alto en mi nube
En el cielo
Para vivir juntos
Hasta que lleguemos a viejos
Hasta que llegue ese día
Estaré aquí
Esperando y buscando
La mujer para mí
Para ocupar el lugar
Todo lo que tenga
Que me guíe
Y me quiera
Y que también
Me comprenda
Con la mujer que me case
En mi nube viviremos ahí
Y haré todo lo que pueda
Para hacerla orgullosa
De casarse conmigo
Mis hijos tener
Uno, dos o tres
O lo que podamos por ser
En el día de mi boda
Le daré a mi esposa
Un collar de estrellas
Del color de las rosas
The song "Mi Nube" by Joe Bataan is a beautiful ballad that is sung as a prayer of thanks to God for the blessings of life. The singer expresses his gratitude for the cloud that was made just for him, which is the symbol of his hopes and dreams. He believes that this cloud is God's way of providing him with a shelter among the stars, a place where he can find peace and healing.
The lyrics of the song also convey his longing for a romantic relationship with a woman who will share his journey through life. He speaks of his determination to search for his soulmate until he finds her, and when he does, he will do everything in his power to make her feel proud to be his wife. The song's refrain talks about their aspirations to fly high in the sky, to live together until old age, and to have children who will bring them joy.
The message of the song is one of faith and hope. The singer sees the cloud as a metaphor for his life's journey, which he knows can be difficult at times, but he trusts that God will guide him through it. At the same time, he acknowledges and embraces the human need for companionship and love. It is a poignant expression of the human experience that resonates with listeners worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
Gracias Señor por la nube que hiciste para mí
Thank you Lord for the cloud you made for me
Para que todos la vieran la pusiste ahí
So that everyone could see it you put it there
Para tener una casita entre las estrellas
To have a little house among the stars
Para curarme los dolores y todo lo que duela
To heal my pains and anything that hurts
Para pasear muy alto en mi nube
To take a very high stroll in my cloud
En el cielo
In the sky
Para vivir juntos
To live together
Hasta que lleguemos a viejos
Until we grow old
Pero estoy cansado de vivir en esta nube
But I'm tired of living in this cloud
Necesito una mujer para que me ayude
I need a woman to help me
Voy a buscar y buscar la vida entera
I will search and search my whole life
Hasta que encuentre a la muchacha que me quiera
Until I find the girl that loves me
Para pasear bien alto en mi nube
To take a high stroll in my cloud
En el cielo
In the sky
Para vivir juntos
To live together
Hasta que lleguemos a viejos
Until we grow old
Hasta que llegue ese día
Until that day arrives
Estaré aquí
I'll be here
Esperando y buscando
Waiting and searching
La mujer para mí
The woman for me
Para ocupar el lugar
To take a place
Todo lo que tenga
Everything she has
Que me guíe
To guide me
Y me quiera
And love me
Y que también Me comprenda
And that understands me too
Con la mujer que me case
With the woman I marry
En mi nube viviremos ahí
In my cloud we will live there
Y haré todo lo que pueda
And I'll do everything I can
Para hacerla orgullosa
To make her proud
De casarse conmigo
To marry me
Mis hijos tener
To have my children
Uno, dos o tres
One, two or three
O lo que podamos por ser
Or whatever we can be
En el día de mi boda
On my wedding day
Le daré a mi esposa
I'll give my wife
Un collar de estrellas
A necklace of stars
Del color de las rosas
Of the color of roses
Writer(s): Joe Bataan
Contributed by Grayson O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.