Musically, this genre is part of Colombian popular music. Its roots are in the Andean region, and many small musical groups, families, and "aficionados" keep this music alive, playing and dancing, with thousands of followers that truly enjoy it throughout the country. Now the group is making an effort to share this singular music and rhythms abroad.
Velosa explains: "Being ‘carranguero’ means a way of expression, a search for cultural identity, a rejoicing for what we are, using tradition and everyday life themes; the collective and personal creative spirit.
During the past twenty years, the group has recorded 16 CD’s with more than 160 original themes, some of them becoming part of the Colombian Folk Music repertoire. "Carranga" music became a research tool and reference for educational institutions. The group has presented countless workshops, radio and TV presentations, conferences, and many shows. The group also had a memorable concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Furthermore, this music is heard in many local radio stations in big cities and provinces in Colombia.
The inspiration for this music comes from travelling inch by inch all of Colombia, her roads, paths, town squares, where the campesino’s cultural expression comes to life. This music genre is highly regarded in the country and has received great recognition. The group also creates music for children. One of these songs was selected by the country of Bolivia to teach Spanish to their Indian Communities.
"Carranguero" songs are loaded with humor, tenderness, sayings, proverbs, satire, storytelling, anecdotes, rhymes, and dance, expressed through many rhythms such as rumba, merengue, torbellino, bambuco, and guabina, among others. The instruments used are the tiple (Colombian 12-string treble guitar), requinto (a type of four-stringed small guitar), the guitar, the guacharaca (a slotted board played with a metal fork), and sometimes the harmonica.
One important contribution of "Carranguero" music is the love of traditional campesino culture, rescuing of old Spanish words and proverbs, and the love of nature and the land. The group’s latest CD, called "En cantos verdes" (Enchanted Green Songs) includes some themes that are a reminder of what is happening to the planet, to the environment, to the land, and therefore to the livelihood of campesinos in Colombia, and farmers all over the world.
La Gallina Mellicera
Jorge Velosa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
hace dias puso un huevito
y del huevito nacieron dos pollitos chiquiticos.
Mi gallina saraviada
hace dias puso un huevito
y del huevito nacieron dos pollitos chiquiticos.
que le decian: pio pio mamitapio pio pio mama
pio pio mamita
pio pio pio mama
pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom
Con el correr de los dias
un pollito fue pollita
y el pollito compañero completo la parejita.
Con el correr de los dias
un pollito fue pollita
y el pollito compañero completo la parejita.
que le decían: pio pio hermanita
pio pio pio hermana
pio pio pio hermanita
pio pio pio hermana
pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom
La pareja fue creciendo,
y un día desde mi balcón
ví a pollita hecha polla
y al pollito un volantón.
La pareja fue creciendo,
y un día desde mi balcón
ví a pollita hecha polla
y al pollito un volanton.
y cocoriaba
co co co co co pio pio
co co co co co pio pio
mamitaa!
co co co co co co co pio
co co co co co co co pio
miau!
pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom
La polla se hizo gallina,
cuando comenzo a poner
y el volantón es el gallo
que canta al amanecer.
Y asi me cantan
co co co co las cinco
co co co co la seis
co co co co que las cinco
co co co co que la seis
las cinco las seis
las cinco las seis
las cinco cinco seis
las cinco las seis
las cinco las seis
las cinco las seis
las cinco cinco seis
las cinco las seis
las cinco las seis
The song "La Gallina Mellicera" by Jorge Velosa tells a heartwarming story of a saraviada hen, a type of chicken native to Colombia, that lays an egg which hatches into two tiny chicks. The song follows the growth of the chicks, one of which becomes a rooster, as they mature into fully-grown birds. The lyrics express the affection and care of the owner towards the birds, who are referred to as "mama" and "hermana", highlighting the intimate bond between humans and animals.
The use of onomatopoeia in the lyrics creates a vivid and playful image of the chirping sounds of the chicks and their interactions with each other and their owner. Towards the end of the song, the rooster announces the arrival of a new day with its characteristic crowing, highlighting the role of these animals in the rhythms of rural life.
Overall, the song celebrates the simple joys of life, the beauty of nature and the preciousness of the relationships between humans and animals.
Line by Line Meaning
Mi gallina saraviada
My scrawny hen
hace dias puso un huevito
Laid an egg a few days ago
y del huevito nacieron dos pollitos chiquiticos.
And two tiny chicks hatched from the egg.
que le decian: pio pio mamita
That said: 'Peep peep mommy'
pio pio pio mama
'Peep peep peep mommy'
pio pio mamita
'Peep peep mommy'
pio pio pio mama
'Peep peep peep mommy'
pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom
'Peep pao pom, peep pao pom' - the unique sound baby chicks make
Con el correr de los dias
As the days went by
un pollito fue pollita
One chick became a pullet (young hen)
y el pollito compañero completo la parejita.
And the other chick completed the pair.
que le decían: pio pio hermanita
That said: 'Peep peep little sister'
pio pio pio hermana
'Peep peep peep sister'
pio pio pio hermanita
'Peep peep little sister'
pio pio pio hermana
'Peep peep peep sister'
pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom
'Peep pao pom, peep pao pom' - the unique sound baby chicks make
La pareja fue creciendo,
The pair grew up,
y un día desde mi balcón
And one day from my balcony
ví a pollita hecha polla
I saw the pullet turned into a hen
y al pollito un volantón.
And the chick turned into a rooster.
y cocoriaba
And he crowed
co co co co co pio pio
'Coo coo coo coo coo peep peep'
co co co co co pio pio mamitaa!
'Coo coo coo coo coo peep peep mommy!'
co co co co co co co pio
'Coo coo coo coo coo coo coo peep'
co co co co co co co pio
'Coo coo coo coo coo coo coo peep'
miau!
Meow!
pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom, pio pao pom
'Peep pao pom, peep pao pom' - the unique sound baby chicks make
La polla se hizo gallina,
The pullet became a hen,
cuando comenzo a poner
When she started laying eggs
y el volantón es el gallo
And the rooster is the volantón
que canta al amanecer.
Who sings at dawn.
Y asi me cantan
And they sing to me
co co co co las cinco
'Coo coo coo coo at five'
co co co co la seis
'Coo coo coo coo at six'
co co co co que las cinco
'Coo coo coo coo 'til five'
co co co co que la seis
'Coo coo coo coo 'til six'
las cinco las seis
'At five, at six'
las cinco las seis
'At five, at six'
las cinco cinco seis
'Five, five, six'
las cinco las seis
'At five, at six'
las cinco las seis
'At five, at six'
las cinco cinco seis
'Five, five, six'
las cinco las seis
'At five, at six'
las cinco las seis
'At five, at six'
Writer(s): JORGE LUIS VELOSA RUIZ
Contributed by Allison O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.