Born to an Argentine mother and an American father, he lived most of his childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area, but moved with his family to Buenos Aires at the age of 12.
Johansen made a brief appearance in the local rock scene with the band Instrucción Cívica in the 80s (only album Obediencia Debida in 1985), but went to New York in 1990. There he met and married his Argentine wife, with whom he has a daughter. He played in the CBGB's club for long years, until he created a group, and in 2000 recorded the album with the same name, The Nada, a mix of different Latin sounds with modern pop, funk and rock.
During the same year, and with the new album in his hands, he returned to Argentina, where he currently lives. The album was relatively successful and Kevin and the group went on tour as far as Spain.
By the end of 2002 Johansen recorded Sur o no sur. Again, Kevin surprises with a combination of Latin music, pop, and humour.
During 2003, Kevin became a huge success in Argentina, playing in June at the Gran Rex Theatre, the largest Buenos Aires hall. Again in Spain, he promoted his new album with concerts in Madrid and Barcelona, this time with bigger audiences. He also performed during the MTV Latino awards, from where he continued a concerts tour to Miami, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco prior to the release of the album in United States.
In 2004 he continues with concerts in Mexico, Chile, Belgium and again Spain (now in many different cities) with an even greater response from the people and the media. At the Latino Grammy Awards, Sur o no sur was nominated for "Album of the year", "Song of the year" (La Procesión) and "Best Music Video" (La Procesión).
In between trips, Johansen recorded his third album (relased as Kevin Johansen + The Nada, City Zen, which was well-received both by fans and the media. The cover of his susequent album, Logo, was drawn by cartoonist Liniers.
El De La Puerta
Kevin Johansen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que cobra a la entrada
Y si venís muy seguido
No te cobro nada
Yo tengo el palco más piola
Veo toda la pista
Yo soy el muchacho
Que cobra
Los viejos me cuentan sus chistes
Y fatos de pibes
Los cincuentones me afirman
Que son invencibles
Las chicas con signo ‘e dolar
Donde hubo mirada
Yo lo he visto todo
En la entrada
Después me pierdo en el rumor
De las barridas y amagues del amor
Y mientras pongo el talco
Medio distraîdo
Sobre el duro mosaico
Me llama un vestido
Y sin levantar la vista
Me vuelvo a sentar
Mirá si me engancho…
(Qué voy a bailar!)
(Ah! es amigo de la dueña, pase no hay problema)
Si, yo soy ese
El muchacho de la puerta
Y por más que andés disimulando
Sé que te tengo bien muerta
Y aunque no bailo te gusto
Querés que te saque
Y vamos a sacarnos las ganas…
Después me pierdo en la emoción
De las paradas y ganchos del dolor
Me voy quedando solo
Se van las parejas
Se fue acompañada
Esa guacha pendeja
Yo soy el de la puerta
No me hagas llorar
Que la vez que viene
Te voy a cobrar!
(Son diez peso'!)
The song El de la puerta by Kevin Johansen is an upbeat and lively tune about the singer's role as the "guy at the door" of a milonga or tango club. He sings about how he collects the entrance fee and watches over the crowd from his prime location in the front row. He mentions how the regulars get in for free and how he often listens to stories from the older patrons while admiring the young women who come in. The singer seems to be a bit of a flirt and enjoys teasing the women who come in by saying that they are attracted to him, even though he never dances with them. The song is an ode to the milonga culture and the role of the guy at the door.
The lyrics of the song are rich in cultural references and slang that may be unfamiliar to non-Spanish speakers. For example, "piola" is a slang term meaning "cool" or "smart," "fatos" means "stories," "signo ‘e dolar" means "dollar sign," and "guacha" is a slang term for a young woman. The song captures the essence of the nightlife in Buenos Aires, where milongas are a beloved social and cultural tradition.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo soy el de la milonga
Que cobra a la entrada
I am the one who operates the entrance of the milonga and charges the admission fee.
Y si venís muy seguido
No te cobro nada
If you come often, I will not charge you anything.
Yo tengo el palco más piola
Veo toda la pista
Yo soy el muchacho
Que cobra
I have the best spot to view the dance floor and I am the one who collects the money.
Los viejos me cuentan sus chistes
Y fatos de pibes
Los cincuentones me afirman
Que son invencibles
Las chicas con signo ‘e dolar
Donde hubo mirada
Yo lo he visto todo
En la entrada
Old men tell me their jokes and stories about their youth. Fifty-year-olds claim they are unbeatable. Girls who flaunt their wealth with dollar signs in their eyes give me a knowing look. I witness everything from my position at the entrance.
Después me pierdo en el rumor
De las barridas y amagues del amor
Y mientras pongo el talco
Medio distraîdo
Sobre el duro mosaico
Me llama un vestido
Then, I get lost in the rumor of the sweeping and faking of love. As I casually sprinkle talcum powder on the hard floor, a dress catches my attention.
Y sin levantar la vista
Me vuelvo a sentar
Mirá si me engancho…
(Qué voy a bailar!)
Without looking up, I sit back down. What if I get hooked? (I can't dance!)
(Ah! es amigo de la dueña, pase no hay problema)
Si, yo soy ese
El muchacho de la puerta
Y por más que andés disimulando
Sé que te tengo bien muerta
(Ah! He's a friend of the owner, let him in.) Yes, I am him - the guy at the door. And even though you try to hide it, I know you're into me.
Y aunque no bailo te gusto
Querés que te saque
Y vamos a sacarnos las ganas…
Even though I don't dance, you like me. You want me to lead you on the floor and fulfill our desires.
Después me pierdo en la emoción
De las paradas y ganchos del dolor
Me voy quedando solo
Se van las parejas
Se fue acompañada
Esa guacha pendeja
Next, I get lost in the excitement of the stops and pain of the hooks. I am left alone as the couples leave, including that cunning girl who came with someone else.
Yo soy el de la puerta
No me hagas llorar
Que la vez que viene
Te voy a cobrar!
(Son diez peso'!)
I am the one at the door. Don't make me cry, because next time you come, I will charge you. (It's ten pesos!)
Contributed by Benjamin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
fanon acuña perez
Siete años buscando esta canción... Gracias, muchas gracias.
Laflaca Ogt
Me gusta mucho kevin