Vocalist/guitarist David Hidalgo and drummer Louie Pérez met at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, and bonded over their mutual affinity for obscure musical acts such as Fairport Convention, Randy Newman and Ry Cooder. Pérez recalls, "We’re looking at each other, 'You like this stuff? I thought I was the only weird one.' So I went over to his house one day for about a year, which we spent listening to records, playing guitars, and starting to write songs." The two borrowed reel-to-reel recorders from a friend and created multi-track recordings of music spanning from parody songs to free-form jazz. They later enlisted fellow students Cesar Rosas and Conrad Lozano to complete the group's line-up in 1973.
Formed in the late 1970's, band members Dave Hidalgo, Cesar Rojas, Steve Berlin, Louie Pérez and Conrad Lozano became the bellwether for Mexican-American music in the U.S. when they recorded the music for "La Bamba" in 1987, which added popular acclaim to the critical praise they had received for their 1984 album "How Will the Wolf Survive?".
They have since become one of the mainstays of the Latin music scene as well as rock music in general, staying together through over 20 albums, and for almost three decades, through changing music climate and personal tragedies, they've continued cranking out albums and touring to dedicated fans.
Cumbia Raza
Los Lobos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alla en la tierra de los dioses
Se oye un ritmo muy alegre
que lo bailan dia y noche
Cumbia, cumbia rica
Cumbia de mi patria
Cumbia cumbia, hermosa cumbia
A los cuatro vientos yo les canto
con mi alma y corazón
Te aseguro que no miento
Cuando canto esta canción
Baila baila mi cariño
Baila baila este danzón
Que bonito le meneas
Morenita es basilon
Cumbia, cumbia rica
Cumbia de mi patria
Cumbia cumbia, hermosa cumbia
Cumbia de mi raza
Cumbia, cumbia rica
Cumbia de mi patria
Cumbia cumbia, hermosa cumbia
Cumbia de mi raza
Alla en la tierra de mis padres
Alla en la tierra de los dioses
Se oye un ritmo muy alegre
que lo bailan dia y noche
Cumbia, cumbia rica
Cumbia de mi patria
Cumbia cumbia, hermosa cumbia
Cumbia de mi raza
Cumbia, cumbia rica
Cumbia de mi patria
Cumbia cumbia, hermosa cumbia
Cumbia de mi raza
The lyrics of Los Lobos’ “ Cumbia Raza” celebrates the infectious rhythms of cumbia, the traditional dance music of Colombia, and pays homage to the singer’s cultural heritage. The first two lines of the song (“Alla en la tierra de mis padres / Alla en la tierra de los dioses”) highlight the connection between the singer and his ancestral land, where cumbia music is a vibrant part of the cultural landscape. The lyrics go on to describe the joyous and energetic nature of cumbia as a dance and celebrate the beauty of the singer’s own race and heritage.
The chorus repeats the phrase “Cumbia, cumbia rica / Cumbia de mi patria / Cumbia cumbia, hermosa cumbia / Cumbia de mi raza,” emphasizing the pride the singer takes in cumbia as a symbol of his national identity and cultural belonging. The song also includes a message of love and romance, as the singer invites his partner to dance with him and praises her for her graceful movements: “Baila baila mi cariño / Baila baila este danzón / Que bonito le meneas / Morenita es basilon.”
Overall, Los Lobos’ “Cumbia Raza” captures the joyful, celebratory spirit of cumbia music and showcases the band’s love and respect for their cultural roots.
Line by Line Meaning
Alla en la tierra de mis padres
In the land of my parents
Alla en la tierra de los dioses
In the land of the gods
Se oye un ritmo muy alegre
A very cheerful rhythm is heard
que lo bailan dia y noche
That they dance day and night
Cumbia, cumbia rica
Cumbia, rich cumbia
Cumbia de mi patria
Cumbia of my homeland
Cumbia cumbia, hermosa cumbia
Cumbia, cumbia, beautiful cumbia
Cumbia de mi raza
Cumbia of my race
A los cuatro vientos yo les canto
I sing to the four winds
con mi alma y corazón
with my soul and heart
Te aseguro que no miento
I assure you that I do not lie
Cuando canto esta canción
When I sing this song
Baila baila mi cariño
Dance, dance my love
Baila baila este danzón
Dance, dance this danzon
Que bonito le meneas
You move beautifully
Morenita es basilon
Morenita is fun
Cumbia, cumbia rica
Cumbia, rich cumbia
Cumbia de mi patria
Cumbia of my homeland
Cumbia cumbia, hermosa cumbia
Cumbia, cumbia, beautiful cumbia
Cumbia de mi raza
Cumbia of my race
Cumbia, cumbia rica
Cumbia, rich cumbia
Cumbia de mi patria
Cumbia of my homeland
Cumbia cumbia, hermosa cumbia
Cumbia, cumbia, beautiful cumbia
Cumbia de mi raza
Cumbia of my race
Alla en la tierra de mis padres
In the land of my parents
Alla en la tierra de los dioses
In the land of the gods
Se oye un ritmo muy alegre
A very cheerful rhythm is heard
que lo bailan dia y noche
That they dance day and night
Cumbia, cumbia rica
Cumbia, rich cumbia
Cumbia de mi patria
Cumbia of my homeland
Cumbia cumbia, hermosa cumbia
Cumbia, cumbia, beautiful cumbia
Cumbia de mi raza
Cumbia of my race
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROSAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Fedkar
What a great performance, love it!!!
@sonofkane
Grooving brothers!!
@raulchavezromo315
rolon
@rosemaryhernandez4430
I love your guy's musical specially yours singer with your guitar you are special rosamaria
@rosemaryhernandez4430
On this one everybody's great
@rosemaryhernandez4430
Your the best I love this one too.
@yeyoazucar
These Vatos know what time it is...
@user-go9jj1ui3q
フィルモアライブかな？
@cd.45r
6:19
@cd.45r
All misty and shit