He began playing the guitar when he was six and in 1978 he was invited to join Cuarteto Patria, a group founded in 1939, as its leader. Although he looks like a guajiro, and he still wears his trademark cowboy hat, his roots are in the son, and he only agreed to take on the role of leader if he was allowed to introduce new elements to the repertoire. He plays the tres, and also a variant called cuatro (with two additional strings). His involvement with the Buena Vista Social Club and the Wim Wenders film of the same name, has led him to worldwide fame.
In 1993 he and the group recorded A una coqueta and in 1995 The lion is loose (Cubason CORA125); In 1998 he recorded the album CubAfrica with Manu Dibango (Mélodie 79593.2); in 1999 Sublime Ilusión (Virgin DGVIR 85); and in 2006 a compilation of Virgin recordings appeared, La collección cubana: Eliades Ochoa (Nascente NSCD 114).
Chan Chan
Ochoa Eliades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí
De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí
De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí
El cariño que te tengo
No te lo puedo negar
Se me sale la babita
Yo no lo puedo evitar
Cuando Juanica y Chan Chan
En el mar cernían arena
Como sacudía el jibe
A Chan Chan le daba pena
Limpia el camino de pajas
Que yo me quiero sentar
En aquél tronco que veo
Y así no puedo llegar
De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llegó a Cueto voy para Mayarí
De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llegó a Cueto voy para Mayarí
De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llegó a Cueto voy para Mayarí
The song "Chan Chan" by Ochoa Eliades is about a man on his journey to find true love. He sings about his travels from Alto Cedro to Marcané, Cueto, and Mayarí. Throughout his journey, he cannot deny the love he has for his significant other, and it is evident that his love for her cannot be contained. He uses the metaphor of "babita" or drool to express his affection, showing that he cannot help but be overwhelmed by his emotions for her.
As he reminisces about his time spent with his lover, the lyrics shift to the story of Juanica and Chan Chan, two characters who are fishing in the ocean. The description of how the boat shakes due to the strong wind and waves, causing sadness for Chan Chan, adds a poignant layer to the story.
The last few lines of the song describe the man's struggle to reach his destination, wanting to sit on a certain log but encountering obstacles along the way. The repetition of the lyrics, "De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané, llego a Cueto voy para Mayarí," highlights the importance of his journey and the destination he seeks.
Line by Line Meaning
De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané
I am journeying from the town of Alto Cedro to Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí
I reach the town of Cueto and continue on to Mayarí
El cariño que te tengo
The love that I have for you
No te lo puedo negar
I cannot deny it
Se me sale la babita
It makes me drool with affection
Yo no lo puedo evitar
I cannot help it
Cuando Juanica y Chan Chan
When Juanica and Chan Chan
En el mar cernían arena
Were sifting sand in the sea
Como sacudía el jibe
How the sail would shake
A Chan Chan le daba pena
It made Chan Chan feel sad
Limpia el camino de pajas
Clear the path of straw
Que yo me quiero sentar
Because I want to sit down
En aquél tronco que veo
On that log that I see
Y así no puedo llegar
And so I cannot get there
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Maximo Francisco Repilado Munoz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bazbuza
I am an Arab who doesn't speak Spanish...but I don't get enough of this group's music...this level of perfection transcends all boundaries
@hank1519
Well said!
@juliolopezbasis4194
@@hank1519 is
The historia of Cuba
@narayansivajiramos5763
And I, a Real Cuban, SEE 👀 YOU as MINE HERMANO.
@bazbuza
@@narayansivajiramos5763 it's my pleasure..
@bazbuza
@@narayansivajiramos5763 here ...listen to this and I hope you enjoy the mix between Arabic and western music..https://youtu.be/54gNJmJv4cU
@waldemarhidalgoaldana3310
Soy natural de Mayarí, tiene frontera con Cueto, Alto Cedro era la parada del tren Santiagueño y Marcané también es un pueblo cercano. Criado hasta los 15 años en la Loma Rebelde, siento orgullo de mi pueblo natal y el canto, muy merecido... Mis hijos nacidos en Pinar del Río, tocan guitarra y me cantan esta canción a menudo...
@guillermoguerreroherrero9511
Lindísima. Bellísima historia. Gracias por compartir. Desde Costa Rica un fuerte abrazo, mi mejor saludo. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💝👍💝
@joserojas-xi2mv
Cuba eres única con tu gente y tu música…un saludo desde NJ, US…
@denebranda224
I don't speak Spanish but it doesn't take an interpreter to understand and feel Eliades soul and what he's feeling. Love this music