It's been quite a journey since Orishas released their first album 'A Lo Cubano' in Spain in May 1999. Lauded by the press throughout Europe ever since it came out, the group launched into a marathon tour that started in summer 1999. From clubs to festivals, the European tour stretched out to just over two years with evening performances of their music catalogue at the Olympia, the Ancienne Belgique and the Royal Festival Hall in England. They were to play at the most prestigious festivals in Europe like the Lowlands (Holland), where they topped the bill along with groups like Deftones and Cypress Hill, and the Roskilde (Denmark), where they brewed up a storm alongside groups as disparate as Tool and Wyclef Jean. Orishas also performed in the year 2000 at festivals like the Paleo Nyon Festival, the La Rochelle Francofolies and Pop Kom.
The group gradually acquired international standing, and after conquering Europe they went on to win over the United States in November 2000, with the American press unanimous in its acclaim: articles and reviews in Time, Rolling Stone, The Source, Vibe ,... Little by little they became an essential live band, capable of sharing the stage with artists as diverse as Compay Segundo, Orquestra Aragon, Iggy Pop, Cypress Hill, Macy Gray and Marcus Miller. Orishas paid their dues on the road and left Europe to take part in various jazz festivals in Canada and South Africa, dropping in on Brazil and Mexico. Orishas left no doubt that their musical fusion, unique in its genre, enables them to break the frontiers of style and to be equally at home in front of a latino, hip hop, pop or rock audience.
December saw their triumphal return to Cuba, where they had occupied the top slots of the radio charts for months and where they gave two concerts that brought together tens of thousands of young Cubans. They had come full circle, because after touring the world Orishas' dream finally came true: playing in front of their families and the people of Cuba.
Collaborations came thick and fast, with Roldan Gonzalez appearing on various French rap albums (Kerry James) or international rap albums (Dari, Da Weasel / Portugal).
After more than 200 concerts worldwide, the group decided to get back to song writing in August 2001. It was only to be expected that they would start working together again with the French producer and composer Niko Noki, (Passi, Bisso Na Bisso), who along with Roldan Gonzalez had been responsible for the tracks on the first album. He in turn engaged the services of a young composer of the future, DJ Mig-One, who had two albums with his group Starflam under his belt. They strung several studio sessions together between Belgium and Paris to knock up no fewer than twenty tracks. In November 2001 the group was ready at last to go back into the studio proper to record the successor to A Lo Cubano. They opted for the EMI studio in Paris, where the cream of Cuban musicians gathered at the group's behest to immortalise the songs of the Emigrante album. The group had matured and learned a great deal from touring the world, the subjects are more profound and given a more international treatment. Having had their eyes opened by the big world has had a visible impact on their writing. As on the first album, Miko Niko is in charge of musical production and most of the tracks, DJ Mig One has penned 3 compositions that underpin the plurality of their influences. The album was mixed at the Polygone studio in Toulouse under the auspices of Mario Rodriguez (Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy, Mobb Deep, Fonky Family, 113...). Once again the alchemy is perfect. The new album sees the return of two very talented artists and long-standing friends of the group: Passi on La Vida Passa and Yuri Buenaventura on 300 Kg de Rap.
The new album has a pan-European release on April 22, 2002 and is being promoted in a tour that takes in more than ten countries before being presented on the stages of the major European festivals this summer.
Ausência
Orishas Lyrics
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Que cuide y vele por ti, que este contigo cuando no estoy
Dame la B, B
Sin tu voz el destino parece rendirse como ves
Dame la A, A
A mis oídos llegó la noticia triste de que de aquí te nos fuiste
Dame la R, R
Perdónanos mi Lor si no llegue a tiempo a despedirnos de este Broth
Recorriendo la duda y al final no se que coño fue lo que pasó
Dame la Y, Y
Y recuerdo aquello cómo, que decía así
Qué bolá, bueno que, qué bolá, qué vuelta
El BARBY en el corazón se nos queda
Paso las noches enteras rezando implorándole a Dios
Que cuide y vele por ti, que este contigo cuando no estoy
Paso las noches enteras rezando implorándole a Dios
Que cuide y vele por ti, que este contigo cuando no estoy
Cada segundo que pasa
Cada espacio en que no estás
Tu ausencia perfora mi alma
Me asesinas sin piedad
Intento pensar
Pretendo olvidar
Pero me atrapa la realidad
Una verdad que me ataca
Y me pone a suplicar
Ça c'est passé ça fait des années mais ça passe
Pas, Pas facile d'effacer
Touts celles passées à tes cotés On était deux
Gamins frangin et déjà ça castagnait
On jouait les durs mais l'un sur l'autre
Tu sais qu'on pouvait compter
La vie nous a séparé, chacun son taff chacun son quartier
Fallait pas s'perdre de vue on s'voyait aux fêtes
De fin d'année J'aurais voulu t'en dire des choses
Te dire combien tu comptais
Mais s'était sans compter sur la mer agitée
Tragédie pour ma mère attristée
Des pleures des larmes
Et des coeursbrisés Tu me manques fréro
Pas un jour sans y penser Comment
C est la haut, j y crois un jour toi et moi
Te dire combien je t ´aime Lolo, te serrer fort dan mes bras
Paso las noches enteras rezando implorándole a Dios
Que cuide y vele por ti, que este contigo cuando no estoy
Paso las noches enteras rezando implorándole a Dios
Que cuide y vele por ti, que este contigo cuando no estoy
Ave María
Cruces, flores, lápidas, mucho no más
Recuerdos tristes que nos llegan
Del Vedado barrio que nos juntos vio crecer
Admití muerte trabajo me ha costado lo sé
Adiós no dije, hoy te los mando
Van uno, dos, tres, millón de besos
Pido que me perdones en brazos
Con Dios te ibas, mi ausencia en el velorio deambulaba
Heridas que no cierran, infancias que perduran
Momentos tristes viejos no llegan
A veces vivir cuesta duda, sin duda
Paso las noches enteras rezando implorándole a Dios
Que cuide y vele por ti, que este contigo cuando no estoy
Paso las noches enteras rezando implorándole a Dios
Que cuide y vele por ti, que este contigo cuando no esto
The lyrics of Orishas's song "Ausencia" (Absence) is a heartfelt lamentation dedicated to a departed loved one. The verses express the singer's feelings of sorrow, regret, and longing for someone who is no longer present. The performer opens up about the pain that they feel and the struggle to come to terms with their loss. They repeatedly pray to God, asking Him to protect and watch over the deceased individual when they are not there. The artist expresses their struggles with accepting the absence, which seems to pierce their soul and leave them almost helpless. The chorus is particularly emotional as it repeats the singer's prayer and plea to God to be with their loved one whenever they are not there.
The song includes a number of interesting poetic devices, such as alliteration and consonance, which add to the emotional impact of the lyrics. The verses are filled with emotion and are suffused with grief and regret, with the performer seemingly unable to let go of their pain. The lyrics also contain a number of references to specific individuals, including "Barby," the singer's childhood friend, who has passed away. The song also features a brief spoken-word interlude in which another friend of the singer shares their memories of the deceased.
Line by Line Meaning
Paso las noches enteras rezando implorándole a Dios
The singer spends sleepless nights praying and begging God to watch over their loved one and be by their side when they are not there.
Que cuide y vele por ti, que este contigo cuando no estoy
The singer asks God to take care of their loved one and protect them in their absence.
Dame la B, B
The singer calls for the letter B, which stands for 'brother' in this context.
Sin tu voz el destino parece rendirse como ves
The artist says that without their brother's voice, the destiny appears to give up, and they miss their presence.
Dame la A, A
The artist calls for the letter A to spell out the word 'adiós.'
A mis oídos llegó la noticia triste de que de aquí te nos fuiste
The singer laments receiving the sad news that their brother has passed away and left them.
Dame la R, R
The singer calls for the letter R, which stands for 'remordimiento' or 'regret' in this context.
Perdónanos mi Lor si no llegue a tiempo a despedirnos de este Broth
The artist asks God to forgive them if they didn't make it to say goodbye to their brother on time.
Dame la B, B
The artist calls for the letter B, again, to spell out 'brother.'
Recorriendo la duda y al final no se que coño fue lo que pasó
The artist expresses confusion and doubt about what happened in the end to their brother.
Dame la Y, Y
The singer calls for the letter Y to spell out a phrase that starts with 'y recuerdo' (and I remember).
Y recuerdo aquello cómo, que decía así
The artist reminisces about a past moment with their brother and wonders what happened to them.
Qué bolá, bueno que, qué bolá, qué vuelta
This is a colloquial Cuban greeting that translates to 'what's up.'
El BARBY en el corazón se nos queda
The singer says that their brother's nickname, Barby, stays in their heart and lingers in their memories.
Cada segundo que pasa
The singer reflects on how each passing second without their brother feels painful.
Cada espacio en que no estás
The artist feels the absence of their brother in every space they occupy.
Tu ausencia perfora mi alma
The artist describes their brother's absence as piercing and hurting their soul.
Me asesinas sin piedad
The singer feels like their brother's absence is killing them mercilessly.
Intento pensar
The singer tries to distract themselves and think about something else to ease the pain.
Pretendo olvidar
The artist tries to forget and let go of the memories that hurt them.
Pero me atrapa la realidad
The artist admits that the sad reality of their brother's absence still looms over them and affects them deeply.
Una verdad que me ataca
The artist describes the truth of their brother's death as attacking them.
Y me pone a suplicar
The singer feels helpless and begs for help to cope with the loss of their brother.
Ça c'est passé ça fait des années mais ça passe
The intro of this section is in French and translates to 'It happened years ago, but it passes.'
Pas, Pas facile d'effacer
The singer acknowledges that it's not easy to erase the memories he shared with his brother.
Touts celles passées à tes cotés On était deux
The singer recalls all the moments spent with his brother, who they were together.
Gamins frangin et déjà ça castagnait
The singer remembers being kids and already wrestling with their brother.
On jouait les durs mais l'un sur l'autre
The artist played tough with his brother, but they always had each other's backs.
Tu sais qu'on pouvait compter
The artist reminisces that they could always rely on their brother for support.
La vie nous a séparé, chacun son taff chacun son quartier
The singer acknowledges that life separated him and his brother, and they had to go their separate ways.
Fallait pas s'perdre de vue on s'voyait aux fêtes De fin d'année
The singer wishes he had stayed in touch better and recalls how they only saw each other on New Year's Eve.
J'aurais voulu t'en dire des choses Te dire combien tu comptais
The artist says that he would have liked to tell his brother how much he meant to him.
Mais s'était sans compter sur la mer agitée Tragédie pour ma mère attristée
The artist is expressing anguish over their mother's sorrow when she received the news of her son's passing through hostile media.
Des pleures des larmes
The artist describes the tears and sorrow they experienced losing their brother.
Et des coeursbrisés Tu me manques fréro
The singer's heart is broken, and they miss their brother deeply.
Pas un jour sans y penser
The artist thinks about their brother every day and can't forget them.
Comment C est la haut, j y crois un jour toi et moi Te dire combien je t ´aime Lolo, te serrer fort dan mes bras
The singer believes that he will meet his brother again someday in heaven and says he loves him and will hug him tightly when that time comes.
Ave María
Ave María is a prayer asking for the Virgin Mary's intercession and protection.
Cruces, flores, lápidas, mucho no más
The singer describes the cemetery, showing crosses, flowers placed on graves, and headstones.
Recuerdos tristes que nos llegan
The artist laments that they received sad memories of their brother's death.
Del Vedado barrio que nos juntos vio crecer
The artist recalls growing up together with their brother in the Vedado neighborhood.
Admití muerte trabajo me ha costado lo sé
The singer admits to the difficulty of accepting their brother's death and moving on with life.
Adiós no dije, hoy te los mando
The singer regrets not saying goodbye to their brother and now sends him a farewell message instead.
Van uno, dos, tres, millón de besos
The artist blows kisses to his brother and sends him love.
Pido que me perdones en brazos
The artist asks for forgiveness for not being present when his brother passed away.
Con Dios te ibas, mi ausencia en el velorio deambulaba
The artist remembers God took his brother away and chides themselves for not being more present at the funeral.
Heridas que no cierran, infancias que perduran
The singer describes the wounds of losing his brother that don't seem to heal, and the memories of their childhood that persevere.
Momentos tristes viejos no llegan
The artist wishes the sad memories of their brother would fade away and leave them in peace.
A veces vivir cuesta duda, sin duda
The singer admits that sometimes, it's hard to keep going through life, and doubts their ability to do so.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROLDAN GONZALEZ RIVERO, NICOLAS NOCCHI, HIRAM RIVERI MEDINA, YOTUEL OMAR ROMERO MANZANARES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind