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.
Emigrantes
Orishas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dicen que fue pa Europa
Y cuando llegó jaah
Tremenda desilusión
Díselo tu Ruzzo, ponle
Eh yo he
Lo que te digo aquí es bien real
Compreder, resisitr
Como Ave Fénix en jaula de oro
Revivir, yo, no ha sido fácil
Representar en un año
Las influencias y penurias de este lado
Del continente colonizao
Explotao, marcao, no huella
Triste el hombre que ha dejado atrás
Su sol, su gente y su camisa
Sin pensar tan lejos cambia todo
Y la nostalgia te hace trizas
Triste el hombre que ha dejado atrás
Su sol, su gente y su camisa
Sin pensar tan lejos cambia todo
Y la nostalgia te hace trizas
Soy yo, quien recoge lo que tu no comes
Soy yo, quien dejado mis cojones
Con trullo, tu esperanza
Tú a la balanza no te pones nunca de mi lado
Tengo un hermano peruano
Otro chicano, un chileno, un colombiano
Un chino, un afroamericano
He construido con mis proprias manos
Ciudades, nuevos lugares
Me has colonizado
Y ahora discrimina hoy mi raza
Triste el hombre que ha dejado atrás
Su sol, su gente y su camisa
Sin pensar tan lejos cambia todo
Y la nostalgia te hace trizas
Triste el hombre que ha dejado atrás
Su sol, su gente y su camisa
Sin pensar tan lejos cambia todo
Y la nostalgia te hace trizas
Entiende, qué fue lo que pasó
Intenta, respuesta en su reloj
Patrias y más encima
Que un adiós, se fue sin ton ni son
A buscar un paraíso
Y encontró desilusión
Estoy cantando pa mi gente
Esos que llaman emigrantes
Son personas comunes corrientes
Oye mi gente
Por tener otro color
Otra forma de piensar
Dos culturas diferentes
Yo no me puedo quedar
Estoy cantando pa mi gente
Esos que llaman emigrantes
Son personas comunes corrientes
Oye mi gente
Se lo canto a mi madre buena
Míralo que lindo suena
Estoy cantando pa' mi gente
Esos que llaman emigrantes
Son personas comunes corrientes
Oye mi gente
Pa' mi gente, pa' mi gente
Estoy cantando pa' mi gente
Triste el hombre que ha dejado atrás
Su sol, su gente y su camisa
Estoy cantando pa' mi gente
Sin pensar tan lejos cambia todo
Y la nostalgia te hace trizas
Estoy cantando pa' mi gente
Triste el hombre que ha dejado atrás
Su sol, su gente y su camisa
Estoy cantando pa' mi gente
Sin pensar tan lejos cambia todo
Y la nostalgia te hace trizas
The lyrics of Orishas's song Emigrantes talk about the harsh realities faced by immigrants who leave their homes and loved ones to go to new places, in search of a better life. The song starts off by talking about the disappointment faced by one of the immigrants who moved to Europe. The lyrics then move on to describe the struggles faced by immigrants, where they have to adapt to new cultures, languages, and ways of living, and often face discrimination and exploitation in their new homes. The chorus repeats the message that leaving everything behind leads to sadness and nostalgia, highlighting the emotional toll of emigration. The lyrics also talk about the contributions made by immigrants, building new cities and places, only to face discrimination from those who have colonized them.
The verses are delivered in Spanish, and Ruzzo's rap verse highlights the challenges faced by immigrants who may not have the same opportunities as others, facing discrimination and having to work harder to earn a living. The song tries to give voice to the experiences of immigrants, trying to create solidarity and understanding between different cultures and communities. The song ultimately celebrates the resilience and strength of immigrants who make the sacrifices necessary to improve their lives, and those of their families.
Line by Line Meaning
Oye dicen que
People say that
Dicen que fue pa Europa
They say he went to Europe
Y cuando llegó jaah
And when he arrived
Tremenda desilusión
He was greatly disappointed
Díselo tu Ruzzo, ponle
Tell him, Ruzzo, put it on him
Eh yo he
Hey, I have
Lo que te digo aquí es bien real
What I'm telling you here is very real
Fácil, solo se trata de vivir
It's easy, it's just about living
Compreder, resisitr
To understand, to resist
Como Ave Fénix en jaula de oro
Like a phoenix in a golden cage
Revivir, yo, no ha sido fácil
Reviving, me, it hasn't been easy
Representar en un año
Representing in one year
Las influencias y penurias de este lado
The influences and hardships of this side
Del continente colonizao
Of the colonized continent
Explotao, marcao, no huella
Exploited, marked, no trace
Triste el hombre que ha dejado atrás
Sad is the man who has left behind
Su sol, su gente y su camisa
His sun, his people, and his shirt
Sin pensar tan lejos cambia todo
Without thinking so far, everything changes
Y la nostalgia te hace trizas
And nostalgia tears you apart
Soy yo, quien recoge lo que tu no comes
It's me who collects what you don't eat
Soy yo, quien dejado mis cojones
It's me who left my balls
Con trullo, tu esperanza
With prison, your hope
Tú a la balanza no te pones nunca de mi lado
You never put yourself on my side of the scale
Tengo un hermano peruano
I have a Peruvian brother
Otro chicano, un chileno, un colombiano
Another Chicano, a Chilean, a Colombian
Un chino, un afroamericano
A Chinese, an African American
He construido con mis proprias manos
I have built with my own hands
Ciudades, nuevos lugares
Cities, new places
Me has colonizado
You have colonized me
Y ahora discrimina hoy mi raza
And now discriminates my race today
Entiende, qué fue lo que pasó
Understand, what happened
Intenta, respuesta en su reloj
Try, answer on his watch
Patrias y más encima
Homelands and on top of that
Que un adiós, se fue sin ton ni son
That a farewell, he left without rhyme or reason
A buscar un paraíso
To look for a paradise
Y encontró desilusión
And found disappointment
Estoy cantando pa mi gente
I'm singing for my people
Esos que llaman emigrantes
Those who call themselves immigrants
Son personas comunes corrientes
They are common ordinary people
Oye mi gente
Hey, my people
Por tener otro color
Because they have a different color
Otra forma de piensar
Another way of thinking
Dos culturas diferentes
Two different cultures
Yo no me puedo quedar
I can't stay
Se lo canto a mi madre buena
I sing it to my good mother
Míralo que lindo suena
Look how beautiful it sounds
Pa' mi gente, pa' mi gente
For my people, for my people
Triste el hombre que ha dejado atrás
Sad is the man who has left behind
Su sol, su gente y su camisa
His sun, his people, and his shirt
Sin pensar tan lejos cambia todo
Without thinking so far, everything changes
Y la nostalgia te hace trizas
And nostalgia tears you apart
Lyrics © Peermusic Belgium, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: PEDRO JUNCO JR., ROLDAN GONZALEZ RIVERO, JOSE MIGUEL MATHIEU, HIRAM RIVERI MEDINA, YOTUEL ROMERO MANZANARES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind