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.
Habana
Orishas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nena, ese camello esta, oye
Acaballando toda La Habana
La jine mami, con su bacan, pa' ca'
Acaballando toda La Habana
Y los taxistas están
Acaballando toda La Habana
Acaballando toda La Habana
Digo yo cosas del destino
Me arrastraron al salir de mi isla
Y cual es la sorpresa que me llevaría
Al ver que mi niño, mi sueño rosado
Muy gris se volvía
En el comienzo, mucho trabajo
Bro que pase yo, todavía pase
No sabia yo, mi chama
Ahí comienza el tema de este drama
Y mama, que siempre tiene razón en la trama
Cuida tú mi niño de los especuladores
Que un amigo en este barrio suelen ser traidores
Me la jugué, y en esa ganga nueva penetré
Creyéndome que mucho money iba a hacer
Y terminé justo donde no quería mama
Dentro de una caja, se acabó la fama
El barrio está en yama
Todo el mundo boca arriba, en un sueño que no acaba
Y la vecina del barrio, para' en la ventana
Acaballando toda La Habana
Qué me cuentas tú, que no sepa yo
Acaballando toda La Habana
El indio a las doce del día
Acaballando toda La Habana
Guapo, guapo tú, guapo, guapo yo
Acaballando toda La Habana
Hay, mi amigo me invitó
A comer en casa de su hermana
Ella preparó un cerdito
Para asar temprano en la mañana
Lamenton quedó, ay, quedo sin gasolina
Tremendo montón de kilómetros
Mira, tuvimos que andar
Dándole a la catalina, eh eh
Llegamos a las tres de la tarde
Cuando todo, todo, terminaba
Y estaban sus siete primos, que llegaban
Desde Villa Clara
Tres con su mujer, los otros con sus chama
No queda de comer tu ves, y además
No quedan camas, eh-eh, ah-ah
Y la vecina del barrio, para' en la ventana
Acaballando toda La Habana
Qué me cuentas tú, que no sepa yo
Acaballando toda La Habana
El indio a las doce del día
Acaballando toda La Habana
Guapo, guapo tú, guapo, guapo yo
Acaballando toda La Habana
Que bobería, si no es pa' tanto
Lobelebele, belebele, tú
Que bobería, si no es pa' tanto
Tobelebele, belebele, tú
Sigue pasando en el barrio
La jinetera, el yuma, el comentario
Pega, pegao al techo, echos
Todos en sus cajas, manufacturados
Operación Cohiba, no hay monadas
Que interrumpan la jugada
Territorios desplegados de francesas
Como manadas, llegadas, con los
Negrones sofocado, inundan la foresta
Pequeña hijita pregunta
Chichito, ponte pa' las cajas
Si no estamos fritos
Uno de los yuma era el meta
Coño mejor dicho trompeta
Eso me pasó por glotón
En vez de una sirena pesque un tiburón
Y la vecina del barrio, para' en la ventana
Acaballando toda La Habana
Qué me cuentas tú, que no sepa yo
Acaballando toda La Habana
El indio a las doce del día
Acaballando toda La Habana
Guapo, guapo tú, guapo, guapo yo
Acaballando toda La Habana
Y la vecina del barrio, para' en la ventana
Acaballando toda La Habana
Qué me cuentas tú, que no sepa yo
Acaballando toda La Habana
El indio a las doce del día
Acaballando toda La Habana
Guapo, guapo tú, guapo, guapo yo
Acaballando toda La Habana
The song "Habana" by Orishas is a commentary on the daily struggles of life in Havana, Cuba. The lyrics capture the hustle and bustle of the city through various scenarios. The first verse talks about a famous camel in the city, which is ridden by a man with a lot of style, and how it impresses and influences the people of Havana. The second verse narrates a personal story of the singer who left his island and came to Havana to chase his dreams but ended up in trouble. The song also touches upon issues such as family, community, and survival instincts.
The constant repetition of "Acaballando toda La Habana" in the chorus reinforces the central theme that Havana is a city that never sleeps, with people always on the move, trying to make ends meet. The use of different characters such as taxi drivers, soneros, and neighbors gives a sense of camaraderie and unity among the people in the face of adversity.
The title of the song itself is a direct reference to Havana, which is the capital and largest city of Cuba. Through the song, Orishas pays homage to the vibrant and challenging life that thrives in the city streets. The lyrics are written in a conversational style, making it relatable to everyone who has lived or visited Havana.
Line by Line Meaning
No si eso está buenísimo
I'm not sure if that's great.
Nena, ese camello esta, oye
Honey, that drug dealer is really something, you know.
Acaballando toda La Habana
Conquering all of Havana.
Digo yo cosas del destino
I'm talking about the things destiny brings.
Me arrastraron al salir de mi isla
I was dragged away when I left my island.
Y cual es la sorpresa que me llevaría
And what was the surprise that awaited me?
Al ver que mi niño, mi sueño rosado
To see that my child, my pink dream,
Muy gris se volvía
Was becoming very bleak.
En el comienzo, mucho trabajo
In the beginning, a lot of work.
Bro que pase yo, todavía pase
What happened to me could still happen to others.
No sabia yo, mi chama
I didn't know, my girl.
Ahí comienza el tema de este drama
And that's where the theme of this drama starts.
Y mama, que siempre tiene razón en la trama
And Mom, who is always right in the plot,
Cuida tú mi niño de los especuladores
You take care of my child from the speculators.
Que un amigo en este barrio suelen ser traidores
Because a friend in this neighborhood may well be a traitor.
Me la jugué, y en esa ganga nueva penetré
I took the risk and got involved in that new deal.
Creyéndome que mucho money iba a hacer
Thinking that I would make a lot of money.
Y terminé justo donde no quería mama
And ended up exactly where I didn't want to be, Mom.
Dentro de una caja, se acabó la fama
Inside a box, the fame was over.
El barrio está en yama
The neighborhood is in flames.
Todo el mundo boca arriba, en un sueño que no acaba
Everyone lying on their back, in an endless dream.
Y la vecina del barrio, para' en la ventana
And the neighbor from the neighborhood, leaning out the window.
Qué me cuentas tú, que no sepa yo
What news do you have that I don't know?
El indio a las doce del día
The Indian at noon.
Guapo, guapo tú, guapo, guapo yo
Handsome, handsome you, handsome, handsome me.
Hay, mi amigo me invitó
Oh, my friend invited me.
A comer en casa de su hermana
To eat at his sister's house.
Ella preparó un cerdito
She prepared a pork roast.
Para asar temprano en la mañana
To roast early in the morning.
Lamenton quedó, ay, quedo sin gasolina
Sadly, we ran out of fuel.
Tremendo montón de kilómetros
A tremendous pile of kilometers.
Mira, tuvimos que andar
Look, we had to walk.
Dándole a la catalina, eh eh
Hitting the gas pedal, eh eh.
Llegamos a las tres de la tarde
We arrived at three in the afternoon.
Cuando todo, todo, terminaba
When everything, everything, was ending.
Y estaban sus siete primos, que llegaban
And his seven cousins, who were arriving.
Desde Villa Clara
From Villa Clara.
Tres con su mujer, los otros con sus chama
Three with their wives, the others with their girls.
No queda de comer tu ves, y además
There's nothing left to eat, you see, and besides,
No quedan camas, eh-eh, ah-ah
There are no beds left, eh-eh, ah-ah.
Que bobería, si no es pa' tanto
What foolishness, if it's not that big a deal.
Lobelebele, belebele, tú
Lobelebele, belebele, you.
Que bobería, si no es pa' tanto
What foolishness, if it's not that big a deal.
Tobelebele, belebele, tú
Tobelebele, belebele, you.
Sigue pasando en el barrio
It keeps happening in the neighborhood.
La jinetera, el yuma, el comentario
The jinetera, the yuma, the gossip.
Pega, pegao al techo, echos
Stick, sticking to the ceiling, echoes.
Todos en sus cajas, manufacturados
Everyone in their boxes, manufactured.
Operación Cohiba, no hay monadas
Operation Cohiba, no jokes.
Que interrumpan la jugada
That they interrupt the game.
Territorios desplegados de francesas
Territories deployed with French women.
Como manadas, llegadas, con los
Arriving like herds, with the
Negrones sofocado, inundan la foresta
Black men suffocated, flooding the forest.
Pequeña hijita pregunta
Little daughter asks
Chichito, ponte pa' las cajas
Chichito, get in the boxes.
Si no estamos fritos
If we're not in trouble.
Uno de los yuma era el meta
One of the yumas was the target.
Coño mejor dicho trompeta
Damn, I meant trumpet.
Eso me pasó por glotón
That happened to me because I'm greedy.
En vez de una sirena pesque un tiburón
Instead of a siren, I caught a shark.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hiram Riveri Medina, Nicolas Nocchi, Roldan Gonzales Rivero, Yotuel Omar Romero Manzanares
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@daysisuyapavelasquezsagast7035
Beatriz Luengo una voz magistral, no me caso de escucharla! Orishas mis amores eternos y el maestro chucho Valdez mi fav.
@petrosvassakos6518
I am happy orishas continue with the same quality and freshness. Warm greetings from Greece 🇬🇷 🇨🇺
@vangelisxanthakis382
drunk as hell, in the middle of an Arab desert, not understanding a single word but enjoying every single second of this musical masterpiece
@TheHectorHuescaShow
Best comment ever. Greetings from Mexico.
@alinesurvivor
👏👏👏👏 al menos que seas muy feliz
@ChristomirRackov
Cheers, man ^_^
You have great music taste, apparently ;)
@michaeltriba1307
@Christomir Rackov Drunk or sober, eh? 🤣🤣💘💘
@carlostorres6334
Brother you really transported me to where you said you were, an Arabian desert, that's a really beautiful coment, it's unbelievable, I also love the Arabian music. One love brother.
@maomora913
Que bella letra, la voz de Beatriz Luengo exquisita sin dejar de halagar al maestro Chucho Valdés en el piano. Gracias Orishas magistral👏👏❤
@joseluisseijovazquez1585
Tu siempre amable