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.
Reina De La Calle
Orishas Lyrics
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No escucha este es tu drama
Escucha, chica no, no
Solo por dinero no vale la pena
Chica escucha este es tu drama
Escucha, chica no, no
Mamita pregunto al vecino quien la vio
Quién resuelve ese dilema?
Ave Maria por Dios
Mamita pregunto al vecino quien la vio
Papa se disculpaba mira no soy yo
Quién resuelve ese dilema
Ave Maria por Dios
Drama escucha dama este es tu Trama de la calle
Pasando de cama en cama
Ave Maria por Dios
No vale la pena dedicarte cuerpo y alma
A esa tortura que te quema
Oye gente Cambio de tema
Lo sabes tu solo tu
Dejas tu cuerpo sin luz tu solo tu, lo sabes
Era la virgen más hermosa que existió en aquel lugar
Pa' quitarse el sombrero
Un sueño viejo sin espejos y muy poco que contar
Mirando ya muy lejos
No tiene dinero pa' pagarle
Vive en un lugar donde la gente
No suelen amarse
Supe que el dinero las transforma
Se hacen tus amigas y luego pra
Ahí esta la onda
No la compres ni te enganches luego
Pero ten cuidado con las sortijas de tus dedos
Se le acaba el tiempo de pagar
Quiere cobrar
Que Detalle
Lo sabes tu solo tu
Dejas tu cuerpo sin luz tu solo tu, lo sabes
Su cuerpo moribundo ya flotaba en sangre
Que bañaba el vecindario y a diario pasan
Cosas de esas que a nadie le interesa porque si
Y porque es esa y quien es esa
Una como otra que de boca en boca
Pasan a la larga cola
De los sin familias indigentes
Emigrantes simplemente que desde África
En pateras compran su muerte de repente
Esto es para todos esos chulos que me escuchan
No eres tan macho cuando los hombres te asustan
No me interesa de donde provienes
Con quien tu vienes de donde eres
Tu lo sabes, tu lo sabes
Tu lo sabes, Reina de la Calle
The lyrics of Orishas's "Reina de la Calle" speak about not letting oneself be consumed by the pressures and dangers of living in the streets. The song starts with a strong message that only chasing money isn't worth it, and that there is more to life than that. The singer is struggling to find out who was responsible for mistreating her and turning her into a victim. She asks her neighbor and father, but they deny it. This creates a dilemma for her, and she turns to the Virgin Mary for help.
The song then continues with a message that the singer should not let herself be consumed by the street's drama and the dangers of hopping from bed to bed. The artist suggests that nobody should dedicate themselves entirely to that which torments them. The lyrics warn about the consequences of greed and impromptu deals, and the danger of losing one's self-worth. In the end, the song reveals a story of a woman who couldn't pay her bills and lost her life because of it. It is a warning that the pursuit of money at all costs can have extreme consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Solo por dinero no vale la pena chica no
Ladies, listen up, it's not worth it if it's just for money
No escucha este es tu drama
Don't ignore this truth, this is the reality of your situation
Escucha, chica no, no
Listen to me, ladies, don't ignore this
Mamita pregunto al vecino quien la vio
Mama asked the neighbor who saw her
Papa se disculpaba mira no soy yo
Dad apologized, saying it wasn't him
Quién resuelve ese dilema?
Who can solve this dilemma?
Ave Maria por Dios
Oh my God, help us
Drama escucha dama este es tu Trama de la calle
Listen to the drama, ladies, this is the plot of the streets
Pasando de cama en cama
Going from bed to bed
Ave Maria por Dios
Oh my God, help us
No vale la pena dedicarte cuerpo y alma
It's not worth giving your body and soul to this
A esa tortura que te quema
To that torture that burns you
Oye gente Cambio de tema
Hey people, let's talk about something else
Lo sabes tu solo tu
You know, only you
Dejas tu cuerpo sin luz tu solo tu, lo sabes
You leave your body in the dark, you know it
Era la virgen más hermosa que existió en aquel lugar
She was the most beautiful virgin to ever exist in that place
Pa' quitarse el sombrero
She was so impressive that one must take their hat off to her
Un sueño viejo sin espejos y muy poco que contar
A old dream without mirrors and not much else to tell
Mirando ya muy lejos
Looking far into the distance
No tiene dinero pa' pagarle
She doesn't have money to pay for it
Vive en un lugar donde la gente
She lives in a place where people
No suelen amarse
Don't usually love each other
Supe que el dinero las transforma
I know that money transforms them
Se hacen tus amigas y luego pra
They become your friends and then
Ahí esta la onda
That's how it goes
No la compres ni te enganches luego
Don't buy into it, don't get involved later on
Pero ten cuidado con las sortijas de tus dedos
But be careful with the rings on your fingers
Se le acaba el tiempo de pagar
Her time to pay is running out
Quiere cobrar
She wants to collect
Que Detalle
What a detail
Su cuerpo moribundo ya flotaba en sangre
Her dying body was floating in blood
Que bañaba el vecindario y a diario pasan
Which was bathing the neighborhood and people pass by daily
Cosas de esas que a nadie le interesa porque si
Those things that no one cares about for no reason
Y porque es esa y quien es esa
And why is that, and who is she?
Una como otra que de boca en boca
One like another that everyone talks about
Pasan a la larga cola
End up at the end of the line
De los sin familias indigentes
Of the poor families without
Emigrantes simplemente que desde África
Simply immigrants from Africa
En pateras compran su muerte de repente
In boats, they buy their sudden death
Esto es para todos esos chulos que me escuchan
This is for all those pimps who are listening to me
No eres tan macho cuando los hombres te asustan
You're not so tough when men scare you
No me interesa de donde provienes
I don't care where you come from
Con quien tu vienes de donde eres
Who you come with and where you're from
Tu lo sabes, tu lo sabes
You know it, you know it
Tu lo sabes, Reina de la Calle
You know it, Queen of the Street
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HIRAM RIVERI MEDINA, ROLDAN GONZALEZ RIVERO, YOTUEL ROMERO MANZANARES, NICOLAS VINCENT NOCCHI, LIJATIANA RAKOTOARIVELO RABEFAHIRY
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