The sound system concept first became popular in the 1950's, in the ghettos of Kingston. DJs would load up a truck with a generator, turntables, and huge speakers and set up street parties. In the beginning, the DJs played American R&B music, but as time progressed and more local music was created, the sound migrated to a local flavour. The sound systems were big business, and represented one of the few sure ways to make money in the unstable economy of the area. The popularity of a sound system was mainly contingent on one thing: having new music.
The band has been included in compilations with DIY demos.
Pirats Sound Sistema released their first album "Sants Sistema" on April 2005, under the label "Propaganda pel fet !"
Winners of the "2006 enderrock awards to revelation band" for his great job during the two previous years.
On April 2007 Pirats Sound Sistema released their second album "Vol. II" (Propaganda pel fet !).
The band is already rehearsing new songs: reggae, ragga, dancehall and drumnbass are the tools.
[The section below, and somehow above, needs heavy reediting ... I leave it for now as it is ...]
Pirat's Sound Sistema is an atypical and curious case in the musical Catalan and even European panorama. It is about a sound system ( Jamaican-look band, where the deejay is called selector and singers are called DJ) that it has highlighted for its prolific career: it's the first sound-system in the Iberian Peninsual publishing two albums and carrying out more than 250 concerts.
The Sound System Band from Barcelona has always been narrowly linked to the social movements of the city and they have reproduced their trajectory with the solidarity towards every type of fights. They are the first reggae group in Catalonia under the sound-system format. They're characterized by great doses of realism, proximity to the youth of the street and combative humor.
On the other hand, they have grown artistically and already have a spectacular career for a band of their style and format: two albums in the street, endless tours, video clips, collaborations with other artists, presence in the media ... while they participate actively of the emergent reggae scene in Catalonia and, paradoxically, stages of great projection, social centers, festivals, have managed to be consecrated like a solvent, omnipresent and almost unavoidable band in local festivities.
With Pirat's Sound System the history of the Catalan musical panorama needs to be rewritten because it is an atypical and curious case in the measure that has been converted, from an incipient musical style and at times of now minority, in one of the most popular groups of the Catalan youth.
Among the more than 250 concerts carried out since year 2002, Pirat's Sound Sistema have played on all the Catalan Countries (from the Catalunya Nord to the Valencian regions, through the Principat and Balearic Islands), Euskadi, Galiza and the Spanish state (Madrid, Zaragoza, Osca, Seville, Granada....), performer in festivals of projection like the Senglar Rock, Rebrot, Rock a la mar on the Catalan National Day (11 of September) in Arc de Triomf (BCN) (among other), festivals of reggae music like the Reggus (Reus) or the Fino Reggae (Lleida), clubs like the Apolo (BCN), Razzamatazz (BCN), Grotto 77 (Madrid) or Kafe Antzoki (Bilbo) and simultaneously the local festivities from all over the country (outstanding the Festival l'aplec dels Ports, "barraques" from Girona or parties from Donosti to Palma) with great part of self-managed social centers of Catalonia and, of course, their tours in France (Rennes, Marseille, Nimes...) and Germany.
Per què?
Pirat's Sound Sistema Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
de la calma a la multitud en un pim pam...
entre l'estrès jo buscava nous signes
i l´status quo em disparava consignes
El silenci m'excitava els timpans,
de l'agobio a la solitud en un pim pam...
entre la calma buscava nou signes
Tothom actua com es veu a venir,
per què? jo no sé per què
Si accepten els seus rols com les ordres,
per què? jo no sé per què
Si estàs condemnat,
pensant com un autòmata
viure sense temps per viure,
doncs, la "prisa mata"
així que acata, paga la hipoteca,
pilla un cotxe nou
i droga't a la discoteca!
És que no ho veus
és que no ho saps,
tots uniformats,
tots estigmatitzats!
Reproduccions calcades,
mimetitzant identitats!
Si ningú es pregunta mai "per què?"...
res no varia, res no camina
Si ningú es pregunta mai "per què?"...
abaixem el cap i maquillem el què veiem
Però quan la gent es pregunta "per què?"...
s'obren sortides buscant noves vies
Però quan la gent es pregunta "per què?"...
els carrers prenen vida, tremola el poder!
Uniformes d'un exèrcit poderós
que no espera cap missió,
que es passeja entre mil aparadors
que no troba el seu lloc no porta direcció
Benvinguts al circ,
benvinguts aquest món trist
Benvinguts enemics,
tot es troba ja guarnit, tot està ben decidit,
ja està escrit el teu destí
Has estat força temps dins la barca,
ja no hi ha qui t'esborri aquesta marca
T'has deixat emportar per la massa
i ara et costa desfer-te de la mordassa
Si ningú es pregunta mai "per què?"...
res no varia, res no camina
Si ningú es pregunta mai "per què?"...
abaixem el cap i maquillem el què veiem
Però quan la gent es pregunta "per què?"...
s'obren sortides buscant noves vies
Però quan la gent es pregunta "per què?"...
els carrers prenen vida,
tremola el poder!
The song "Per què?" by Pirat's Sound Sistema is a commentary on the complacency and conformity of society. The opening lines describe the mundanity of everyday life, with the singer stating that neither quiet nor noise excites them anymore. They seek new signs beyond the stress and monotony of daily life, but the status quo only shoots them with commands. The repetitive nature of this cycle is illustrated in the lines "Tothom actua com es veu a venir, per què? jo no sé per què/Si accepten els seus rols com les ordres, per què? jo no sé per què," which roughly translate to "Everyone acts as expected, why? I don't know why/ If they accept their roles like orders, why? I don't know why."
The second verse then contrasts the first, with the singer now finding excitement in silence and solitude, but still seeking new signs beyond the calm. The last part of the verse is a scathing critique of society's expectations, with the singer admonishing those who live like automatons, rushing through life with no time to truly live. They urge people to question why they engage in such behaviours, rather than blindly accepting them. The chorus stresses the importance of asking "per què?" (why?), as without this introspection, there can be no progress or change. The final verse likens society to a powerful army that expects compliance from its citizens, leaving no room for individuality or direction. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the understanding that asking "per què?" can lead to new paths and a shaking up of the status quo.
Line by Line Meaning
El soroll no m'excitava els timpans,
The noise did not excite my eardrums,
de la calma a la multitud en un pim pam...
from calmness to crowds in an instant...
entre l'estrès jo buscava nous signes
amidst stress, I sought new signs,
i l´status quo em disparava consignes
and the status quo fired instructions at me.
Tothom actua com es veu a venir,
Everyone acts as expected,
per què? jo no sé per què
but why? I do not know.
Si accepten els seus rols com les ordres,
If they accept their roles as orders,
per què? jo no sé per què
but why? I do not know.
Si estàs condemnat,
If you are condemned,
pensant com un autòmata
thinking like an automaton,
viure sense temps per viure,
living without time to live,
doncs, la "prisa mata"
then, "haste kills"
així que acata, paga la hipoteca,
so obey, pay the mortgage,
pilla un cotxe nou i droga't a la discoteca!
get a new car and drug yourself at the disco!
És que no ho veus
Can't you see it?
és que no ho saps,
Don't you know it?
tots uniformats,
all uniformed,
tots estigmatitzats!
all stigmatized!
Reproduccions calcades,
Copying reproductions,
mimetitzant identitats!
mimicking identities!
Si ningú es pregunta mai "per què?"...
If no one ever asks "why?"...
res no varia, res no camina
nothing changes, nothing moves
Però quan la gent es pregunta "per què?"...
But when people ask "why?"...
s'obren sortides buscant noves vies
new paths are opened up
els carrers prenen vida,
the streets come alive,
tremola el poder!
power trembles!
Uniformes d'un exèrcit poderós
Uniforms of a powerful army
que no espera cap missió,
that does not wait for any mission,
que es passeja entre mil aparadors
that strolls among thousands of shop windows
que no troba el seu lloc no porta direcció
that does not find its place nor direction
Benvinguts al circ,
Welcome to the circus,
benvinguts aquest món trist
welcome to this sad world.
Benvinguts enemics,
Welcome enemies,
tot es troba ja guarnit, tot està ben decidit,
everything is already prepared, everything is well-decided,
ja està escrit el teu destí
your destiny is already written.
Has estat força temps dins la barca,
You've been in the boat for too long,
ja no hi ha qui t'esborri aquesta marca
there's no one who can erase that mark
T'has deixat emportar per la massa
You've let yourself be carried away by the masses,
i ara et costa desfer-te de la mordassa
and now it's hard for you to get rid of the muzzle.
Contributed by Molly B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@RobertoAmores
Desde Sevilla, Viva el mestizaje!!! y el Catalán... idioma es cultura, no escuchen a los que niegan esto, un fuerte abrazo desde el Sur.
@Comcob
Temazo ! Transmite un buen rollo de cohones ! Los escuches cuando lo escuches siempre te hace sonreir ! Un fuerte abrazo a todos !
@AndresBrios
Saludos desde Perú!
@piratssoundsistema7515
+Andres Brios Saludos a Peru !!!! :)
@delagangband
Un Tema Per oblidarsen de tot i ballarlo en la festa, i per culralitzar desde cada MP3, un abraç ben fort per ha Pirat's Sound Sistema desde la Catalunya Tropical
@wallaguest1
muy chula la cancion y el ritmo, saludos
@RAshKaeye
Ostres m'encanta la cançó i el clip, dels millors en català, sou fantàstics Pirat's!! Salutacions des d'Ontinyent!! =)
@dantespain
Esos grandes Pirats!
@mayakanaya3189
X aki x la Alcarria tb suena!
@albertfuertesviladoms5079
ÉS UNA CANÇÓ BRUTAL