Captivating and moving audiences over the course of a 24-year, 14-album career, this fine-tuned Puerto Rican-based ensemble of virtuoso musicians has only gotten better with age, as evidenced by their four recent Grammy nominations and world-wide touring schedule.
Led by founder and bassist Gary Nuñez, Plena Libre is recognized for taking the once dormant, Puerto Rican plena style of music and reclaiming it for a new generation of listeners to enjoy. The group became instantly popular in Puerto Rico, with National Geographic crediting Plena Libre among other Puerto Rican acts in “spearheading the Latin invasion of American popular music. Plena Libre features three vocalists singing in captivating three and four-part harmonies which complement the group’s danceable, Afro-Rican compositions. The group’s use of call-and-response, percussion and polyrhythms keeps each show feeling groovy and fresh.
With an aggressive, tight, yet sensitive style, which balances the traditional with the contemporary, the global and the local, Plena Libre creates a brand of music and live performance that is both profoundly Puerto Rican and universally appealing. Filtering the sounds of various Afro-Caribbean forms like merengue and cumbia, and Afro-Cuban like mambo and yes, salsa if you ask nicely through a unique set of artistic sensibilities, this versatile collection of expert performers create a celebratory spectacle and engaging sonic ecstasy. Thrilling audiences around the world, from the Fez Festival (in Morocco) to the Playboy Jazz Festival, Plena Libre is a train that just keeps picking up steam as it charges ahead in unexpected and exciting directions.
Plena Libre Members
Gary Nuñez - Music Director, Bassist and Founder
Emanuel Santana - Singer/Hand Drums
Victor Velez - Singer/Hand Drums
Luisga Nuñez - Chorus/Percussion
Rafael Falu - Requinto
Luis rivera - Singer/Percussion
El Besito
Plena Libre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Plena Libre
No se que tiene tu boca
Que me tiene loco
Seran tus besos
Cuando me besas
Mulatico me pongo
Con esa nena
yo tengo tremendo coco.
Y es que tu hechizo
Pa'mi eso es clase aparte
Dame un besito muy dulce
Donde tu sabes.
-En la mejilla mami-
Coro
Dame un besito
De esos bien dulce
Dame un besito mami
Donde te guste.
Damelo de coco, de china o de tamarindo
Damelo del sabor que a ti te guste
En mi auto siempre voy
Oye pensando en tus besos
Y cuando no tengo sabor
Yo me como hasta las luces.
Coro
1x
En la escuela de tus besos
Cosita buena
Hay negra linda
Quiero que me maricules.
Coro
1x
Panderos
-Y siempre velando al guardia-
Panderos
- Camina Plena Libre-
Coro
1x
Ay mama me vuelvo loco
®Si tu me lo das de coco
Negrita me desesperas
®Cuando me lo das de pera
a mi me gusta negrita
®cuando me lo das de pina
es que me encanta mulata
®cuando me lo das de parcha
tus besos llenan mi vida
®cuando me lo das de china
tu eres mi cosa buena
®cuando tu bailas mi plena.
-Dame tus besitos si-
Coro
1x
En Eneroy Febrero, Marzo y Abril
Todito el ano yo tengo
Besos pa'ti.
Coro
1x
-Besitos pa'ti mami-
(pita)
The song El Besito by Plena Libre is an ode to the addictive sweetness of kisses. The lead singer confesses to being crazy about his lover's kisses and describes them as being so sweet that they leave him in a trance-like state every time. He refers to the effect of her kisses as a spell that takes over him, and he can only recover by getting more of them. The lyrics are sexually suggestive as he goes on to ask her for more kisses, whether they are of coconut, tamarind, or Chinese flavor. The singer also goes on to describe the intensity of his feelings by saying he thinks of her kisses even when he is driving, and he eats anything sweet in the absence of her kisses.
The song's lyrics are playful and straightforwardly represent the joys of romance and sensuality. The lyrics are not complicated, and the upbeat melody and rhythm of the song reinforce the playfulness and joy inherent in the lyrics. The song's use of the word "Mulatico" shows the influence of the Afro-Caribbean culture, highlighting the mix of cultures prevalent in Puerto Rico. The song is a catchy and charming representation of the pleasures of affection in a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
No se que tiene tu boca
I don't know what it is about your mouth
Que me tiene loco
That has me crazy
Seran tus besos
Is it your kisses?
Son tan melosos.
They are so sweet.
Cuando me besas
When you kiss me
Mulatico me pongo
I become a little mixed-race guy
Con esa nena
With that girl
yo tengo tremendo coco.
I have a huge crush.
Y es que tu hechizo
And your magic
Pa'mi eso es clase aparte
For me, that's in a class of its own
Dame un besito muy dulce
Give me a very sweet little kiss
Donde tu sabes.
You know where.
-En la mejilla mami-
-On the cheek, baby-
Dame un besito
Give me a little kiss
De esos bien dulce
One of those really sweet ones
Dame un besito mami
Give me a little kiss, baby
Donde te guste.
Wherever you like.
Damelo de coco, de china o de tamarindo
Give it to me with coconut, orange or tamarind
Damelo del sabor que a ti te guste
Give it to me with the flavor that you like
En mi auto siempre voy
I always go in my car
Oye pensando en tus besos
Thinking about your kisses, you know
Y cuando no tengo sabor
And when I don't have any flavor
Yo me como hasta las luces.
I eat everything, even the lights.
En la escuela de tus besos
In the school of your kisses
Cosita buena
Good thing
Hay negra linda
There's a beautiful black girl
Quiero que me maricules.
I want you to take care of me.
Ay mama me vuelvo loco
Oh mama, I go crazy
®Si tu me lo das de coco
If you give it to me with coconut
Negrita me desesperas
You drive me crazy, Black girl
®Cuando me lo das de pera
When you give it to me with pear
a mi me gusta negrita
I like it Black girl
®cuando me lo das de pina
When you give it to me with pineapple
es que me encanta mulata
Because I love mixed-race girls
®cuando me lo das de parcha
When you give it to me with passionfruit
tus besos llenan mi vida
Your kisses fill my life
®cuando me lo das de china
When you give it to me with orange
tu eres mi cosa buena
You are my good thing
®cuando tu bailas mi plena.
When you dance my plena.
-Dame tus besitos si-
-Give me your little kisses, yes-
En Eneroy Febrero, Marzo y Abril
In January and February, March and April
Todito el ano yo tengo
All year I have
Besos pa'ti.
Kisses for you.
-Besitos pa'ti mami-
-Little kisses for you, baby-
(pita)
(whistle)
Contributed by Samantha N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.