Roberto Roena has also been a long-time member of the Fania All Stars, the showcase group for the Fania Records label, which has enjoyed worldwide success since the 1970s. He recorded his signature song, "Coro Miyare", with the group; live performances of the song featured Roena playing the bongos and dancing with his uncle, legendary salsa dancer Aníbal Vázquez, in a choreographed section that almost always received standing ovations from the audience.
Mr. Roena took a giant step in the fusion of salsa with jazz, in the 1970s, by joining forces with African superstar (saxophonist) Manu Dibango of "Soul Makossa" fame.
Even without knowing how to read or write music, and probably because of it, Roena knew how to surround himself with excellent musicians and arrangers. "Apollo Sound" featured musicians from the ensemble of Tito Puente, "Cortijo y Su Combo", "El Gran Combo" and "Los Sunsets", among others. Some of the well renowned arrangers and composers who nourished his repertoire were Mario Ortiz, Bobby Valentín, Elias Lopés, Luis “Perico” Ortiz and Papo Lucca. With "Apollo Sound", Roberto introduced a “new” sound to salsa music by utilizing two trumpets, a trombone and a saxophone, a combination he took from the influence of the wind section of the rock group Blood, Sweat and Tears (in honor of which his band recorded a successful version of “Spinning Wheel”).
Roberto always considered variety as the key to success, leading him to include in his musical repertoire everything from go-go to the romantic, the same in English as in Spanish. Roberto Roena and his Apollo Sound’s first album produced hits of great impact like “Tú loco loco y yo tranquilo,” “El escapulario,” and “El sordo.” In fact, it was Apollo Sound who popularized the Bobby Capó classic, “Soñando con Puerto Rico.”
Apollo Sound recorded under the label International Records (a subsidiary of Fania) for a decade, in which they harvested successes like “Traición,” “Chotorro,” “Mi Desengaño,” “Fea,” “Marejada feliz,” “Cui cui,” and “El progreso,” among others. His popularity on the radio waves came accompanied with tours around the United States and Latin America.
Complementing the musicality of the salsa group was always the showmanship inherent in Roberto Roena. Dying his hair in new colors, playing percussion in his underwear and sporting a harness so he could “fly” around the stage of New York City's Madison Square Garden were some of the tricks that he used to stand out among the other groups in vogue. In fact, a noted journalist that followed Apollo Sound once remarked that they were “the first group in Puerto Rico with a system of psychedelic lights and go-go girls.”
Beginning in the 1980s, Roberto Roena and his Apollo Sound experienced a fade in popularity, reflecting a crisis that was sweeping through the salsa movement in general. Nevertheless, Roberto maintained himself by collaborating and recording independently with local groups. In 1990, Roena tried to revive the concept of Apollo Sound. He opened a concert for British rock singer Sting at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente, where he presented his hit salsa version of "Every Breath You Take" (with an amused Sting watching from the sidelines).
In 1994, he celebrated 25 years with his orchestra in a successful concert at the Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan. This performance was recorded and released, validating his music for a new generation.
Con los Pobres Estoy
Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Para los pobres soy, para los pobres soy
Y no me digan que no
Porque con ellos estoy, donde quiera que voy
Yo vine de los manglares, donde crece la seda
Para mi en esos lugares, solo hay felicidad
Para los pobres soy, para los pobres soy
Búsquenme en los arrabales que abundan por la ciudad
Para mi en esos lugares, solo hay felicidad
Orgullo no va conmigo, por doquiera que yo voy
En cada pobre un amigo , a ese la mano le doy
Agüita de ajonjolí
Para los pobres soy, para los pobres soy
Y no me digan que no, porque con ellos estoy
Donde quiera que voy
Con los pobres estoy, donde quiera que voy
Por donde quiera que yo voy
Con los pobres siempre estoy, siempre estoy
En cada pobre un amigo
A ese la mano le doy, pobre soy
Si tu me pides quince chavos
Una cuara yo te doy, noble soy
En mi no existe hipocresía
Hay corazón nada mas, si uno da
Eh... yo de ajonjolí también melao
Y a mi los pobres que ya me tiene dominao
Búsquenme en los arrabales
Que allí mismo es donde estoy
The song "Con Los Pobres Estoy" by Roberto Roena is a powerful tribute to the poor, expressing deep empathy with their struggles and celebrating their resilience and strength. The song begins with the image of "aguita de ajonjolí," or sesame water, which the singer associates with his own identity as someone who stands with the poor. He insists that he truly is "para los pobres soy," and that he can be found with them wherever he goes, refusing to be prideful or distant from their daily struggles.
Roena then describes his own origins in the mangrove forests, where happiness can be found despite the difficult conditions. He emphasizes that he can be found in the poorest areas of the city, and that in each poor person he sees a friend to whom he extends a helping hand. Throughout, the song emphasizes Roena's humility and his identification with the poor, presenting an image of someone who lives and breathes solidarity with those who face hardship every day. The song's powerful message of compassion and empathy makes it an enduring classic of Latin music.
Line by Line Meaning
Agüita de ajonjolí
Refers to the singer being humble and simple
Para los pobres soy, para los pobres soy
The singer is committed to being with the poor always
Y no me digan que no
The singer is aware of what he does for the poor
Porque con ellos estoy, donde quiera que voy
The singer is always seen around the poor
Yo vine de los manglares, donde crece la seda
The singer came from a place where life was easy and simple
Para mi en esos lugares, solo hay felicidad
The singer always finds happiness in simple things
Búsquenme en los arrabales que abundan por la ciudad
The singer is always found in the slums where the poor live
Orgullo no va conmigo, por doquiera que yo voy
The singer is humble and cares for others
En cada pobre un amigo , a ese la mano le doy
The singer is a friend of every poor person
Con los pobres estoy, donde quiera que voy
The singer always travels with the poor
Por donde quiera que yo voy
The singer always takes the poor with him
Con los pobres siempre estoy, siempre estoy
The singer is always with the poor
Si tu me pides quince chavos
The singer will give what he can to help the poor
Una cuara yo te doy, noble soy
The singer is generous and helpful to the poor
En mi no existe hipocresía
The singer is honest and truthful
Hay corazón nada mas, si uno da
The singer believes in giving from the heart
Eh... yo de ajonjolí también melao
The singer has had humble beginnings
Y a mi los pobres que ya me tiene dominao
The singer is committed to always being with the poor
Búsquenme en los arrabales
The singer can always be found in the slums
Que allí mismo es donde estoy
The singer is always present in the slums where the poor live
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CATALINO ALONSO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Prof. Gabriel Cruz Rodríguez
Sabroso!
En 2022 escuchándola desde Los Frailes II, Santo Domingo Este, República Dominicana, zona de pura Salsa... No vivas en esa nube, aquí está la realidad.
Victor Manuel Camilo
La humildad no se debe perder y la salsa tampoco, son para todos los tiempos "desde Cali .."
Filiberto
Interpretación para honrar al pobre. Excelente mensaje.
Carlos Anibal
Hasta siempre, maestro.
Que bellas canciones nos dejas, esta entre ellas.
Buen viaje de retorno a la luz
John Ballesteros
Grande maestro Roena. Descanse en Paz.
giovanny chalarca
DIOS te reciba en su Santa Gloria maestro que viva la SALSA
Diego Valencia
Excelente tema musical🎶🎉
Franci Mota
Jesús teme que bale oro.., bendiciones para todo el que se identifica con este tema
Whiskey Charlie
Que en paz descanse Tito Cruz, quien canta, y al gran maestro Roberto Roena.
Luis B.
La buena Salsa, así como esta, hay que seguir difundiéndola, defendiéndola, ya que ahora por razones comerciales no le generan ganancia a las productoras. Siempre habrá personas como usted que las publica para vivirla y disfrutarlas. ¡Gracias! Caracas; 2020.