Roberto Roena (born January 16, 1940 in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico) is a salsa m… Read Full Bio ↴Roberto Roena (born January 16, 1940 in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico) is a salsa music percussionist, orchestra leader, and dancer. Roena was one of the original members of El Gran Combo. He later became the leader of his own band, "Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound", arguably one of the best Latin salsa bands in Puerto Rico. Roena has also been a long-time member of the Fania All Stars, a salsa supergroup that has enjoyed worldwide success since the 1970s. In 1969, he went on to form a band by the name of "Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound", arguably one of the best Latin salsa bands in Puerto Rico. Roberto Roena’s new orchestra was baptized "El Apollo Sound" because the launch of NASA's Apollo 11 lunar mission coincided with the day of the band’s first rehearsal. The band eventually recorded hits such as Y Tu Loco Loco, Traicion, Que Se Sepa and Herencia Rumbero.

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.

Consolación
Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Si no tuviera ese amor, aunque me cause dolor
Si no pudiera llorar, si no pudiera sufrir
Vale mas con todo y acabar
Yo ame, ame de mas
Lo que sufri por aquel amor nadie sufrio
Nadie sufrio
Y llore perdi la paz
Pero yo se que nadie en la vida tuvo mas

Igual que yo
Si yo tuviera un amor
Amor, amor, amor, amor, amor,
Aunque me cause dolor
Ven ven acaba tu desamor
Si yo tuviera un amor
Yo no quiero no quiero que goces con mi dolor
Aunque me cause dolor
La causa de todo de todo fue tu amor
Si yo tuviera un amor
La paz del alma se la robo
Aunque me cause dolor
Oye pensar que tu fuiste mi adoracion
Si yo tuviera un amor
Amor amor que destrozas mi corazon
Aunque me cause dolor
Amor, amor, amor, amor, amor,
Ven ven ven ven acaba acaba acaba tu desamor
Aunque me cause dolor
Oye yo no quiero que goces con mi dolor
Si yo tuviera un amor
La causa de todo de todo fue tu amor

Aunque me cause dolor
Amor, amor, amor, amor, amor,

Overall Meaning

The song "Consolacion" by Roberto Roena is about the pain and suffering that comes with love, but how it is still worth experiencing despite the heartbreak. The lyrics describe how the singer would rather have love and endure the pain that comes with it than not have love at all. They acknowledge the intensity of their love and the agony they experienced because of it, but also recognize that no one has ever loved as deeply as they have.

The singer addresses someone who caused them pain, perhaps an ex-lover, and asks them to put an end to their heartache. They do not want this person to enjoy their suffering, but rather to understand that their love was the cause of all their pain.

Through the lyrics, Roena showcases the complexity of love and how it can bring both joy and sorrow. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy chorus contrast with the emotional turmoil expressed in the verses. This juxtaposition adds a layer of depth to the song and highlights the bittersweet nature of love.

Line by Line Meaning

Si no tuviera ese amor, aunque me cause dolor
If I didn't have that love, even if it causes me pain

si no pudiera llorar, si no pudiera sufrir
If I couldn't cry, if I couldn't suffer

Vale mas con todo y acabar
It's worth it to go through it all and finish

Yo ame, ame de mas
I loved, loved too much

lo que sufri por aquel amor nadie sufrio
No one suffered like I did for that love

nadie sufrio
No one suffered

y llore perdi la paz
And I cried, lost my peace

pero yo se que nadie en la vida tuvo mas
But I know that no one in life had more

igual que yo
Like me

si yo tuviera un amor
If I had a love

amor, amor, amor, amor, amor,
love, love, love, love, love,