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.
Tu loco loco y yo tranquilo
Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y tu loco loco, pero yo tranquilo
Viendo un zapatero ñoco
Siempre se le enrreda el hilo
El tipo se vuelve loco
Tu loco loco, yo tranquilo
Y tu loco loco, pero yo tranquilo
Dicen que estás como coco
Como navaja e' dos filos
El oro te volvió loco
Tu loco loco, yo tranquilo
Y tu loco loco, pero yo tranquilo
Y tu loco loco, pero yo tranquilo
Y tu loco loco, pero yo tranquilo
Tranquilo, tranquilo, tranquilo
Tranquilo como tranquilino que lino
Y tu loco loco, pero yo tranquilo
Ese mulato Camilo que le hará haciendo loco
Loco, loco, loco y yo, yo tranquilo
Y tu loco loco, pero yo tranquilo
El loco de Valle Arriba
A la la a lae, lo tuyo que mosquer
A la la a lae, lo tuyo que mosquer
A la la a lae, lo tuyo que mosquer
A la la a lae, lo tuyo que mosquer
In the song "Tu Loco Loco y Yo Tranquilo" by Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound, the lyrics describe a situation between two people where one person is acting crazy or unpredictable (tu loco loco) while the other remains calm and composed (yo tranquilo). The song starts by mentioning a shoemaker (zapatero) who always gets his thread tangled and gets crazy trying to untangle it. This serves as a metaphor for the person who is acting crazy in the situation. The lyrics go on to say that this person is like a coconut (coco) or a knife with two edges (navaja e' dos filos). The reason for their craziness is attributed to gold (el oro) that has turned them crazy.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Y tu loco loco, pero yo tranquilo" which emphasizes the contrast between the two individuals. The song also makes references to specific individuals such as "Ese mulato Camilo que le hará haciendo loco" which suggests that the song may be about real people and real events. The phrase "Valle Arriba" also appears in the lyrics which may refer to a neighborhood in Caracas, Venezuela. Overall, the song highlights the idea that there will always be crazy people in the world, but it's important to remain calm and composed in the face of their craziness.
Line by Line Meaning
Y tu loco loco, pero yo tranquilo
You may be acting crazy, but I remain calm and collected
Viendo un zapatero ñoco
Observing a crazy cobbler
Siempre se le enrreda el hilo
He always gets tangled up in his thread
El tipo se vuelve loco
This man becomes crazed
Dicen que estás como coco
They say you are out of your mind
Como navaja e' dos filos
Like a double-edged knife
El oro te volvió loco
You have become mad with gold
Tranquilo como tranquilino que lino
As calm as calm can be
Ese mulato Camilo que le hará haciendo loco
That Camilo guy is driving you crazy
Loco, loco, loco y yo, yo tranquilo
You're going insane and I'm just keeping my cool
El loco de Valle Arriba
The madman from Valle Arriba
A la la a lae, lo tuyo que mosquer
La la la, what's wrong with you?
A la la a lae, lo tuyo que mosquer
La la la, what's wrong with you?
A la la a lae, lo tuyo que mosquer
La la la, what's wrong with you?
A la la a lae, lo tuyo que mosquer
La la la, what's wrong with you?
Writer(s): Catalino Tite Curet
Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Oscar Alexander Matiz
Hay 115 amargos que pusieron dedo bajo, que sus vidas son tristes y deprimidas, pobresitos llevarán a la tumba sus frustraciones y miserias, nosotros los que somos felices disfrutamos cada día de nuestras vidas con Dios, familia, trabajo, estudio, y amigos para compartir esta tremenda música que nos representa en el mundo entero a la mejor raza, somos latinos y salseros. Saludos a Puerto Rico, la isla del encanto y a todos los que lean este mensaje los bendigo.
Juan Tapia Copa
Partido Morado Política Decente
Juan Tapia Copa
Partido Morado Política Decente
Luis Tovar
Simplemente están ejerciendo el derecho a ser unas completas güevas
william delgado
Deben ser sordos los macricas esos.
Luis Alfonso Izquierdo
Triste partida, una jornada más que se va
Marlene Camero
La salsa es incomparable , ningún género será igual jamás...
Damazo Galiano
Es verda salsero de acero
Carlos Abadia
De acuerdo tremedos
Alex Guanilo
Siempre lo digo eso a los pelados de ahora... Y no entienden...jeje se amargan y ofenden todavía... Que viva la salsaaaaa siempre...Chim Pum Callao