La Sonora Ponceña is a Puerto Rican salsa band, founded in 1954 by Enrique … Read Full Bio ↴La Sonora Ponceña is a Puerto Rican salsa band, founded in 1954 by Enrique "Quique" Lucca Caraballo. Today Quique's son, Papo Lucca, directs the band. The band has stayed active for a remarkable amount of time, recording dozens of albums, including a 55th anniversary album. Singers included Tito Gómez, Luigi Texidor, and Yolanda Rivera.

The history of La Sonora Ponceña is the history of Quique Lucca, (Yauco, Puerto Rico, 12 December 1912 - 9 October 2016). In 1928, when he was 16 years old, his family moves to Ponce, Puerto Rico and Quique starts to work as an auto mechanic and starts playing the guitar. In 1932 Quique meets Angélica Quiñones, the future mother of his children, Zulma, Papo y Wanda. In 1944 Quique puts together a band called "El Conjunto Internacional", including three instrumentalists: tumbadora, bongó, vocalist and Quique Lucca at the guitar and second voice. Later, Antonio "Tato" Santaella joined, playing the bongó. On 10 April 1946, Enrique Lucca Jr. ("Papo") was born; he would later become the musical director of "La Sonora". In fact, in 1951, Papo surprised his father and the other members of the "Internacional" band when, at only 5 years old, he joined a band practice and started playing the tumbadora on Tito Puente's "Ran Kan Kan".

After the band had been inactive for a year, Quique re-established it in 1954 and renamed it "Conjunto Sonora Ponceña". His childhood friend Antonio "Tato" Santaella played bajo de cajón. On 20 April of that year the band plays at its first official dance. In 1956, Vicentivo Morales, joins the band as its first pianist. Later that year, Quique brings young Papo into the band as a pianist. In November 1957, Papo makes its official debut during a dance on the northern shore of the Island. In 1958, La Sonora Ponceña records its first 78 RPM with Avelino Muñoz as pianist. The 78 RPM contained No puede Ser on one side and Tan Linda que Era on the reverse side. Towards the end of 1958, the band goes into recording mode and includes 12-year-old Papo Lucca. The band included its first official vocalist Charlie Martínez. Later on, vocalists Felipe and Davilita would also record bolero-mambo themes such as Noche de Locura. In September 1960, the group played in New York. The group's main attraction was its 12-year-old pianist, Papo Lucca. In 1968 the group started its official recordings on 33 RPM with the song Hacheros Pa' Un Palo.

In 1974, singer Humberto "Tito" Gómez leaves the band after 7 years and 6 recordings. Together with Joe Rodríguez and Mickey Ortíz, Humberto "Tito" Gómez formed La Terrífica. Likewise, in 1977 Edgardo Morales, who played the timbal leaves the band after 7 years and 7 recordings and joins El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. In 1978 singer Luis Guillermo "Luigui" Texidor leves the band after 10 years and 10 recordings to join Bobby Valentín's Orchestra. In 1982 trumpetist Humberto Godineaux leaves the band after 4 years a 6 recordings. Singer Yolanda Rivera also left the band after 7 years and 8 recordings. In 1985, singer Miguel Ortíz retires from the band after 11 years and 12 recordings. On 28 May 1986, the band losses singer Alberto "Toñito" Ledée in a car accident. In 1987, trumpetist Heriberto "Ayatollah" Santiago also retires having 7 years and 5 recordings to his credit. In July 1989, long-time bass player Antonio "Tato" Santaella retired after 21 recordings. Tato played without ever using any musical scores, and singing entirely "by ear". A year later, in 1990, another bass player Efraín "Frao" Hernández retired from the band after 10 years and 7 recordings. In 1990, bongó player Angel Hernández also retired after 14 years and 13 recordings. In 1991, tumbadora player Vicente "Pequeño Johnny" Rivera retires after 16 years with the band. He had performed on 15 of the band's recordings. In 1993, long-time trumpeter Ramón "Tony El Cordovés" Rodríguez retired after 24 recordings. This was followed by the retirement of trumpeter Freddie Del Valle, who had played with the band for 6 years and had participated in 5 recordings.

In 1993, the band played at the Magno Orchestra Festival in Barranquilla, Colombia. The band was awarded the “Congo de Oro” award, given to the best international band. And in October 1994, Sonora Ponceña celebrated its 40th anniversary with a festival at Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The band would later also play at the Madison Square Garden to bring its celebration to the United States. In 1995, the band did a reunion recording with Luis Guillermo "Luigi" Texidor and Yolanda Rivera who had retired 19 and 14 years earlier, respectively. That same year, they sang in Paris, France, and at the Desfile de la Hispanidad (Hispanic Parade) in Zaragoza, Spain. In 1996 the band plays for the first time in Mexico at the Boca del Río, Veracruz, Mexico, carnival.

In 2000, Sonora Ponceña celebrated its 45th anniversary at the Tito Puente Amphitheater at the Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan, Puerto Rico and at the Teatro La Perla in Ponce. They also played in Caracas, Venezuela as part of this 45th anniversary celebration. In the years following 2000, La Sonora Ponceña participated in a large number of events throughout Puerto Rico, including Fiestas Patronales, private parties, graduation parties, and corporate Christmas and holiday parties. In the following years, the band also made presentations in Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami, Washington, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Jersey, Panamá, Perú, England, Switzerland and Italy.

For its 50th year anniversary (2004), the band played at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The 12,000 spectators made the show a complete sellout on its presentation day, February 21. The show was broadcast via radio and television.

During its 50th anniversaery show at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, the band was officially recognized by the Legislature of Puerto Rico for its musical contributions.
The 23rd “Día Nacional de la Salsa”, celebrated in Carolina, Puerto Rico on 16 March 2004, was dedicated to Don Quique, Papo and la Sonora Ponceña.
In Ponce there is a street, in Urb. Estancias del Golf, named after Quique Lucca.
The 2003 "Feria de Turismo", celebrated at Complejo Turístico “La Guancha” in Ponce was dedicated to Don Quique, Papo and la Sonora Ponceña.

El Hablador
Sonora Ponceña Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ha bla bla bla bla bla bla bla,
Ha bla bla bla bla bla bla bla,
Ha bla bla bla bla bla bla bla.

Para qué me saludas cuando me ves,
si luego me tiras. (x2)

Cansado me tienes,

con tu hipocresía
y con tanta falsedad.

Ahora me llamas,
ahora me llamas.
El día menos pensado voy a darte un escarmiento;
para que así me sepas tratar.

Hablador, bochinchero, manganzón, farfullero.
Siempre, siempre la gente me tira, pero yo no digo na, yo sigo siempre mi tumbe, y no me importa lo demás y qué dice.
Hablador, bochinchero, manganzón, farfullero.
En el barrio todos dicen que yo no soy un sonero, pero yo no uso guaracha, yo lo que canto es bolero y qué dice.
Hablador, bochinchero, manganzón, farfullero.

(Coño este es más picú que el chotorro)

Hablador, bochinchero, manganzón, farfullero.
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Hablador, bochinchero, manganzón, farfullero.
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Hablador, bochinchero, manganzón, farfullero.
Tú siempre te pasas hablando en una esquina del pueblo y te pasa bochincheando de toditos los soneros y qué dice.
Hablador, bochinchero, manganzón, farfullero.

Hablador. Bochinchero.

Ha bla bla bla bla bla bla bla,
Ha bla bla bla bla bla bla bla,
Ha bla bla bla bla bla bla bla.

Lengua de trapo.

Overall Meaning

The song El Hablador by Sonora Poncena is a lively salsa tune filled with playful jabs at the "talker" or "gossip" in the community. The repetitive and catchy chorus of "ha bla bla bla" serves as a playful and rhythmic way of imitating the talker's constant chatter. The singer of the song is tired of the talker's hypocrisy and false friendliness, which is represented in the lyrics "Para qué me saludas cuando me ves, si luego me tiras" ("Why do you greet me when you see me, if you're just going to talk behind my back"). The singer is fed up and warns the talker that they will not hesitate to give them comeuppance if they continue to spread lies and rumors.

Throughout the song, the singer playfully mocks the talker, calling them a "bochinchero" (gossip), "manganzón" (idler), "farfullero" (babbling fool), and "lengua de trapo" (gossipmonger). The song also touches upon the struggle of being perceived as not a "true" musician, with lyrics such as "En el barrio todos dicen que yo no soy un sonero, pero yo no uso guaracha, yo lo que canto es bolero" ("In the neighborhood everyone says I'm not a true musician, but I don't use guaracha, I sing boleros").

Overall, El Hablador is a playful and vibrant salsa tune that uses humor to call out the talker in the community and emphasize the importance of authenticity in the music industry.

Line by Line Meaning

Ha bla bla bla bla bla bla bla,
The singer is making meaningless sounds, possibly to represent the habit of the person they are referring to in the song.

Para qué me saludas cuando me ves,
The singer is questioning why the person they are referring to in the song greets them when they see each other, only to then talk negatively about them.

si luego me tiras. (x2)
The person referred to in the song is being two-faced by greeting the singer and then speaking poorly about them behind their back.

Cansado me tienes,
The artist is tired of the person they are referring to in the song.

con tu hipocresía
The person they are referring to in the song is being hypocritical.

y con tanta falsedad.
The person they are referring to in the song is also being deceitful.

Ahora me llamas,
The person they are referring to in the song is calling the singer now.

ahora me llamas.
The person they are referring to in the song keeps calling the artist.

El día menos pensado voy a darte un escarmiento;
The artist is warning the person they are referring to in the song that they will face consequences for their actions soon.

para que así me sepas tratar.
The artist wants to teach the person they are referring to in the song a lesson for their bad behavior.

Hablador, bochinchero, manganzón, farfullero.
The singer is using various adjectives to describe the person they are referring to in the song, including 'talkative,' 'gossipy,' and 'braggart.'

Siempre, siempre la gente me tira, pero yo no digo na, yo sigo siempre mi tumbe, y no me importa lo demás y qué dice.
The artist acknowledges that people talk about them, but they do not let it get to them and continue to do their own thing.

En el barrio todos dicen que yo no soy un sonero, pero yo no uso guaracha, yo lo que canto es bolero y qué dice.
The singer is being criticized for not following traditional music styles, but they do not let it bother them.

Tú siempre te pasas hablando en una esquina del pueblo y te pasa bochincheando de toditos los soneros y qué dice.
The singer is calling out the person they are referring to in the song for gossiping about other musicians.

Hablador. Bochinchero.
The singer repeats these adjectives to emphasize the personality traits they are attributing to the person they are referring to in the song.

Ha bla bla bla bla bla bla bla,
The artist is once again making meaningless noises.

Ha bla bla bla bla bla bla bla.
The singer is once again making meaningless noises.

Lengua de trapo.
The singer is using this phrase to describe the person they are referring to in the song as a liar or a hypocrite.

Contributed by Julian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS