Plena y Bomba
Susana Baca Lyrics

En el callejon de mi abuela
The street where my grandmother lives

De canela es el amor
The love in that place is sweet like cinnamon

En el callejon de mi abuela
That street is full of inspiration

todo es inspiracion
Every corner of that street provides artistic inspiration

Quizo el cielo que naciera entre el coco y el perol
The universe wanted me to be born in this specific place, where coconut and stew pot are common things

Que hice yo con mi canto y llegue hasta Nueva York, Mayoral
My singing talent allowed me to move to New York City and pursue my career, Mayoral

Yo lo digo con la plena, con mi plena sueño yo
I express myself through the rhythms of plena, and that is how I dream

Yo te digo no hay condena si tu naces callejon, Colorao
There is no shame in being born in a poor neighborhood called Colorao

En el callejon, Marujita cuelgan tus cartas de amor
Marujita hangs her love letters in that alley

en el callejon te enamora un muchacho que paso, mi cholita
It is in that alley where a boy might fall in love with you, my dear

con la cara limpia digo una copla en oracion
I sing a religious song with a pure heart

con la cara limpia digo con la plena bailo yo, hay bendito
I dance plena joyfully with a smile on my face

Abuela me enseno que pa' limpiar las entrañas pa' que no me piquen las aranas el cuerpo se bana con jarabe de cana asi se arregla todo lo que se daña con un poco de bomba tambien
My grandmother taught me to clean my insides with sugarcane syrup and not get bitten by spiders. Also, some bomba music helps cure everything.

salgo vacunado contra el comejen alimenta'o con panapen, vengo fuerte
I come back from that experience stronger and healthier, having eaten plenty of root crops and feeling immune to woodworm.

Campo, yo te llevo en mis recuerdos como el perfume lleva la flor sueno con tus valles, tus montanas campo de Puerto Rico te llevo en mi corazon
I carry the memory of the countryside in my heart, like a fragrance that sticks to a flower. I remember the valleys and the mountains of Puerto Rico with great fondness.

Bomba, bomba de mi borinque (si no bailo esta bomba, me voy a morir)
Bomba, the traditional Puerto Rican rhythm that I'm passionate about (and which I cannot live without).

Lo que te traigo es bomba y plena
I bring you the essence of Puerto Rican music, the bomba and plena.

pa' que la baile y la goce
So you can dance and enjoy this music

si no bailo esta bomba, me voy a morir
If I cannot dance the bomba, it would feel like a death sentence, such is my love for it.

(chupate el bombon de canela yo se que te va a gustar pero que chupate el bombon de canela que a ti te va a bacilar)
This is an invitation to taste the sweet and spicy flavors of Puerto Rican culture, which includes the Bombon de Canela (cinnamon candy).

Tu te vas a la playita y te das un baño de mar cuando salgas de este baño azuquita encontraras, Mayoral
When you go to the beach and immerse yourself in its waters, you will emerge with a sugary aftertaste that only a place like Puerto Rico can provide, Mayoral.

volando, como me ensenaron mis abuelos descalzo, para conectarme con el suelo cuan cuan, cuando la musica govierna ningun, pero que ningun espiritu se enferma
I dance barefoot, as my ancestors taught me, so I can feel the ground and connect myself to Mother Nature. When the music takes over, no spirit remains unhealed.

el callejon de mi abuela queda en Loiza los tambores suenan cada vez que uno pisa el cuero esta hablando, que nadie se duerma hasta a las palmeras les salieron piernas
My grandma's street is in Loiza, home of the afro-Puerto Rican culture that thrives through the beating of its drums. The leather instruments talk to you, so don't fall asleep. Even the local palm trees seem to dance to the rhythm.