Walter Ferguson was born in Guabito, Panama. His family soon settled in Cos… Read Full Bio ↴Walter Ferguson was born in Guabito, Panama. His family soon settled in Costa Rica and he spent most of his childhood in Jamaica Town, a neighborhood in Port Limon. There he lived in his aunt´s house, where he used to receive organ lessons. His parents moved to Cahuita, a small hamlet in the far South of the province, where he lives until today.

From an early age, he showed a grand interest in music and he learned to play the harmonica, guitar and clarinet. As a clarinet player, he started the group “Miserable” with other Limonese calypsonians. This was in the 1950s.

In the 60s, he began to write calypsos and until now, he has written over a hundred songs of great quality and cultural relevance for Limonese people.

Walter Ferguson, also known as Gavitt, was always present in calypso challenges held in different points of the Caribbean coast. From the town of Bluefields, Nicaragua to Bocas del Toro in Panama, calypsonians would move by boat, horse, train or truck to compete in improvisation contests and Mr. Ferguson´s fame travelled along with other big names as Panama´s Lord Cobra, or Limonese singers Papa Tun and Shanti.

More recently, Walter Ferguson used to record his music in audiocassettes to sell the tourists in Cahuita. Each tape was unique, an original, personal concert for each person who requested a souvenir.

Mr. Ferguson has received several recognitions, such as the Popular Culture Award given by the Ministry of Culture, the ACAM Award, and the Ancora Prize by La Nación newspaper.

His songs honestly reflect the idiosyncrasy of the Afro Costa Rican community and a part of the country´s culture most ignored by the State of Costa Rica. Mr. Ferguson jokes about the calypsonian´s naïve spirit, often misunderstood and persecuted, taken advantage of by glamour girls who call him “sugar candy” or bullied by policemen, and portrays Afro Costa Rican life with simplicity and creativity. His work has been interpreted by other Costa Rican artists like Manuel Monestel and band Cantoamérica since the 1980s, which has made his work known in other areas of the country and abroad.

Rumba En Cahuita
Walter Ferguson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

One day I been to a festival
Me and me melodious band
They were having bacanal
They were happy to see the calypsonian (repeat)

Some was playing the tumba
Some was singing melodiously
But now they wanted a rumba

And they beg me shout out my melody
And I was singing: oye mi rumba, mi rumba,
Mi rumba, mi rumba, mi rumba
Pero baile la rumba, oye la rumba
Mi rumba de Cahuita, mi rumba chiquitita

Una morenita tocando la tumba
La otra chiquitita bailando la rumba
Pero, oye mi rumba, oye mi rumba
Mi rumba de Cahuita, mi rumba de Cahuita
Oye mi rumba, mi rumba

El mono y la mona, sentada en la grada
La mona dijo al mono yo soy tu camarada
Pero oye mi rumba; oye mi rumba

Mi rumba, mi rumba, mi rumba,
Mi rumba de Cahuita, oye mi rumba...

Overall Meaning

In Walter Ferguson's song Rumba en Cahuita, the singer talks about a festival that he attended along with his melodious band. The festival-goers were having a bacanal and enjoying themselves with the tumba and melodious singing. However, they wanted more, and they requested a rumba from the singer. The singer obliged and sang his melody, urging them to dance to his rumba, which he describes as being from Cahuita and being small but significant.

The song has a vibrant and fun atmosphere, with the mention of different characters participating in the festivities, such as a morenita playing the tumba and another person, who is smaller, dancing the rumba. There is also a mention of a monkey and his monkey friend, who are sitting in the stands, with the monkey teasing the monkey friend about being camarada. Overall, the song is a celebration of life and music, with people coming together to enjoy themselves and dance to the rhythm.

Line by Line Meaning

One day I been to a festival
Once upon a day, I attended a celebration

Me and me melodious band
My musical group and I

They were having bacanal
They were having a wild party

They were happy to see the calypsonian
They were pleased to have a calypso musician present

Some was playing the tumba
Some were playing the tumba drum

Some was singing melodiously
Some were singing beautifully

But now they wanted a rumba
But now they desired a rumba-style song

And they beg me shout out my melody
They requested that I sing my melody loudly

And I was singing: oye mi rumba, mi rumba,
And I was singing: listen to my rumba, my rumba,

Mi rumba, mi rumba, mi rumba
My rumba, my rumba, my rumba

Pero baile la rumba, oye la rumba
So dance to the rumba, listen to the rumba