70 Salsa romántica
Salsa music during its history has dealt with all kinds of topics, and love is a required topic. “Gitana” (1984) by Willie Colón, also Puerto Rican born in New York, is an example of it because it plays with the origins of salsa by bringing a flamenco-like tune, and devoting the lyrics to a gypsy woman: gitana. Flamenco music originated at the south of Spain in the community of gypsies.
The word gitano or gitana is often used as a metaphor of someone who travels a lot, or who travels a lot around love. Calling someone gitano or gitana means that the person has had multiple romantic partners.
Willie Colon – Gitana
- Parts of the body: pelo (=hair), cara (=hair), corazón (=heart),
- Expressions: sé que (=I know that), tú tienes (=you have), pedacito (=a bit, a piece), te quiero (=I love/want you), yo tengo celos de (=I have jealousy of)
- Infinitive versus yo-form: sin mirarte yo te miro (=Without looking you, I look you), sin sentirte yo te siento (=Without feeling you, I feel you), sin hablarte yo te hablo (without talking to you, I talk to you), sin quererte yo te quiero (=without loving you, I love you)
La letra aquí empieza en 1:30:
Gitana, Gitana, Gitana, Gitana
Gypsy, Gypsy, Gypsy, Gypsy
Tu pelo, tu pelo, tu cara, tu cara
Your hair, your hair, your face, your face
Sé que nunca fuiste mía, ni lo has sido, ni lo eres
(I) know you were never mine, nor you have been it, or you are it
Pero de mi corazón, un pedacito tú tienes, tú tienes, tú tienes, tú tienes, tú tienes
But from my heart, a little-piece you have, you have, you have, you have
Porque sabes que te quiero, no trates de alabarme tú
Because you know I want/love you, don’t try to adulate me you
Pues lo mismo que te quiero, soy capaz hasta de odiarte yo
Since the same that I want/love you, I’m able even to hate you, I.
Y tengo celos del viento porque acaricia tu piel
I have jelousy of the wind because it caresses your skin
de la Luna que miras, del Sol porque te calienta.
Of the moon you look, of the sun because it heats you
Yo tengo celos del agua, y del peinecito que a ti te peina
I have jelousy of the water, and of the little-comb that combs you
Y por los celos, los celos, los celos
And for the jelousy, the jelousy, the jelousy
A mí el corazón me arde, me arde (X2)
To me the heart soars, soars, soars
Las palabras son de aire, y van al aire,
The words are (made of) air and go to the air
mis lágrimas son agua, y van al mar.
My tears are water, and go to the sea
Cuando un amor se muere, sabes chiquita a dónde va
When a love dies you know little-girl where it goes
Sin mirarte te miro
without looking you, I look you
Sin sentirte yo te siento
without feeling you, I feel you
Sin hablarte yo te hablo
without talking to you, I talk to you
Sin quererte yo te quiero
without loving you, I love you)
Songwriters: Jose Manuel Ortega Heredia. For non-commercial use only. Adapted from Musixmatch, powered by MicrosoftBing
Hay otro tipo de salsa romántica con la influencia de la balada de 1980’s con un compás de 4/4 y temas de amor romántico. La cantante Boricua llamada La India (“the Indian woman”) hizo un cover de una balada de la artista española Rocío Jurado, titulada “Ese hombre”. La canción original es de 1979:
ROCIO JURADO │ESE HOMBRE (HD)
La canción de La India es de 1992:
Indía – Ese Hombre – (Official Music Video)
La canción es sobre un hombre que sabe mantener las apariencias muy bien, pero en realidad es un maltratador. He is able to seem (=parecer) galante, atento, divino, efusivo, amable, cariñoso, seguro, dadivoso y agradable, pero en realidad es necio, estúpido, engreído, egoísta, caprichoso, vanidoso, presumido, rencoroso y celoso.
- Ese hombre parece (=seems): galante (=gallant, gentleman), atento (=attentive), arrogante (=arrogant), divino (=divine), amable (=polite), efusivo (=effusive), cariñoso (=affectionate), seguro (=self-confident), dadivoso (=generous), agradable (=pleasant)
- Pero es (=but he’s): necio (=fool, jerk), estúpido (=stupid), engreído (=snobby), egoísta (=selfish, also ending in a if referred to woman), caprichoso (=whimsical), vanidoso (=vain), presumido (=boastful), rencoroso (=resentful),
- “Lo conozco”=I know him (because I have attested it), where “lo” means “him”. “Conozco” comes from “conocer”=to know by sight or physical evidence.
- “Ese hombre que tú ves ahí”=that man that you see right there (probably holding appearances different from what it is for real)
Ese hombre que tú ves ahí
That man that you see right-there
Que parece tan galante, tan atento y arrogante
That seems so gallant, so attentive and arrogant
Lo conozco como a mí
Him (I) know as to me
Ese hombre que tú ves ahí
That man that you see right-there
Que aparenta ser divino, tan amable y efusivo
That appears to be divine, so polite and effusive
Solo sabe hacer sufrir
Just knows (how) to make suffer
Es un gran necio, un estúpido, engreído
(He) is a great fool, a stupid, smug
Egoísta y caprichoso, un payaso vanidoso
Selfish and whimsical, a vain clown
Inconsciente y presumido, falso y malo, rencoroso
Thoughtless and boastful, false and evil, resentful
Que no tiene corazón
That doesn’t have heart
Lleno de celos, sin razones ni motivos
Full of jelousness, without reasons or motives
Como el viento impetuoso, pocas veces cariñoso
Like the uncontrollable wind, few times affectionate
Inseguro de sí mismo, insoportable como amigo
Insecure of himself, unbearable as friend
Insufrible como amor
Insufferable as love
Ese hombre que tú ves ahí
That man that you see right-there
Que parece tan amable, fadivoso y agradable
That seems so polite, generous and pleasant
Lo conozco como a mí
(I) him know as to me
Ese hombre que tú ves ahí, que parece tan seguro
That man that you see right-there, that seems so secure
De pisar bien por el mundo
Of stepping well (strong) through the world
Solo sabe hacer sufrir
Just knows (how) to make suffer.
Songwriters: Purificacion Casas Romero, Manuel Alvarez-beigbeder Perez. For non-commercial use only. Adapted from Musixmatch, powered by Microsoft Bing.
