Resulta pues, que aquello que he denominado como Kitsch Chic... esa cualidad tan latina de convertir la música popular, la música de autobús, música de trabajadores bajo el sol 12/7 (doce horas, siete días a la semana), en música lounge, música chill-out, algo tan distinto a lo que verdaderamente fue destinado, se vuelve más común. Nosotros hemos visto todo lo que han hecho Los Amigos Invisibles, ("Rosario, toda la luz del mundo clickaquí").
Pero también otros han llegado a Europa, o al menos a Italia, esta vez de la mano de Diesel y una nueva línea de relojes, "be Stupid"; esto es lo único que no me agrada, nunca me ha gustado esa palabra, prefiero "be Zopenco" y considerando que es una artista del Caribe y esta llegando a Italia, Zopenco hubiese estado mas acorde (vainas mías, no me presten atención).
En este anuncio aparece una recreación (imagino posterior) del videoclip tan sabroso de la "Hora de Volvé" de Rita Indiana y sus Misterios, una joven dominicana, que bajo la influencia del reventón merenguero dominicano de los 80s se atrevió a reactivar esa célula, que todos, incluso el hijo de daneses en estos suelos, no puede controlar.
Rita es una de esas mujeres altas, desgarbadas en sensualidad amazónica, esas cantantes que transpiran más testosterona que su cuerpo de baile (más o menos a lo Madonna), probablemente de una familia acomodada. Pero que en sus letras, tongoneos y habilidades musicales deja boquiabierto a más de uno.
Déjenme echarles el cuento como es...
Resulta que hace seis meses (quizás menos, no estoy seguro) se puso muy de moda (aquí solo se necesita buen mercadeo para cualquier "moda": ¿quién lo dice /quién lo usa/ dónde lo usa?) en los lugares usuales de nuestra sociedad "hype" aquello del Kitsch - Chic y no era de extrañar ver a los it Kids sucumbir ante los sones "fregosteaos" y melcochosos. Nunca olvidaré como en ese lugar, del que jamás esperaba oír alguna canción conocida sonó "Juana la Cubana". Grito al cielo. Carreño rodó al piso, (hablo del libro que conservo en mi repisa, porque como si se tratara de algo diabólico, como si fuera un Horrocrux, el libro se estremeció al saber mi comportamiento y se lanzó metro abajo en busca de muerte eterna ante tal deshonra con mi conducta). Lo mejor de la noche fue ver como todo el mundo coreaba:
"Haganle una rueda a Juana, porque ya empezó a bailá...
....Esa morena cubana, nos va ser hasta sudá"
El hecho es que ese día me convencí de que al final, cuando ya es más día que noche, cuando todos van a cepillarse los dientes, a desmaquillarse, a quitarse los tacones tachueleados de 17 cm (Zara Winter Collection), los cardigans ligeros, los lentes de pasta... todos parecemos recordar el cumpleaños del primo, sobrino, tío, padre por allá en 1992... y como si se tratara de un chip irremovible basta con oír esos dos compases de charrasca, el primer trompeteo y ese "paf paf paf, paf páf" de merengue, para pensar en tiempos más ingenuos y en el que nuestros padres, de verdad seguían creyendo en Venezuela como una potencia cultural y ecónomica. En los 80s aquí se bailaba lo mismo que en Dominicana y el resto del Caribe. Hoy también, pero sólo si se trata de Reggaeton...
El merengue de los 80s me hace recordar a nuestros padres, que de seguro vivieron plenamente esa época: es alegre, un poco depresivo, de verdad cree en que con trabajo se saca un "hit" , es bailable, nunca te deja del todo mal, no habla de ningún problema que no sea del corazón y en algún momento cansa y se hace repetitivo.
Así como los Prisioneros, que si bien no interpretaron merengue, nos explicaban claramente que nosotros eramos simplemente Sudamerican Rockers (clickaquí), un intento wannabe que estaba planteando una nueva idea de rock. Yo me atrevería a modificar un poco el concepto inicial e introducir el de kitsch-chic (eres libre de sustituir la palabra chic si te causa erisipela) pero lo que quiero dejar claro es que somos un reducto de nuestras propias tradiciones, transliteradas a la influencia de otros países y movimientos... (nada nuevo, si lo sé, no acabo de inventar el agua caliente), pero es una aproximación a una verdad relativa.
Lo cierto es :
- que Rita Indiana la pegó en Italia, haciendo del tecnomerengue el acompañante ideal en la venta de un producto tan irreverente como la marca que representa.
- El kitsch gusta, digan lo que digan. En cualquier casa latinoamericana tiene que haber una figurilla en yeso, arcilla o cristal de un gato, un pájaro o un santo.
- El merengue dominicano gozón de los 80s pasó, y con él, la más profunda aspiración de nuestros padres en ver un país de eterno bochinche y felicidad, en la que el ahorro de cierto capital era suficiente para garantizar el bienestar de todos.
- La letra de "La Hora de Volvé" es intensa y en extremo fuerte. Sobretodo cuando te habla de la hostilidad de la que es víctima el inmigrante latino en el suelo del "sueño americano", en estos tiempos, en donde gran parte de la población, sueña dejar "la tierra de Bolivar" por razones que todos conocemos.
VIDEO original de Rita Indiana: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osi1cMtfQCU
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I was shocked (eyes like the size of a moon) when watching one of those videos I like to replay day after day, I realized that in the comment section below, there were plenty of double "C", double "L" and lots of "I" terminations. You may ask: why this was weid?... but I should answer that I was watching a really closed variation of spanish, dominican, I was not watching an italian vid... so.
It turned out that this thing that I like to call “Kitsch Chic” has become more popular in our days and region. It is a really middle class-latino musicians practice where the music that once was made to our very popular audiences, the music that is usually played in buses (yes it is allowed here, wish It wasn’t, Imaging trying to hit a place 30 minutes away, listening to a Cd mix of the “very best of autoctonal music”: they are all about regrets, complain, whine and moans as most of the autoctonal music are) this music enjoyed by the working classes; suddenly was transformed into this classy, selected and exquisite lounge and chill-out variation. So as we might have heard these songs for zillion times, and we had said how disgusted we are about them. Now, in this new version, we don’t hesitate to sing along.
If you do not know them (clickhere) they are Los Amigos Invisibles (The Invisible Friends), and they have changed our vision about typical music, transforming it in this really good, calm and good vibed music.
If you do not know them (clickhere) they are Los Amigos Invisibles (The Invisible Friends), and they have changed our vision about typical music, transforming it in this really good, calm and good vibed music.
The fact is, returning to the first paragraph where I was talking about a video, that there, at youtube, I was the witness of another musical Kitsch Chic debut, in Europe or well, at least in Italy.
It was about this outrageous girl, named Rita Indiana, with her “Misterios” (her “Mysteries”, I think they are referring to her dance corp and musicians) suddenly, she has become really popular in the “boot country” for her apparition and support to a new collection of watches by Diesel, in the name of “ be Stupid”. I particulary hate that word and would have suggested “ be Zopenco” it sounds more Italian but without leaving her Caribbean heritage, where “Zopenco” is commonly used.
Big thing here is that Rita Indiana is one of those really tall and intimidating girls, that I love to stare at, an ungainly fashionable women with an amazonian sensuality. That kind of girl that transpires more testosterone than her complete dance and music company (very Madonnesque). She must probably come from a accommodate background but she will surprise everyone with her lyrics, latino movements and music skills.
But let me tell you a story:
Months ago (maybe six or three months ago, I am not sure) it was very trendy here (you know that anything can be it, we only need good marketing: who say that, who wear that, where is used?) so it was very fashionable that in our very “hype” spots this thing called “Kitsch Chic” was practiced by our “it Kids”. So it wasn’t surprising starring them loosing and losing their selves to our very Caribbean sounds
I will never forget how in this place where I was invited, it sounded “Juana la Cubana” (clickhere), I previously thought that will never be able to recognize a song that were displayed in this place, you know, we are talking about ubercoolness)
My book of “Good manners and behavior” throw itself out of the shell book, as a sign of exorcism, as If we were talking about an horrocrux, the book decided to kill itself seeing trough me, at the same moment that I was doing all those wrong things. The best part of the night was when everybody choired:
"Haganle una rueda a Juana, porque ya empezó a bailar...
(Lets make a circle ’round Juana, ’cause she started to dance)
....Esa morena cubana, nos va ser hasta sudar"
(That brown skinned cuban girl will make us sweat)
In other words, that day, I convinced myself, that at the end of the journey, when it is more day than night (4am) , when everyone is brushing their teeth, taking out their makeup and their studded-6 inches, high heels (from Zara Winter Collection). When they are taking out their cardigans, their framed glasses… everyone here in Caracas seem to remember the birthday party, the “piñata” of a cousin, nephew, uncle… back there in 1992, because as if we were talking about a “irremovable card”, for us, it is enough to hear two hits of the “charrasca”, the first notes from the trumpet, and that unmistakable merengue sound of “pap pap pap, pap pap” to remember better times for our country, when even with a new broken economy we stilled believing in saving, investment and future. We used to hear the same things that were played in Dominicana and the rest of the Caribbean. Today we do too, but only in terms of Reggaeton...
80s merengue, was for us latinos, something similar to a local New Wave, that tendency that was growing in the rest of the world, saving and respecting differences, of course. But it was an opportunity for singers with different nationalities and styles, to play a similar music or to structure a movement. I associate 80s merengue with our parents: they are happy almost every time, kind of depressing sometimes, danceable, talking about heart issues, and at the end, they get too repetitive and you get fed up of them.
So as Los Prisioneros (clickhere) told us back then, even when they did not play merengues, “we are south american rockers”, just a “wanna be” imitation, trying a new kind of rock that would produce a new genre. I will dare to change a little bit this conception and add this kitsch chic thing; (you are free to replace the chic word, if you hate it) but I want to say clearly that we (south americans) are just the product of our very own traditions mixed with the influence and movements of other nations world wide (this is nothing new), but I want to make a true statement here.
Some facts as they come:
- Rita Indiana made it in Italy, making technomerengue the perfect companion to Diesel’s irreverence.
- Kitsch will always be fashionable, no matter what.
- Domincan 80s merengue has gone, and with it, our parents’ deepest dreams of party, happiness, and ideals of earning and saving money to guarantee stability to their family groups.
- La Hora de Volve’s lyrics are very deep and full of meaning to us, south americans, particulary south amercan emigrants in the land of the “american dreams”(not my case... yet) It can make you think it twice, before going and leaving for reasons all we know the “Land of Bolivar”.
I make a vulgar translation to them, so you can enjoy them:
Salí yo a la rumba, a comprar a cachucha
I went out to rumba (party), to buy cachucha (hat or cap)
[it may refer to the use of a cap to show politics preferences
support for private industries or baseball teams,
something very common in latin america]
En otro país es a comer basura rusa
In other country, just to eat russian crap
[may refer to comunism, not sure]
Te la buscaste como todo un león
You went for it like a Lion
[you started there, really brave]
Hiciste tanta fuerza que te quedó un cuarto de cojón
You made so much effort, now you only have the quarter of a nut
[He is losing his balls and courage]
Pegaste botones y pega hasta con la boca
You sew on bottoms with glue, even with your mouth
[You did everything for a few dollars]
Y le aguantaste vainas a toditas la aquerosa
And you stand all the shit of disgusting people
Subite nevera con 5 vaca a’ entro
You carry on refrigerator with 5 frozen cows at the inside
[You did everything for a few dollars]
Y un inverno en Nueva Yol te vite muelto
And in the New York’s Winter, you almost think you were dead.
[Latinos are not used to low temperatures]
Caía la nieve sobre el cuerpo adolmecido
The snow was falling down into your numb body
Tenías hasta los intestinos entumecidos
You even have your teeth numbed with cold
Viste una visión, una discoteca
You had a vision, it was a disco (club)
Bajo una enramada dos morenas bajando cerveza
Under a palm tree, two brown skinned girls drinking beer
Te llego la hora papi como a monkey magic
It was your time “papi”, just as it was for monkey magic
[Monkey magic was a 1970s popular tv show
about a magic asian monk that flies on a cloud]
[Monkey magic was a 1970s popular tv show
about a magic asian monk that flies on a cloud]
Súbete a esta nube y deposítate en tu calle
Get on in this cloud and hide yourself in your street
Coge un avión, coño! Una yola al revés
Take an airplane Fuck!, A yola backwards (really feeble boat)
Tu no lo ves llego la hora de volve
Can’t you see it? It is your time to come back…
A veces la gente se quie’ mové’
Sometimes people want to move
Quie’ Sali’ pa ve’
Want to go out and see
Como es el otro bembe
How things are in other places
(**)
Te fuite, te dite, vinite y te hicite
You went there, you came back and you did
Vite como nunca e como tu dijite
You saw EVERYTHING, as you said
Care cale , mama cule, cara cola
[catchy sounds]
Salí pa’lla , pa’depue dame cuenta
Went there, just to realize that..
Que no hay de de na’
There is no real thing
Tengo 9 años llenando maleta
I have nine years, filling up my suitcases
Con media, pantie, desdorante y en decuento
With pantyhose, and cheap deodorant
Voy a regalarlo cuando llegue donde mi abuela
Im gonna give it all when I arrive to my grandmas’
Y todo el mundo se pondrá contento
And everybody will be happy
Todos vuelven a la tierra en que nacieron
Everyone came back to the land they were born
Al embrujo inconfundible de su sol
To the unmistakable magic spell of the sun there
Y quien quiere ta’ comiendo mierda e’ hielo
And who want to be eating icy-shit
Cuando puede ta’ bailando algo mejol
When you can be dancing something better.
(**)
In most of the lyrics of the song are intentional misspellings, due to the characterization of the dominican accent, where like in most of the caribbean uses of Spanish, words are cut and accented in the wrong places.
Si tienes algún comentario acerca de la letra de esta canción, escribe un comentario para someterlas a consideración. :) (cacofonía no es rima)
If you want to add or rewrite the lyrics, just post a comment :)
If you want to add or rewrite the lyrics, just post a comment :)
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