Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases the Colombian Rap song "De Donde Vengo Yo" ("Where I Come From"). The Spanish lyrics and the English translation of those lyrics are also included in this post as are selected comments from that video's viewer comment thread.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to ChocQuibTown for this song, and thanks to the transcriber of this song, and the producer of this video. Thanks also to all those who are featured in this video, all those who are quoted in this post, and the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: ChocQuibTown - De Donde Vengo Yo
Nacional Records, Uploaded on Feb 19, 2010
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread:
Martha Lucía Gallego López, 2015
"Saludos g+ hoy quiero que intercambiamos música, este grupo se le conoce como #Chocquibtown es 100% colombiano; en particular me encanta su #música; ellos son del #pacíficoColombiano, específicamente de Quibdo, Chocó; esta canción "Donde Vengo yo" es una dedicatoria a su ciudad; podría decir que fue parte de sus inicios y con la que empezaron a sonar en la radio de nuestro país, su éxito fue creciendo y contagiando corazones, así como también llevando su música a nivel internacional.
Te reto a que compartas música de tú #país con quienes deseamos el intercambio cultural, vamos a contagiarnos de #ritmos ;)"
My translation from Spanish to standard American English based on Google Translate's translation:
"Greetings g + today I want to share information about this musical group known as #Chocquibtown. They are 100% Colombian. I particularly love their music. They are from the Colombian Pacific, specifically from the city of Quibdo. [The composer of the song] Choco dedicated this song "Where I come [from]" to his city; You could say that was part of the beginning. And when it began to air [be played] on the radio in our country, its success was growing and spreading love. And then the music began to spread internationally.
I challenge you to share this music worldwide as a form of cultural exchange and we [Colombians] will influence all genres of music."
**
Martha Lucía Gallego López, 2015
"viendo los comentarios de los propios colombianos, sin querer generalizar, que buen trabajo que hizo la conquista en hacernos odiar nuestros origenes indigenas o de apreciar como una persona fea a cualquiera que sea indio o que tenga rasgos de indio. que pereza, que tristeza, tanto racismo siempre a flor de piel. Como se sufre mas de tanta negligencia humana, siendo indio o siendo negro? GRacias, ChoquibTown, me encantaron, besos de una india que no baila ni salsa ni regueton pero si alrededor de una fogata pa llamar a la lluvia"
-snip-
My translation from Spanish to standard American English based on Google Translate's translation:
"I'm glad to see comments from Colombians themselves. I don't want to generalise, but what a great job he [the composer of this song] did in conquering hate. We appreciate our indigenous ancestry. But racism is always close to the surface [in this country]. If you are Indian or have Indian ancestry, you are considered to be an ugly person or lazy or both and that is sad. Do you suffer more from human negligence if you are Indian or Black?
Thanks Choquibtown, love and kisses from an Indian who does not dance salsa or reggaeton but if I'm around a campfire I can [dance] to call down the rain [call the rain to fall]."
**
Kolokilop, 2015
Reply:
"Bello tu comentario.
Nuestro odio por nuestras raices indigenas o africanas es plantado por el colonista desde hace mucho tiempo atras. Y nos enseño a odiarnos a nosotros mismo. Es muy triste si.
Los latinos aman a los gringos y gente con ojos azules mientras esa gente nos ve a nosotros como narcotraficantes salvajes sin cultura. Y mientrastanto nos odiamos entre nosotros a los que mas rasgos tengan de indigena o africano."
My translation to standard American English based on Google Translate's translation From Spanish to English:
"Good comment.
Our hatred for our indigenous and African roots was planted by colonists long ago. They taught us to hate ourselves. It is very sad if Latinos and [Black people] love the people with blue eyes as those people see us as savages without culture. And [it is also sad] when we hate those among us who are physically look more indigenous or African."
**
Matildethegreat, 2015
Reply
"lastimosamente asi es, y no veo signos de mejora"
My translation to standard American English based on Google Translate's translation From Spanish to English:
"Unfortunately, what you wrote is true, but I see signs of improvement."
**
Darwin Jose, 2015
Reply
"+Matildethegreat Recibo esos besos de una india, que tiene los pies sobre la tierra, y esto cambia, aunque sea de manera lenta. Hace 30 años, nadie pensaba que USA tendría un presidente Afro."
My translation from Spanish to standard American English based on Google Translate's translation:
"+Matildethegreat, please receive the well wishes of an Indian, who has his feet on the ground, and see's that change is happening, albeit slowly. Thirty years ago, no one thought that the USA would have an African American president."
****
SONG LYRICS (SPANISH) - DE DONDE VENGO YO
(as sung by ChocQuibTown)
De donde vengo yo
La cosa no es fácil pero siempre igual sobrevivimos
Vengo yo
De tanto luchar siempre con la nuestra nos salimos
Vengo yo
Y aquí se habla mal pero todo está mucho mejor
Vengo yo
Tenemos la lluvia el frio el calor
De la zona de los rapi mami papi
Tenemos problemas pero andamos happy
Comparsa también bailamos salsa
Y bajamos el rio en balsa
El calor se siente eeeh…
Y no hay problema pa’ tomase su botella de aguardiente
Hace días que soliaos te la pasas enguayabado
Todo el mundo toma whisky… aja
Todo el mundo anda en moto… aja
Todo el mundo tiene carro… aja
Menos nosotros… aja
Todo el mundo come pollo… aja
Todo el mundo está embambado… aja
Todo mundo quiere irse de aquí
Pero ninguno lo ha logrado
De donde vengo yo
la cosa no es fácil pero siempre igual sobrevivimos
Vengo yo
De tanto luchar siempre con la nuestra nos salimos
Vengo yo
Y aquí se habla mal pero todo está mucho mejor
Vengo yo
Tenemos la lluvia el frio el calor
De donde vengo yo
Si mi señor
Se baila en verbena con gorra y con sol
Con raros peinados o con extensión
Critíquenme a mí o lo critico yo
Si tomo cerveza no tengo el botín
Y si tomo whisky hay chaglo y blin blin
Y si tengo oro en el cuello colgado
Hay ia iay… es porque estoy montado
Todo el mundo toma whisky… aja
Todo el mundo anda en moto… aja
Todo el mundo tiene carro… aja
Menos nosotros… aja
Todo el mundo come pollo… aja
Todo el mundo está embambado… aja
Todo mundo quiere irse de aquí
Pero ninguno lo ha logrado
De donde vengo yo
La cosa no es fácil pero siempre igual sobrevivimos
Vengo yo
De tanto luchar siempre con la nuestra nos salimos
Vengo yo
Y aquí se habla mal pero todo está mucho mejor
Vengo yo
Tenemos la lluvia el frio el calor
Acá tomamos agua de coco
Lavamos moto
Todo el que no quiere andar en rapi moto
Carretera destapada pa’ viajar
No plata pa’ comer hey… pero si pa’ chupar
Característica general alegría total
Invisibilidad nacional e internacional
Auto-discriminación sin razón
Racismo inminente mucha corrupción
Monte culebra
Máquina de guerra
Desplazamientos por intereses en la tierra
Su tienda de pescado
Agua por todo lado
Se represa
Que ni el discovery ha explotado
Hay minas llenas de oro y platino
Reyes en la biodiversidad
Bochinche entre todos los vecinos
Y en deporte ni hablar
De donde vengo yo
Ya cosa no es fácil pero siempre igual sobrevivimos
Vengo yo
De tanto luchar siempre con la nuestra nos salimos
Vengo yo
Y aquí se habla mal pero todo está mucho mejor
Vengo yo
Tenemos la lluvia el frio el calor
Chaio condoto istmita… aja
La quinta San Pedro yesquita el disfraz (bis)
De donde vengo yo
Ya cosa no es fácil pero siempre igual sobrevivimos
Vengo yo
De tanto luchar siempre con la nuestra nos salimos
Vengo yo
Y aquí se habla mal pero todo está mucho mejor
Vengo yo
Tenemos la lluvia el frio el calor
De donde vengo yo
La cosa no es fácil pero siempre igual sobrevivimos
Vengo yo
De tanto luchar siempre con la nuestra nos salimos
Vengo yo
Y aquí se habla mal pero todo está mucho mejor
Vengo yo
Tenemos la lluvia el frio el calor
De la zona de los rapi mami papi
Tenemos problemas pero andamos happy
Comparsa también bailamos salsa
Y bajamos el rio en balsa
El calor se siente eeeh…
Y no hay problema pa’ tomase su botella de aguardiente
Hace días que soliaos te la pasas enguayabado
Todo el mundo toma whisky… aja
Todo el mundo anda en moto… aja
Todo el mundo tiene carro… aja
Menos nosotros… aja
Todo el mundo come pollo… aja
Todo el mundo está embambado… aja
Todo mundo quiere irse de aquí
Pero ninguno lo ha logrado
De donde vengo yo
la cosa no es fácil pero siempre igual sobrevivimos
Vengo yo
De tanto luchar siempre con la nuestra nos salimos
Vengo yo
Y aquí se habla mal pero todo está mucho mejor
Vengo yo
Tenemos la lluvia el frio el calor
De donde vengo yo
Si mi señor
Se baila en verbena con gorra y con sol
Con raros peinados o con extensión
Critíquenme a mí o lo critico yo
Si tomo cerveza no tengo el botín
Y si tomo whisky hay chaglo y blin blin
Y si tengo oro en el cuello colgado
Hay ia iay… es porque estoy montado
Todo el mundo toma whisky… aja
Todo el mundo anda en moto… aja
Todo el mundo tiene carro… aja
Menos nosotros… aja
Todo el mundo come pollo… aja
Todo el mundo está embambado… aja
Todo mundo quiere irse de aquí
Pero ninguno lo ha logrado
De donde vengo yo
La cosa no es fácil pero siempre igual sobrevivimos
Vengo yo
De tanto luchar siempre con la nuestra nos salimos
Vengo yo
Y aquí se habla mal pero todo está mucho mejor
Vengo yo
Tenemos la lluvia el frio el calor
Acá tomamos agua de coco
Lavamos moto
Todo el que no quiere andar en rapi moto
Carretera destapada pa’ viajar
No plata pa’ comer hey… pero si pa’ chupar
Característica general alegría total
Invisibilidad nacional e internacional
Auto-discriminación sin razón
Racismo inminente mucha corrupción
Monte culebra
Máquina de guerra
Desplazamientos por intereses en la tierra
Su tienda de pescado
Agua por todo lado
Se represa
Que ni el discovery ha explotado
Hay minas llenas de oro y platino
Reyes en la biodiversidad
Bochinche entre todos los vecinos
Y en deporte ni hablar
De donde vengo yo
Ya cosa no es fácil pero siempre igual sobrevivimos
Vengo yo
De tanto luchar siempre con la nuestra nos salimos
Vengo yo
Y aquí se habla mal pero todo está mucho mejor
Vengo yo
Tenemos la lluvia el frio el calor
Chaio condoto istmita… aja
La quinta San Pedro yesquita el disfraz (bis)
De donde vengo yo
Ya cosa no es fácil pero siempre igual sobrevivimos
Vengo yo
De tanto luchar siempre con la nuestra nos salimos
Vengo yo
Y aquí se habla mal pero todo está mucho mejor
Vengo yo
Tenemos la lluvia el frio el calor
Fuente: musica.com
Letra añadida por KaRiPaO
Lyrics from http://www.musica.com/letras.asp?letra=1490472
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ENGLISH TRANSLATION- WHERE I COME FROM I*
(as sung by ChocQuibTown)
Translation from Google Translate)
*Where I Come From may be a better translation into standard English.
Where I come from I
The thing is not easy but always equal survive
I come
Both always struggle with our left we
I come
And here we speak badly but everything is much better
I come
We heat the cold rain
In the area of the rapi mami papi
We have problems but we walk happy
Comparsa also danced salsa
And down the river rafting
The heat feels uh ...
And no problem pa 'take your bottle of brandy
For days you spend soliaos enguayabado
Everyone drinks whiskey ... aja
Everyone walks in moto ... aja
Everyone has car ... aja
But us ... aja
Everyone eats chicken ... aja
Everyone is embambado ... aja
Everybody wants to go from here
But none has
Where I come from I
the thing is not easy but always equal survive
I come
Both always struggle with our left we
I come
And here we speak badly but everything is much better
I come
We heat the cold rain
Where I come from I
Yes my Lord
They dance in dancing with hat and sun
With crazy hair or extension
Me or criticize me I criticize him
If I drink beer I do not loot
And if I take whiskey there chaglo and blin blin
And if I have gold neck hung
There ia alas ... it is because I am riding
Everyone drinks whiskey ... aja
Everyone walks in moto ... aja
Everyone has car ... aja
But us ... aja
Everyone eats chicken ... aja
Everyone is embambado ... aja
Everybody wants to go from here
But none has
Where I come from I
The thing is not easy but always equal survive
I come
Both always struggle with our left we
I come
And here we speak badly but everything is much better
I come
We heat the cold rain
Here we take coconut water
Bike wash
Anyone who does not want to ride a bike rapi
Dirt road pa 'travel
No silver pa 'eating hey ... but pa' suck
Feature overall total joy
National and international invisibility
Auto-discrimination for no reason
Racism imminent much corruption
Monte snake
War machine
Navigating interests in land
Your fish shop
Water everywhere
This dam
That neither the discovery has exploded
There mines full of gold and platinum
Reyes on biodiversity
Brawl between all neighbors
And in sports or talk
Where I come from I
A thing is not easy but always equal survive
I come
Both always struggle with our left we
I come
And here we speak badly but everything is much better
I come
We heat the cold rain
Chaio Condoto istmita ... aja
San Pedro Yesquita fifth costume (bis)
Where I come from I
A thing is not easy but always equal survive
I come
Both always struggle with our left we
I come
And here we speak badly but everything is much better
I come
We heat the cold rain
Where I come from I
The thing is not easy but always equal survive
I come
Both always struggle with our left we
I come
And here we speak badly but everything is much better
I come
We heat the cold rain
In the area of the rapi mami papi
We have problems but we walk happy
Comparsa also danced salsa
And down the river rafting
The heat feels uh ...
And no problem pa 'take your bottle of brandy
For days you spend soliaos enguayabado
Everyone drinks whiskey ... aja
Everyone walks in moto ... aja
Everyone has car ... aja
But us ... aja
Everyone eats chicken ... aja
Everyone is embambado ... aja
Everybody wants to go from here
But none has
Where I come from I
the thing is not easy but always equal survive
I come
Both always struggle with our left we
I come
And here we speak badly but everything is much better
I come
We heat the cold rain
Where I come from I
Yes my Lord
They dance in dancing with hat and sun
With crazy hair or extension
Me or criticize me I criticize him
If I drink beer I do not loot
And if I take whiskey there chaglo and blin blin
And if I have gold neck hung
There ia alas ... it is because I am riding
Everyone drinks whiskey ... aja
Everyone walks in moto ... aja
Everyone has car ... aja
But us ... aja
Everyone eats chicken ... aja
Everyone is embambado ... aja
Everybody wants to go from here
But none has
Where I come from I
The thing is not easy but always equal survive
I come
Both always struggle with our left we
I come
And here we speak badly but everything is much better
I come
We heat the cold rain
Here we take coconut water
Bike wash
Anyone who does not want to ride a bike rapi
Dirt road pa 'travel
No silver pa 'eating hey ... but pa' suck
Feature overall total joy
National and international invisibility
Auto-discrimination for no reason
Racism imminent much corruption
Monte snake
War machine
Navigating interests in land
Your fish shop
Water everywhere
This dam
That neither the discovery has exploded
There mines full of gold and platinum
Reyes on biodiversity
Brawl between all neighbors
And in sports or talk
Where I come from I
A thing is not easy but always equal survive
I come
Both always struggle with our left we
I come
And here we speak badly but everything is much better
I come
We heat the cold rain
Chaio Condoto istmita ... aja
San Pedro Yesquita fifth costume (bis)
Where I come from I
A thing is not easy but always equal survive
I come
Both always struggle with our left we
I come
And here we speak badly but everything is much better
I come
We heat the cold rain
Source: musica.com
Lyrics added by KaRiPaO
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
In reading a Black Kos review of a New York Times article on Colombia http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/17/1402720/-Black-Kos-Week-In-Review, I learned that [Colombia has] "the 3rd highest number of people of African decent in the Americas".
ReplyDeleteMy guess was that #1 is the USA and #2 is Brazil.
I looked it up on Google and found out that I guessed wrong.
Here are two comments about this subject from an 11 page discussion http://www.city-data.com/forum/americas/1616784-more-black-people-brazil-us.htmlMore Black people in Brazil or the US? (country, cons, population)
06-21-2012, 02:17 AM
Mhundred
"Officially there are a little over 13 million afro-brazillians in brazil (6.9%) compared to the 42 million african-americans in the US (13.6%).
Now i was under the impression brazil was the country in the americas with the most people of african decent? and it would make sense since brazil actually received the largest import of african slaves almost ten times the number of slaves from africa than the us did.
Can someone clear up this confusion for me?
**
06-21-2012, 05:34 AM
gwillyfromphilly
"Many Brazilians that fall under the "Pardo" racial category would be considered Black in the United States. There are a lot more people of African decent in Brazil than the U.S."
I think the song may be about the neglect the whole region of Choco suffers from? This webpage (http://whynationsfail.com/blog/2013/8/29/why-nations-and-regions-fail-in-quibdo.html) mentions that the population in Choco is 75% descended from enslaved Africans. Their per capita income is way below the Colombian average though and this is because the whole region is grossly underdeveloped - for example, no decent roads AT ALL - they still have to use the river as the main transport route. Poor infrastructure means they can't build a tourist industry, even though they have beautiful beaches. But I think the song is more than a lament, it celebrates the good things people in Quibdo have been able to create for themselves.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with your comment slam2011.
DeleteHere are some of that song's lyrics that point to those conclusions:
We have problems but we walk happy
.Comparsa also danced salsa
And down the river rafting...
Dirt road pa* 'travel
No silver pa 'eating hey ... but pa' suck
Feature overall total joy
National and international invisibility
Auto-discrimination for no reason
Racism imminent much corruption
-snip-
* My guess is that "pa" means "for".
-snip-
Obviously, there are problems with the Google Translate transcription for "De Donde Vengo Yo." But it's the only English translation that I've found for that song.
By the way, in the lyrics "They dance in dancing with hat and sun/ With crazy hair or extension", "crazy hair" probably refers to the custom of male's hair cuts spelling a word or having some other design such as zigzag patterns. I remember that style from the 1990s and thought that it had been largely retired among Black American young men. However, it can be seen in the very popular "Nae Nae" video "Watch Me" by Silento.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the word "extensions" in the song "De Donde Vengo Yo" refers to the custom of adding human hair or artificial hair (by clip ons or weaves etc.) to [usually] a female's hair to increase the length and/or make the hair fuller. This isn't just a custom that Black people do, although the extension braids such as those worn by the woman in this video is most closely associated with Black females.
I can't really follow the lyrics but they're obviously rated highly by those who can, judging by the comments you quote above and the way this song appears in full on several other sites.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think you're right about 'pa', must be an abbreviated form of 'para'.
The lines about:
'Chaio condoto istmita… aja
La quinta San Pedro yesquita el disfraz'
Chaio, I don't understand, unless it's a slang word like the Italian 'Ciao', goodbye. Is this about leaving behind things they love in Choco? Condoto and Istmina are towns in the province, and 'La quinta San Pedro' is the place where the great liberator Simon Bolivar died. Seems it isn't actually in Choco but not far away either. There's a link too on YouTube to a celebration in the barrio of Yesquita, in Quibdo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4aqH4S1uUQ
Maybe Yesquita is known for its brilliant carnival (disfraz)? These may all be things an emigrant would really miss, if they left Choco looking for a materially 'better life'.
The comments on that YouTube discussion thread are an interesting read, even if with the in my opinion poor translation from Spanish to English by Google Translate.
ReplyDeleteThat's the closest I've found to hearing directly from people familar with that nation and region.
From fighting a lot,"with ours" we get throu... (from I come)...
ReplyDeleteAbout here, they speak badly, but it's much better, we have thevrain, the cold and the warm.
... Every one has car, not us.
Chaio is a geographical place, San Pedro is refering to a municipality, not the House Where Bolívar past by. There are many other thing to talk About.
Juan Carvajal, thanks for your help translating this song.
DeleteI really appreciate it.
Please feel free to add any other comments about this song as there's too little online about it and about this group.
Best wishes!