Leave Elvis Crespo Alone!

As I'm sure you've heard, the famous merengue-singer Elvis Crespo is in trouble for masturbating on a plane. That said, I must call attention to this fabulous video a la Chris Crocker in response to all the publicity he's gotten. It is hilarious--and for those of you who need it, there are English subtitles!

Word(s) of the Week: Cucubano and Cucullo, Plus Tony Croatto

Tonight I was outside, enjoying the breezy dusk we were having here. It's summertime, of course, and the cool nights nearly make up for the muggy days. Anyways, I called my friend over to look at the fireflies, which were everywhere. She was pretty impressed with how many there were... enough, I suppose, to call her mom and tell her about it.

"You know, we have these at home," she told me afterward. "I just forgot. They're called cucubanos... Tony Croatto has a song about them that Mom started singing for me. You should write about him."

First things first, cucubanos aren't exactly fireflies, but they are related. They're some kind of click beetle, supposedly. Technically Puerto Rico has its own real fireflies named cucullos. They're pretty similar though, both emitting a green light. Here's a video of cucullos, in case you wanted to see.

They're pretty easy to forget, too. Most live out in the country, since they can't find mates with all the light pollution.

So then who is Tony Croatto? Well... he is an Italian singer who, after having a more or less successful career in other parts of Latin America and Spain, eventually came to Puerto Rico to make country (jíbaro) music. What's most remarkable about him, besides that he was able to take the many rhythms and melodies of all parts of the island and refresh them, was that he truly adopted Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico truly adopted him. Even though he died in 2005, there is still a lot of love for him in the island.

If you want to know more, Wikipedia has a great entry on his life. Worth reading, definitely.

Oh, and here's the link to the song "Cucubano". Really nice.

Daddy Yankee: de calle? Well...

Daddy Yankee has had quite a lucrative career so far. He basically introduced reggaetón to North America and, consequently, the world with his collaboration in "Oye Mi Canto" and, of course, "Gasolina". And then there's this...



It's been really interesting to watch him grope for the solution to the reggaetón vacuum. He's already in a tough position, seeing as reggaetón, especially outside the island, has lost most of its muster. Now he's trying to make a movie ("Talento de Barrio": Talent from the Barrio/Hood) intended to draw viewers precisely because of the fast-fading genre.

But his answer to this is even more problematic. He's effectively moving on from reggaetón into hip hop, with lack-luster results.

I'm not sure it's occurred to him that he is the face of reggaetón and no matter how he says he's revolutionizing the genre, his face will always be associated with the repetitive beats that garnered him the title "king of reggaetón". After all, look at "Rompe". The lyrics were horrible but because of the reggaetón it did incredibly well. Meanwhile, his latest CD, El Cartel: The Big Boss, did not do nearly as well as was expected because it was practically entirely hip hop over-polished production that lost its Puerto Rican audience without attracting many Americans to what was essentially bland hip hop.

Despite that fiasco (and ignoring the only truly successful single "Ella Me Levantó"), Daddy Yankee returns to hip hop in order to advertise a movie about his reggaetón roots. Sound strange yet?

The video then follows up with him and his "posse" of actors, him in a golf cart, him with a nice car, all while rapping about how great he is. It's as if he stole it from a checklist of what to put in an American hip hop video. Or maybe it's just a watered-down "8 Mile". There is nothing original at all.

The song is just not catchy, either. Probably the most disappointing part.

I feel sorry for him, really. I do think he'll have some success with the movie just because his name's on it, but I can imagine it flopping quite easily. He's basically crossing genres without much of an audience waiting for him and then risking it on a film he's been working on for years. I can't see this helping him.

¡Bendito! Get it together, man!

Word(s) of the Week: Fruits

And now for something completely different (I'm sick of this elections stuff).

I wrote a post earlier about bananas on the island (and how they're called guineos rather than plátanos amarillos or bananos or what-have-you from other countries). I've been meaning to follow that up with some more (emphasis on "meaning to"; I'm a bit forgetful I suppose). Anyways... fruit!

• Bananas are guineos. Like I mentioned before.
  
• Mango is mangó. For some reason Puerto Rico is (I'm pretty sure) the only Spanish-speaking country to throw an accent on that o. Something to do with confusing it with "mango" (handle) I'd assume. I... don't know.
  
• Naranja (orange) is china. From "naranja china". You can get around with using naranja, of course, but you'll stick out. Naranja does show up on occasions. But even things like Fanta are marketed as china-flavored.
  
• Passionfruit is parcha. For some reason I have it stuck in my head that the name is different from the regular Spanish name (which is a literal translation I think).
  
• Strawberry is ejtroberi. No joke. You hear a Spanish-version of the English word much more than you hear the real Spanish word (fresa). Other berries tend to follow the same pattern (rajberi, for example), as well as cherry (which is often a sexual euphemism too). If you want an example, here's a video of Wisin y Yandel's song "Hey Mami", which starts using those words (and a couple others) in the chorus, conveniently transcribed in the comments.
  
• Watermelon is just melón. The real name for it in Spanish is sandía, of course, but most of the island will look at you a little funny if you say it.
  
• Quenepas are awesome! So is guayaba (guava). Acerola too. Other delicious fruits available on the island include piña (pineapple), papaya, coco (coconut), toronja (grapefruit), and more. Some of these, like acerola* and quenepas, are nearly impossible to sample in the States or Europe. Be sure to get some while you're there, or you'll be missing out!
  

There are even more vegetables to get to, so look out for that.

*I just wanted to add that nutritionally acerola cherries are fascinating. A single cherry has only 2 Calories, no sugar, and yet has 133% of your daily need for Vitamin C. 20 of them only ends up being 32 Calories, 7 grams of sugar, and about 2800% of your Vitamin C. The same amount of orange, in comparison, has only 75% of your daily need with more Calories and more sugar. Interesting, isn't it?

I really just can't believe it

So Walter Mercado, the Latin world's favorite astrologist, is apparently releasing a CD and going on a 23-city tour.

If you don't know who Walter Mercado is (he's on Univisión nearly every day I think), I think his webpage will give you a good idea (warning, there's music).

Anyways, the CD is going to be called "El secreto de los ángeles" and the shows are going to be Cirque de Soleil-like. Supposedly.

Honestly the whole Walter Mercado empire scares me a little and I don't understand why he had to do this. But...

Hillary on the island

So tomorrow are the primaries in Puerto Rico. Real quick I thought I'd leave a few articles on Hillary's visits there, since I haven't really mentioned it much... or something like that.

First off, I have to link to this article for two reasons; 1, there is a cute kid dancing for her, and 2, the title is "After brouhaha, Clinton tries to look ahead". Points for the word brouhaha! That's really about it for that article, but I enjoyed that all the same.

Apparently right now she's traipsing around Carolina, San Juan, Guaynabo, Bayamón, and Trujillo Alto. Road trip! She also stopped by the Medical school to talk about Medicare blah blah (important issue there though). On the other hand, a bunch of latin artists including Don Omar and Voltio made a music video supporting Obama. Hmm...

Here's another one about what the election means to Puerto Rico; it's not really about the result but rather the attention, it's still a waste because very likely the politicians will forget about Puerto Rico immediately afterwards, etc. Oops, it's not about Hill. Ah well. I think everyone knows I'm a sucker for these now and real sick of the candidates. Yep, that's all on politics until tomorrow. I've gotten so cynical about this whole mess that just thinking about it makes my head hurt. So it's time for a break.

Sie7e's New CD

So I just happened to catch on iTunes that Sie7e has released a new CD called Para Mí.

But wait... who is Sie7e? Okay, I have to admit that I don't really know much about the guy except that he's Puerto Rican. I just happened to catch one of his videos in Puerto Rican MTV one night while flipping channels and ended up enjoying the song. And about two weeks ago I figured out that his first CD was on iTunes, so I downloaded that, then lo and behold there's another one.

So I buy that one (got to support poor artists, you know). And... I don't know. It does show a lot more musical experience and just tighter sound overall, but I was really unhappy to hear the new version of his single; it has lost the looseness of the original. On the other hand, there are a lot less slow songs (I hate slow songs)--but the one song where it worked on the old CD was a song called "Y Te Vas", a very unoriginal song but beautiful regardless, and on this CD there's nothing to replace that.

One of the highlights on the CD is a song called "Te Repito", which has a chorus about repeating the chorus over and over again so that it sticks in your head (get it? the chorus is about the chorus... yeah). It's a parody of all the songs that are popular just because of that catchy chorus, while also discussing how he has to compromise his lofty career goals with the music he wants to make, and how being "rockero" (into rock rather than reggaetón) shouldn't have to mean absolutely no interest in other genres, particularly latin (he mentions liking Vico C--older, more traditional reggaetón--and El Gran Combo--salsa).

"Rockero, latino caribeño
It didn't work for me cahntar con el aceynto*
La cosa complicada no funcionó
Sonaba muy bonito pero nadie lo entendió."

"Rockero, Caribbean latino
Singing with an accent* didn't work for me
That complicated stuff didn't work
It sounded pretty but no one understood it."

*this part he's singing in a really thick "gringo" accent, making fun of a lot of rockeros who try to only speak English or speak Spanish with an accent to seem more authentic.

That is followed by his "manager" yelling at him to include a catchy chorus and repeat it over and over again. It's a good point to make, seeing as most songs (particularly reggaetón) only get popular because of the chorus and hardly anyone actually knows the other words or what the song is about.

Anyways, not only the song but also the entire album is a great example of how to reconcile this "rockero" identity with Puerto Rican music, which many see as incompatible but really isn't. As a consequence, Sie7e mixes traditional Latin sounds with his own guitar playing and some catchy pop... if you're expecting an actual rock CD, look elsewhere, but if you want pop with a little more umpf, you've found it.

Well, almost. I guess the problem with this CD is that it still sounds intermediary. While many of the topics dealt with in the songs are good, they are not fully developed, and the songs, while decent, are also missing something. They're just a little flat. However, I would definitely keep following Sie7e's music, because I'm pretty sure in a couple of years we'll be hearing something more dynamic from him.

Here's the video I was talking about in the beginning.



The song is called "Cógelo ahora porque después se va" ("Get it now because soon it'll be gone"; a slightly smoother name in English would be "Get it before it's gone"). It's catchy and has a decent message, and I like that he insists on "pa'lante, pa'lante, pa'lante", which is kind of awkwardly translated as "(Go) Forward, forward, forward". Point is we always (individually and as communities) always needed to be reminded to advance with what we're doing and not get distracted in the journey.

In the end I do recommend the CD, but if you didn't enjoy the video I would skip it and wait for his future releases.

Still unsure? Check out this video where he includes a whole bunch of samples of the CD, and here is the video for the title song.

Boricua en la Luna

Nothing to say right now, since I'm swamped with work, so I thought I would leave you all with this. Have a nice night...

A night with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra

So, I know it's been a while (papers and illness have taken me down) but I do have exciting things to share! First though, I have to say that tonight I went to go see the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. I know, perhaps it seems strange for those of you paying attention, I pathologically avoid Nuyorican things, not because they're not of quality, since they are, just that Puerto Ricans and Nuyoricans are two different groups of people and I can only stretch myself so far! I guess that'll be something else for me to explore later on... not that I could learn everything there is to know about Puerto Rico, of course.

Spanish Harlem Orchestra is a world-famous, Grammy-winning salsa group. And Spanish Harlem, in case you didn't know, is a barrio in New York that is filled with descendants of all the Puerto Rican immigrants (among others). It's a birthplace of many creative movements just as its sister district, Harlem, was for the Black community there a few decades before. Combined you should get some pretty damn good music. And we did.

Point is I went to this concert sitting front row right in the center! So we got lots of attention from the group, including kisses from the singers. What can I say, I'm adorable.

Afterwards my close Puerto Rican friend went to talk to the trumpeter about his last name--they both share the same, kind of rare apellido. They started comparing family trees, found nothing in common, decided they were family anyways and embraced each other. It was cute and very Puerto Rican. At least I think so... I hate to try to force the family-closeness and hospitality stereotypes on them, since I know plenty of people that definitely don't match that (sorry but it's true!), but I did see a genuine sense of that tonight and I found it kind of touching.

Actually, in general everyone in the band was incredibly friendly and they all had lots of character. And of course, the music was great. Very "clean" and professional, and by the end everyone was shouting for an encore (which we got). Basically, if you have a chance to see them, go. And if you have a chance to go to any salsa concert at all, go!!

More Politics in Puerto Rico... Oy vey!

Not that "oy vey" is a Puerto Rican expression (for most anyhow), but that is how I felt and so it had to be written.

It's getting a bit difficult to catch up with all these political posts in various locations, even though I feel like they are all important. So let's get these out of the way.

First off, in relation to the upcoming U.S. election, here are two blog posts, one saying Hillary doesn't have a chance at winning and the other saying the exact opposite. I would have liked to see a bit more depth in both, although the second does have an interesting debate in the comments. I'm expecting better though!

Also, it seems as though there have been various meetings to discuss Puerto Rican independence, mostly by... people who aren't Puerto Rican. Okay... anyways, here is a short bit about some meeting apparently held in Mexico, although it seems to be initiated by Cubans (guessing by the blog anyways), and here is some information in Spanish about all of those same people as well as other representatives of Latin America confronting the UN.

Spanish: Partidos políticos de diferentes ideologías de toda Latinoamérica se unieron para impulsar ante los gobiernos de sus países un apoyo unánime ante la Organización de Naciones Unidas en favor de la independencia de Puerto Rico.

Con la participación del Frente Amplio Progresista (FAP), por parte de México, representado por Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, acordaron iniciar una serie de acciones encaminadas a terminar con la última colonia que existe en territorio latinoamericano y que es controlada por Estados Unidos.

El objetivo es que se llegue a la celebración del bicentenario de la independencia de Latinoamérica sin la existencia de una sola colonia.

English: Political parties of different ideologies from all of Latin America united to ask the governments of their respective countries to show their unanimous support at the United Nations in favor of Puerto Rican independence.

With the participation of the Broad Progressive Front (FAP in Spanish), on the part of Mexico, represented by Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, they agreed to initiate a series of actions on the path to terminate the last colony that exists in Latin American territory and which is controlled by the United States.

The objective is that they arrive at the bicentennial celebration of Latin American independence without the existence of a single colony.

Personally, I doubt it'll do anything, especially since this hasn't actually shown up in English-language news at all, but I'd be interested in seeing something accomplished there.

And now for a couple of wild cards: the first, slightly more predictable from me, is about music. Apparently there was some show called the "The Capeman" on Broadway (I'm really too young to know these things), and now they are redoing some of the music, most notably with the leader of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Oscar Hernández, and Obie Bermúdez, a popular latin singer. It sounds like the arrangements are stellar. If you're in Manhattan might want to stop by next week.

The second thing, which is... less predictable I suppose, is a few rules for getting married in Puerto Rico and specifically Vieques. They require a few STD/blood tests so you should definitely be prepared if that's your goal.

Exploring Puerto Rico's African Heritage, Part 4: Bomba

Bomba is a dance created by African slaves in Loíza, although it is danced all over the island, especially in the West (like Mayagüez) and South (like Ponce). It is a beautiful dance, with strong beats and irresitable movements. It also is one of the roots of Salsa and most of Puerto Rico's music.

The general outfit for both men and women is white: men white suits (or at least a white shirt) and a straw hat, women in a white shirt and skirt (usually). Colors can be added to this but the white is expected. The pivotal part of the outfit is the woman's skirt, which must have multiple thick layers in order to create the desired effect.

The dancers in turn are accompanied by a variety of musicians. Percussion is crucial. Usually it's a trio of barriles, large drums, along with a single maraca and other instruments. There are also singers, either a soloist or a group (or both). Click

Bomba is, overall, a dialogue between the musicians and the dancer(s). With her skirt (or possibly a shawl or scarf), the dancer directs the percussion. I can't think of any way to describe this but with videos.

First off, here is a short video with one of the most important figures in Bomba today, Tata Cepeda. Her family has been a huge part in the survival and growth of Bomba. This doesn't really show off the "dialogue" per se, since I'm pretty sure it's choreographed, but it is a tribute to her talents as well as an amazing dance.



This other video is longer and not as fast, but if you are still interested I highly recommend it. It takes a moment to get ready, but the dancing is really interesting.



I hope somehow I've managed to share my affection for this dancing with you... it's kind of hard to express the feeling while watching it. Still...

Gabriel Rios

This is a video of Gabriel Rios, called "Broad Day Light". I kind of stumbled on him by accident. He's Puerto Rican from the island, but now is quite famous in Belgium of all places. His music in English is really interesting, very European feel...

... but his music in Spanish sounds much more latin. It's as if he's a different artist.

Anyways, I can't stop listening to him. So I recommend it (at least to younger people).

(By the way, I promise there will be a real entry soon!)

Politics of Puerto Rico

Why is understanding Puerto Rican politics so important?

Politics are everything in Puerto Rico. First off, even in the last election 70% of the voting-age population cast a vote, which is significantly higher than the statistics for the U.S. Politics are constantly discussed on the streets, on the radio, in the newspaper, everywhere. It can be a little overwhelming if you’re not really interested. The only comparison I can think of is how Americans talk about football during football season. It’s really, really big.

What are the parties of Puerto Rico?

There are three main parties:
- Partido Nuevo Progresista/New Progressive Party (PNP), which is pro-statehood. Their symbol is a palm tree, and their color is blue.
- Partido Popular Democrático/Popular Democratic Party (PPD), which wants to continue (or enhance) the Commonwealth. Their symbol is a jíbaro and their color is red.
- Partido Independista Puertorriqueño/Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), which is pro-independence. Their symbol is a green flag with a white cross and their color is green.

The PPD is currently in power with Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, although the PNP controls both the Senate and the House of Representatives. These two parties command most of the votes and are bitter rivals. The PIP is much smaller but is still very important. Its supporters include a lot of intellectuals, and violence, while not condoned by the party, has been committed in the name of independence.

Puerto Rico’s status issue is a difficult topic to discuss neutrally so I’ll leave it for another time. Keep in mind, however, that it is not the voters or Puerto Rico’s government that decides its status, but rather the U.S. government. The entire island could vote for statehood or independence but only the U.S. can change it, although the island certainly could pressure it. Despite this, everyone has an opinion about it.

Who are some important political figures?

Aníbal Acevedo Vilá is the current Governor of Puerto Rico since the 2004 elections. I don’t really know what to say about him except that he’s not very attractive and I saw him once in person. Three Kings Day a year ago (or two? I can’t remember) we saw him walking into the Governor’s mansion in SJ. Okay, that’s not so exciting, but it’s better than nothing.

Pedro Rosselló is ex-Governor and leader of the PNP. He’s everywhere. A lot of people hate him but he keeps getting involved in politics anyways. Here is his website.

Luis Fortuño is the current Resident Commissioner (Puerto Rico's representative in Congress who can't vote) and another member of the PNP. His webpage is here.

These three politicians make up a large part of political news in the island and should help to make it more... understandable.

Anyways, for your listening pleasure (or really... not...) I have some samples of Rosselló's campaign music, thanks to my friend and her dad. If you want a laugh, download this file. It's hilariously awful. On the other hand, I have something more... respectable here.

Enjoy!

Caribbean beaches and parties!

San Juan's San Sebastián parties start tomorrow night, and Ricky Martin is making an appearance for the first night. If you're going to be around I highly recommend you go! This page (from the Dondequiera blog) has more information on Ricky Martin as well as the schedule for the rest of the days of the party.

But for those of us who can't make it... if you, like me, are stuck in a wintery climate and dreaming of being somewhere warmer, why not look at these beautiful photos of the beach? It'll make things a bit better, I suppose.

Musical instruments of Puerto Rico

What, you didn't think your holiday would go without a present from me?

I thought, in time to finish up the parranda season, I'd do a quick introduction of musical instruments from Puerto Rico.

Pandereta

The pandereta isn't much different from a tambourine, except the one here (which is mine) actually is a tambourine. Oops. Anyways, it's the same except without the bells on the side.

This picture on the right is of the inside. Click for a larger view.

Palitos

If you speak enough Spanish you probably could have guessed what these are. They're simple sticks! You play them by hitting the two ends together. Pretty easy.

Güiro

The güiro was invented by the Taíno, the indigenous people of Puerto Rico. Basically, it is a gourd that is emptied, then left to dry. Grooves are cut into the top, and holes lie underneath for the fingers usually. It's played with what honestly could be a hair pick, which is scraped quickly over the grooved area in both directions. This makes a loud, rich percussion sound.

I'm a big fan of the güiro. It has a beautiful sound and a unique character.

Maracas

Maracas are another Taíno instrument made from gourds. Most people know what maracas are and how to play them so I don't think they deserve much of an explanation.

I will say, however, that these particular maracas on the side here were made by my friend's father from some gourds he picked up. I painted them.

To wrap this all up, here is a short video I made that demonstrates the sounds of each instrument. It's nothing special, and the sound quality is not... ideal, but it helps.

There is an excellent website for learning about Puerto Rican music in both English and Spanish here. I highly recommend it!

New Year's in Puerto Rico and Calle 13's La Ley de Gravedad

New Year's... okay, it isn't so exciting, the celebration is about the same in PR as it is in the U.S. So I don't want to spend a lot of time on that. Instead, I'm going to talk about something else: shooting up in the air for the new year.

I think this also happens in parts of the U.S. and other countries, although Puerto Rico really makes a big deal of it, since it has killed quite a few people recently. Campaigns against it, however, have kept everyone safe the last two years.

Part of the campaigns included some help from Calle 13 (13th Street), a popular reggaeton duo. They're known for their witty lyrics mocking Puerto Rican society and politics. They released the song "La Ley de Gravedad" (The Law of Gravity) with some success in ending the unnecessary deaths.

Anyways, here is the song... along with the lyrics (written kind of strangely... I didn't do it) and a translation. Enjoy!

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La Ley de Gravedad MUCHAS felicidades, Puerto Rico, le desea la Calle 13. Vo' a tener que ponerme un casco e fútbol Hasta pa' salir a comprar en el mall Un casco e fútbol pa' salvar el melón No disparen mejol vamo a hacer el amor Ponte una chaqueta a prueba e bala Un casco en la chola Que la cosa está mala Sálganse del patio vámonos pa' la sala Y desde la ventana ven las luces de bengala Uppss ¡cuidao! una bala Por poco te raja el cholón Puerto Rico lo hace mejol Aquí en el mar y el sol Disparar pa' arriba es un vacilón ¡Ja ja ja ja!¡Ja ja ja! Hasta que le dé una bala a tu nena Ahí te va dar pena,ahí tú llora No te haga el macho ahora Tú llora Cualquiera llora con tanta cara linda que hay en el barrio pa' que venga un brutosaurio guillao de mercenario a cagar el arroz con dulce del vecindario no te creas también los empresarios disparan y esos sí que tienen chavos pa' gastar en balas tienen chavos pa' emborracharse con coñac Por eso, yo me siento más seguro en Irak que en Puerto Rico droga, violencia y mucho alcohol Puerto Rico lo hace mejol Gobernador, aquí se hace lo que usted decida Después que usted escuche al pueblo Vamo a to'as por encima de cualquier godzila Yo voy pa' encima Vo'a salirme de la tarima vo'a a llegarle al pueblo Vámonos en fila Le vo'a llegar con to' y mochila Y aunque muchos quieran yo no me vo'a callar la boca Es más un guardia mal educa'o es una bala loca Un chamaquito sin escuela es una bala loca Un maestro sin práctica es una bala loca Coro Si le va tirar al ganstel tírale de frente Pero no pa' arriba que te lleva al inocente Yo sé qué decir esto es fuerte pero es real Aquí hay gente que vive pa' matal Lo tenemos que aceptar La verdá con la mano no se pue tapal Que vamo'a hacel Si ellos tienen que matal pa' comel Los sueños lindos pa' Disney World Pero disparar pa' arriba eso es de puerco Es como 20 contra uno Puerco Es como robarle el desayuno a un tecato Eso es de puerco La verdad Esto de lógica, la ley de gravedad To' lo que sube de seguro va a bajar To' lo que sube de seguro va a bajar To' lo que sube de seguro va a bajar Coro Mejol dispares pa'l agua pa bajo pa los pecesitos Te matas un par de peces, despues te los comes, Unas morcillitas con pesca'o. Calle 13, Calle 13, más te crece.

The Law of Gravity CONGRATULATIONS Puerto Rico from Calle 13 I'm gonna have to put on a football helmet Just so I can go out shopping in the mall A football helmet to save my melon Don't shoot; better yet, let's go make love. Put on a bulletproof vest A helmet on your head Since things are so bad. "Get out of the patio, let's go to the living room And from the window watch the lights from the sparklers Oops careful! A bullet! It nearly split your head." Puerto Rico does it better Here lying in sea and sun Shooting in the air is a trip Ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha... Until you knock off your daughter That's gonna bother you, there you go crying Don't act all macho now You'd cry Anybody would cry With so many sweet faces in the barrio Just so a Brute-osaurus can show up Stuck up like a mercenary To come shit on the neighborhood party Don't start thinking that executives also shoot And they're the ones who do have money to waste on bullets They have enough money to get drunk off of cognac That's why I feel safer in Iraq than in Puerto Rico Drugs, violence and a lot of alcohol Puerto Rico does it better. Governor, here we do what you say After you start listening to the people We'll go on top of any Godzilla Me, I'm heading for the top I'm going to get off of the stage I'm going to come to the people Let's leave in a line I'm gonna bring me all and show you what I got And even though they all want it, I am not going to shut up. Besides that, a guard without education is a loose bullet A kid without school is a loose bullet A teacher without experience is a loose bullet. Chorus If you gotta hit the gangsta shoot where he can see it But not upwards because you'll take the life of somebody innocent I know that admitting this hurts but it's real Here there are people who live to kill We have to accept it You can't cover up the truth with your hands What are we gonna do, if they have to kill to eat? The sweet dreams of Disney World But shooting up in the air is sick It's like 20 against 1 Sick It's like stealing breakfast from a bum It's just sick! The truth is This is simple logic, the law of gravity All that goes up must come down All that goes up must come down All that goes up must come down Chorus Better yet shoot down in the water at the fishies And then you kill a pair of fish, and you eat 'em, Some blood sausage with fish. Calle 13, Calle 13, más te crece.

So, navidad is over... just kidding!

If you thought now it was time to throw out the tree, take down the lights, and move on from Christmas, think again!

Puerto Rico celebrates Three Kings Day (el Día de los Tres Reyes Magos), also known as the Epiphany. Christmas in Puerto Rico usually extends a bit past this date because of las Octavitas, an additional 8 days of Christmas (... kind of).

So, in honor of the continuing spirit of Christmas, here is a blog post by a Cuban discovering parranda music, with lots of it uploaded for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

¡Feliz navidad! Merry Christmas!

For those of you not familiar with José Feliciano, he is indeed Puerto Rican!

¡Feliz navidad a todos!

More lechón!

I swear this is the last time I will write about lechón. Anyways, if you have iTunes, they're offering the contemporary salsero Victor Manuelle's song Lechón, Lechón, Lechón for free. I think it's been free for the last week so it'll probably be gone by tomorrow... go download it while you still can!

Speaking of lechón and navidad...

So, in the same thread as yesterday's post, here's El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico singing "La Fiesta de Pilito", one of their classic songs about Christmas (and its food!).

"One of its most popular older hits, "La Fiesta de Pilito" ("Pilito's Party"), a Christmas party song, sells each holiday as if it were a new release, some record store owners say..."