Let me just start by saying that Music is too abstract for the human mind to even begin to verbally describe the cause and effect music has on one’s persona. I find that Music is a linguistic that only my soul understands and is able to communicate back through body movement, which we call dance. However, my soul sometimes communicates with music through silence. Therefore, I find Music to be subjective to every soul's interpretation.
Alan Watts explained that we must not forget to dance our way through life. His video explains that our lives are full of distractions where one pursues material gains because we are under the impression material things will bring us happiness and fulfillment, but that’s not what life is about. He explained that if we live our life only pursing meaningless work, we’ll wake up one day and realize that we’re empty. This is why I choose to live my life as a musical song surrounded by art. I perceive my world to be like Music, inexplicable but yet fulfilling and rewarding to one's heart, mind, soul, and spirit. Although I can’t verbally explain the mysteriousness of Music and its effects on my persona, I know that Music is life and transcends verbal language. I must take the time to allow Music to influence my soul in order to live a more fulfilling life.
The Music in my world that quenches my thirst for adventure and fulfillment is Cuban Salsa Music. One of my favorite Cuban Salsa songs is called “La Rebelion” by Joe Arroyo. “La Rebelion” tells the story of Africans who were brought to Cartagena, Spain in the 1600s and enslaved. The lyrics of the song speak of the perpetual enslavement and the constant mistreatment the Africans had to endure by the Spanish slaveholders. More specifically, the song conveys the story of how an African man is led to take matters into his own hands and rebel against his slaveholder after his wife is beaten. The husband is forced to rebel against the slaveholder and take vengeance in the name of their love because his soul bursts with anger every time his wife is beat. The song points out that even today one can hear through the iron doors the words of the African husband saying, “No le pegue a mi negra… Oye, esa negra se me respeta” (don’t beat my black woman… hey, you must respect her).
I like this song for many reasons. One reason is because it speaks of breaking free from the fetters of the status quo. The African husband can no longer bear the abuse committed against his wife, so he is forced to take justice into his own hands, since no one else will, and make the slaveholder pay for what he has done. The husband stands up for what he loves and defends his wife with his life if need be. In other words, he fights back and does not play into what society has allowed. This is how I view my life, if I don’t agree with a particular path society has made, I make my own.
Another reason I like this song is for its ability to captivate my soul. As soon as I hear the music, I become transported into a different dimension. It’s like I’m in a different world all together where nothing matters except for how my soul chooses to communicate my inner emotions through dance. Salsa Music is a language that only my soul understands because when I hear it I become captivated by its infectious rhythms. I love the sound of the piano, trumpets, drums, and so forth playing together. To me, Cuban Salsa music is infectious, especially this song!
The most important reason why I love “La Rebelion” by Joe Arroyo is for its ability to unite two bodies and allow their souls to communicate with one another through dance. When I dance with a partner to this song, the body language we produce while dancing to “La Rebelion” is dynamic, intense, but yet subtle. The rhythm of this song is fast pace, but it also slows down, which is how life is. Life is fast pace, but it also has its moments where it slows down and one is able to see things more calmly. In this case, when the song slows down, it allows me to catch my breath to prepare myself for more intense movement, once the Music speeds up. I'm able to let loose and allow my partner to lead the conversation, as his poetry begins to woo my soul.
Lyrics for "La Rebelion" by Joe Arroyo:
Quiero contarle mi hermano un pedacito de la historia negra, de la
historia nuestra, caballero
Y dice asi:
Uhh!
Dice!
En los anos mil seiscientos, cuando el tirano mando
las calles de Cartagena, aquella historia vivio.
Cuando alli llegaban esos negreros, africanos en cadenas
besaban mi tierra, esclavitud perpetua
Esclavitud perpetua
Esclavitud perpetua
Que lo diga salome y que te de llego, llego, llego
Un matrimonio africano, esclavos de
un espanol, el les daba muy mal trato
y a su negra le pego
Y fue alli, se revelo el negro guapo, tomo
venganza por su amor y aun se escucha
en la verja, no le pegue a mi negra
No le pegue a la negra
No le pegue a la negra
Oye man!!
No le pegue a la negra
no le pegue a la negra
no, no, no ,no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no
(varias veces)
Oye esa negra se me respeta
Ehh, que aun se escucha, se escucha en la verja,
no, no, no, no, no
no, no, no, no, no
no, no, no, no, no le pegue a la negra
Negra que me dice..
No le pegue a la negra
no le pegue a la negra
no le pegue a la negra
no le pegue
Y con ustedes... chelito de casa
Vamos a ver que le pegue a jeva
porque el alma, que el alma, que el alma
que el alma, que el alma se me revienta
Ehh, no, no, no, no, no, no le pegue a mi negra
porque el alma se me agita mi prieta
El Chombo lo sabe
y tu tambien
no le pegue a la negra
Thank you for sharing this great song. I really enjoyed listening to it when I found music video for La Rebellion on YouTube. Without your description I would never be able to guess that this song brings to light abuses that took place during the slavery period in Cuba. Despite its harsh main subject the song is instilled with positive mood. It seems like Joe Arroyo sings about something happy like a walk through the sunny Cuban beach. This composition is filled with positive mood and passion that one could only experience in Cuba.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed amazing salsa dance performances that were shown in the video. The music and dance perfectly blended together as it was meant to be considering that salsa songs are composed primarily for dancing. While watching to video I had a huge desire to join performers in their act of dancing even though I've never considered learning salsa or merengue before.