Ismael Rivera
El cumbanchero lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1975
- Genre
- Salsa
- Length
- 2:55
A cumba cumba cumba cumbanchero...
A cumba cumba cumba cumbanchero...
A bongo bongo bongo bongocero...
A bongo bongo bongo bongocero...
Riquitique va sonando
Riquitique is starting to sound
el cumbanchero, bongocero que se vá... hey!
the cumbanchero, bongocero that's leaving... hey!
Bongocero que se vá...
Bongocero that's leaving...
A cumbalaca, cumbalaca, cumbalaca,
A cumbalaca, cumbalaca, cumbalaca,
cumbalaca, cumbalaca, cumbalaca,
cumbalaca, cumbalaca, cumbalaca,
cumbalaca, cumbalaca, cumbalaca,
cumbalaca, cumbalaca, cumbalaca,
cumbalaca, cumbalaca, bongocero...
cumbalaca, cumbalaca, bongocero...
A Riquitique va sonando
A Riquitique is starting to sound
el cumbanchero, bongocero que se vá... hey!
the cumbanchero, bongocero who leaves... hey!
Bongocero que se vá...
Bongocero who leaves...
Y suena así el bongó veriquití
And the bongó plays this way, veriquití
y vuelve a resonar veriquití
and it resonates again, veriquití
burum bumba...
burum bumba...
A cumba, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongo
To cumba, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongo
A cumba, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongo
To cumba, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongo
A cumba, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongocero
To cumba, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongo, bongocero
Riquitique va sonado
Riquitique is playing
el cumbanchero, bongocero que se vá... hey!
the cumbanchero, bongocero who leaves... hey!
Bongocero que se vá...
Drummer who's leaving...
Key vocabulary
- vá
- goA2
- así
- like thisA1
- bongó
- bongoB1
- bongocero
- bongos player
- bumba
- drum
- burum
- drum
- cumba
- cumbia
- cumbalaca
- carnival
- cumbanchero
- partygoer
- resonar
- resoundC1
Test yourself
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A quick quiz on the key words from this song.
About this song
Firmly fixed in the Latin music firmament as "El Sonero Mayor" (The Greatest Singer), Ismael Rivera was blessed with a gloriously husky voice, which he honed into a unique improvisational instrument.