Ismael Rivera
Moti-agua lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1971
- Genre
- Salsa
- Length
- 3:23
Allá en el Africa del sur
Way down in South Africa
Allá en el Africa central
Way down in Central Africa
Hay unos negros carabalí
There are some Carabalí people
Que con sus ritmos en arara
Who with their rhythms in Arara
Que con sus ritmos en arara
Who with their rhythms in Arara
Cantan así, dicen así
They sing like this, they say like this
Allá en el Africa central
Way down in Central Africa
Hay unos negros carabalí
There are some Carabalí people
Que con sus ritmos en arara
Who with their rhythms in Arara
Que con sus ritmos en arara
Who with their rhythms in Arara
Cantan así, dicen así
They sing like this, they say like this
Naidó a naidó
Naidó to naidó
Mabota simaboa
Mabota simaboa
Ellos quieren decir
They want to say
En locumí
In locumí
Motiagua casimabo
Motiagua casimabo
Así me dijo mi china
That's what my girl told me
Por el año treinta y dos
In the year thirty-two
Juega
Play
Motiagua casimabo
Motiagua casimabo
Que yo lo mismo te canto un bolero
That I could just as easily sing you a bolero
Mami que vacilón guaguancó con saoco
Mami, what a blast, guaguancó with saoco
Motiagua casimabo
Motiagua casimabo
Mi rumba va motitemi
My rumba goes motitemi
Motiagua va mi guaguancó que te dice
Motiagua, my guaguancó tells you
Motiagua casimabo
Motiagua casimabo
Motiagua, motiagua, motiagua, motiagua
Motiagua, motiagua, motiagua, motiagua
Motiagua, motitemi, motitemi, motitemi
Motiagua, motitemi, motitemi, motitemi
Va mi guaguancó con saoco
Here goes my guaguancó with saoco
Motiagua casimabo
Motiagua casimabo
Allá en el Africa del sur
There in South Africa
Te cantan los negros motiagua
The people of Motiagua sing for you
Rumbero bueno vente a gozar
Good rumbero, come to enjoy
A motiagua
To Motiagua
Motiagua, motiagua, motiagua va mi rumba
Motiagua, motiagua, motiagua, my rumba goes
A motiagua
To Motiagua
Motitemi, motitemi va mi guaguancó
Motitemi, motitemi, my guaguancó goes
A motiagua
To Motiagua
Rumbero bueno ven, ven que la rumba la gozo yo
Good rumbero, come, come that I enjoy the rumba
A motiagua
To Motiagua
Motiri, motiri, motiri, motiri, motiri, motiri
Motiiri, motiiri, motiiri, motiiri, motiiri, motiiri
A motiagua
To motiagua
Sabroso, sabroso lo traigo yo
Delicious, delicious is what I bring
Juega
Play
A motiagua
To motiagua
Sacude, camina
Shake it, walk
A motiagua
To motiagua
A motiagua
To motiagua
Dígalo Doña Bantó
Say it, Doña Bantó
Juega
Play
A motiagua
To motiagua
A motiagua
To motiagua
A motiagua
To motiagua
A motiagua
To motiagua
A motiagua
To motiagua
A motiagua
To motiagua
A motiagua
To motiagua
Key vocabulary
- dos
- twoA1
- motitemi
- unknown
- motiri
- unknown
- allá
- thereA1
- arara
- parrot
- así
- like thisA1
- bantó
- unknown
- bueno
- goodA1
- camina
- walks
- cantan
- sing
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.