Los Van Van
De la Habana a Matanzas lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1997
- Genre
- Son Cubano
- Length
- 6:51
Hoy está crecido el Mar,
Today the Sea is swollen,
No es que la marea suba por un echo natural, No señor,
It's not that the tide rises for a natural reason, no sir,
Es que llora Yemayá
It's that Yemayá is crying,
Llora por todos los rumberos que hoy en el Cielo están,
She cries for all the dancers who are in Heaven today,
Acolona ohh yaré!
Ohh, Acolona, yaré!
Salí de la Habana
I left Havana,
con destino a Matanzas
heading to Matanzas,
queria saber del guaguancó,
wanted to know about the guaguancó,
de la rumba, de la columbia
about the rumba, about the columbia,
Y no por pura información
And not just for pure information.
queria empaparme del sabor del contenido verdadero
I wanted to soak in the flavor of true content
y saludar a los rumberos
and greet the dancers
Eeh
Eh-eh
Saludar a los rumberos de mi Cuba Cómo no?
Greet the dancers of my Cuba, how could I not?
Chano Pozo, Rocona, Mulenze, y Andrea Varo, Saldiguera y Virulilla
Chano Pozo, Rocona, Mulenze, and Andrea Varo, Saldiguera and Virulilla
De la rumba los mejores,
The best of the rumba,
A los que no he mencionado,
To those I haven't mentioned,
Les canto con mil amooores
I sing to you with a thousand loves
Salí de la Habana,
I left Havana,
y ya estoy en Matanzas,
and now I'm in Matanzas,
Aquí la cosa es diferente
Here, things are different
hay ambiente a rumba guaguancó y columbia
there's a vibe of rumba, guaguancó, and columbia
yo que venía con tifonada
I came in with a storm
y me dijeron los rumberos que esta rumba es con violín
and the dancers told me this rumba is with a violin
Distinto,
Different,
y dice así
and it goes like this
Cómo!
What!
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Que to' los rumberos esten muy atentos
Make sure all the dancers are very attentive
Ra Racachanga Van Van!
Ra Racachanga Van Van!
Es que la rumba esta buena y esto acaba de empezar
The party's so good and this has just begun
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
No me digas que no vas a guarachar
Don't tell me you're not going to dance
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Timbero te esta llamando la meta
Timbero is calling you to the goal
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Rumba no Son Bolero Mambo no son Chachacha
Rumba is not Bolero, Mambo is not Chachacha
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Por que esta no se equivoca y aquí no hay casualidad
Because this one doesn't get it wrong and there's no coincidence here
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Racachaca Ra Racachaca Van Van
Racachaca Ra Racachaca Van Van
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Que quiere te da quiere que esten los Guiros
What you want it gives, what you want is the Guiros
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Rumbero que tu quieres Guaguanco te voy a dar
Rumbero, what you want, Guaguanco I'm going to give you
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Ra Racachanka Van Van!
Mira Acolona ohh yaheeé!
Look Acolona ohh yaheeé!
Uno, Dos, Tres
One, Two, Three
A laaaaa
To theaaaa
Sa ra ra Rumbero!
Sa ra ra Rumbero!
Van Van iroco Van Van
Van Van iroco Van Van
Y oye mi guaguanco mira que bonito
And hear my guaguanco, look how beautiful it is
iroco Van Van
iroco Van Van
Quiero dedicar mi canto a un cantante chevere
I want to dedicate my song to a cool singer
iroco Van Van
iroco Van Van
escucha mi canto le le ohh donde quiera que estes
listen to my song le le ohh wherever you are
iroco Van Van
iroco Van Van
Que este cantanto esta rumba como la que acabas de ver
This singing is a rumba like the one you just saw
iroco Van Van
iroco Van Van
Es por eso que tu nombre merece vivir asi!
That's why your name deserves to live like this!
Por que cuando tu cantabas cantaba tu corazón
Because when you sang, your heart sang too
y ahi pero ven a gozar con e????
And there, come enjoy with e????
Ehh ohh
Ehh ohh
Timbero!
Timbero!
heee pa'
heee for'
Que, Ahi
What, there
Que!, Ataca!
What!, Attack!
Dice!
Say!
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with van van!
Ven a gozar con van van en la Rumba
Come enjoy with van van at the party
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come and enjoy with Van Van!
caballero que bonito suena la salsa
Gentleman, how beautiful salsa sounds
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come and enjoy with Van Van!
esto mire son sentimientos manana
Look at this, these are feelings for tomorrow
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come and enjoy with Van Van!
rumberito de la noche a la mañana
Rumberito from night to morning
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come and enjoy with Van Van!
Ye Yee Ye Ye oh ari legu
Ye Yee Ye Ye oh ari legu
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come and enjoy with Van Van!
Ye Yee Ye Ye oh ari legu
Ye Yee Ye Ye oh ari legu
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
Guirooo La meta en cala
Guirooo The goal is in the bay
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
Rumberito que Los Van Van ya llegaron
The little drummer that Van Van has already arrived
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
avisale a tu vecina que Van van ya llegó
Tell your neighbor that Van Van has arrived
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
que La rumba esta violenta y la traigo yo
Because the party is intense and I'm bringing it
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
con sentimientos que me llevan
With feelings that carry me away
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
oyeee si no sabes no te metas
Hey, if you don't know, don't get involved.
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
no no no sabes no te metas
No, no, you don't know, don't get involved.
para cantar hay que saber armonizar
To sing, you have to know how to harmonize.
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
para cantar hay que saber armonizar
To sing, you have to know how to harmonize.
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
para cantar hay que saber armonizar
To sing, you have to know how to harmonize.
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
para cantar hay que saber armonizar
To sing, you must know how to harmonize
Ven a gozar con van van!
Come enjoy with Van Van!
ven ven ven ven ven ven a Gozar
Come come come come come come to enjoy
Ahi na' ma!
That’s all there is!
Y que!
And so what!
Key vocabulary
- crecido
- grown
- marea
- tideB2
- suba
- rise
- salí
- I left
- habana
- Havana
- sabor
- flavorB1
- cómo
- howA2
- racachanka
- unknown
- atentos
- attentiveB2
- timbero
- unknown
About this song
Los Van Van is a Cuban band in the son genre that helped pioneer songo in the late 1960s, blending electric instruments, jazz influences, and dance-focused son with topical lyrics. They are among Cuba’s most popular groups, known for shaping a sound that draws on African roots and island song traditions.