Somebody in Machetera’s house can’t stand Charanga Habanera. Well, they’re not totally Machetera’s favorite either…and let’s remember, they did record two versions of this song, one so the Cubans in Miami wouldn’t feel so bad (Crying Enjoying in Miami, Enjoying in Havana.) Cultural sensitivity? If you say so. Walter Lippmann over at CubaNews has been agitating for the lyrics in English, so here you go, Walter – Machetera will take a pause from saving the world just to help you out.
Ladies and gentlemen, now from Cuba,
what is it with Cuba that we’re doing it in English
better let it go, in Spanish HELLO!
Tell me, how’d it go for you, did you find happiness?
tell me, how’s it going, I’m doing great here
while you’re there, hey babe! Charanga Habanera!
They say she feels good in Miami, that it’s crazy,
but what’s missing is Havana, the gossip, the deliciousness
They say she has money, the car she dreamed about
but she can’t find in Miami what she left behind in Havana!
Now I’m going to tell you something that happened to me,
I, who loved her so much, but she left and left me behind
Lachy! She wanted to be famous and win a Grammy
so she left on an airplane for Miami to try her luck
(David) Hey chacal, I heard you
they say she feels good in Miami, that it’s crazy, but what’s missing is Havana,
the gossip and the deliciousness, uh huh
they say she has money (a lie!), the car she dreamed about (a lie!)
but she can’t find in Miami what she left behind in Havana!
(Chacal raps…)
Honey, why you crying? Thanks to you I bought me a
computer…
If you left babe, you’re gonna suffer, what can you do?
what use is Mickey Mouse to you if you like Elpidio Valdes?
an Audi for me…
…and the money for you
to live the story, what a story, I’m still eating
soyburger but I’m content
(Chacal raps…)
(Dantes) …and now she calls me crying, she says she can’t find the way,
that she feels bad, that she misses everything about Cuba,
she misses Los Van Van, Hectico and PMM,
she misses La Charanga, and the guy she loved the most
(Randy mc) and I keep on Charanga-ing just the way I like
You crying in Miami, me enjoying Havana
you crying in Miami, me enjoying Havana
She’s sad because there’s no Capri or Tropicana there
you crying in Miami, me enjoying Havana
she misses my Havana Club and the Bucanero she used to drink
you crying in Miami, me enjoying Havana
How long, babe, ‘til when?
if you act like a yuma, you have to take a fall
how long babe, ‘til when?
if you act like a yuma, you gotta go down
Falling, falling falling
if you act like a yuma, you gotta go down
falling, falling falling
if you act like a yuma, you gotta go down
She’s speaking English with me and I don’t know what she’s saying
If you act like a yuma, you gotta go down
Ready, let’s enjoy!
Clap your hands everyone,
everyone sing!
Tell me, how’d it go, did you find
happiness?
Tell me, how’s it going, I’m doing great here
and you there, babe!
tell me, how’d it go, did you find
happiness?
Tell me, how’s it going, I’m doing great here
and you’re there, babe!
(Chacal) Hey sweetie, I’ll go my own way and won’t
change it for anything
that’s why I take care of myself, that’s why I keep on doing
what I want, what I really want!
from cuartel pavel, frank dos metra, repeat,
Walk so you can learn
this is so you can enjoy and not get on my case
Ok, ok, why do you want bread when I’ve got coffee cake?
get it?!
…
LYRICS – LETRAS
ladies & gentleman, now from cuba
que lo que hay con cuba pa’ que lo vamo hacer en ingles
mejor sueltalo en el español HELLO !
cuentame, como te ha ido si has conocido la felicidad
cuentame, como te va, yo por aqui my bien
y tu por alla que bola ! Charanga Habanera !
dicen que se siente bien que Miami es la locura,
pero le falta la Habana, el chisme y la sabrosura
dicen que tiene dinero, el carro que ella soño
pero no encuentra en Miami, lo que en la Habana dejo !
Ahora te voy a contar algo que me sucedio
yo que la queria tanto, pero se fue y me dejo
Lachy! queria hacerse famosa queria ganarse un Grammy
y salio a provarse su suerte avion destino Miami (David ) oye chacal ….. te oi
dicen que se siente bien que Miami es la locura,
pero le falta la Habana, el chisme y la sabrosura, si si
dicen que tiene dinero (¡mentira!), el carro que ella soño (¡mentira!)
pero no encuentra en Miami , lo que en la Habana dejo !
(rap chacal …………)
caridad, por que tu lloras si gracias a ti me compre la
computadora
si te fuiste sufre mami que le van hacer
De que te sirve micky mouse si te gusta elpidio valdes.
un audi pa mi…
…el lucrativo pa mi
pa que vivir de cuento que cuento , sigo comiendo picadillo pero contento
(rap chacal …………)
(Dantes) y ahora me llama llorando, dice que no encuentra el modo
que no se siente feliz, que de Cuba extraña todo
extraña a los van van, hectico y pmm
extraña a la charanga, y el papi que ella mas quiere
(Randy mc) yo sigo charangueando como me da la gana
tu llorando en Miami, yo gozando en la habana
tu llorando en Miami, yo gozando en la habana
se siente triste porque, alla no hay Capri ni Tropicana
tu llorando en Miami, yo gozando en la Habana
extrana mi Habana Club y la Bucanero que ella tomaba
tu llorando en Miami, yo gozando en la habana
hasta donde mami?, hasta cuando?
si te comportas como yuma, tu tienes que ir tumbando
hasta donde mami?, hasta cuando?
si te comportas como yuma tu tienes que ir bajando
tumbando , tumbando tumbando
si te comportas como yuma, tu tienes que ir bajando
tumbando , tumbando tumbando
si te comportas como yuma, tu tienes que ir bajando
ella esta hablando ingles conmigo y yo no se lo que esta hablando
si te comportas como yuma, tu tienes que ir bajando
y preparado , vamo a gozalo !
mano pa’ arriba to’ el mundo
vamo to’ el mundo a cantarlo!
cuentame , como te ha ido si has conocido la felicidad
cuentame , como te va, yo por aqui my bien
y tu por alla que bola !
cuentame , como te ha ido si has conocido la felicidad
cuentame , como te va, yo por aqui my bien
y tu por alla que bola !
(El Chacal )oye chula, yo sigo con lo mio y no lo cambio por nada
por eso me mantengo por eso sigo siendo lo que me da la gana,
la reverenda gana !
desde el cuartel pavel, frank dos metra, repeta,
camina pa que aprenda,
esto es pa que goces y no pa que ud me reprenda
ok ok pa que tu quieres pan si yo tengo cofi cake
copiaste !
Mil gracias, Machatera~
You’d be surprised, or maybe not, to know that there are Cubans living here in La Yuma who miss their home country, and some of them are doing pretty well up here.
This tune must be resonating with Cubans who’ve left the island wherever they live. Even my old novia now living in Switzerland has learned that the world afuera isn’t what she’d imagined when she married that foreigner to get a passport and get out of the island. Now she goes back as often as she can save the money.
Again, thanks so much for your translation of this.
Hi Machetera, thanks so much for posting this!
Matt
Well, it’s not the greatest thing I’ve ever heard out of Cuba (that would be Compay Segundo), but I can well believe that it’s really like that. Havana’s buildings may be in need of repairs and its cars may be caught in a time warp, but it’s still got a thousand times more character and class than anything in Florida. If I left a place like that for one of fast money and empty glitz, I’d be crying too.
Buena!!!!
But your Right Charanga We miss Cuba a lot.that the thru we never will fine here the thing we left over there EL CHISME Y LA SABROSURA
You gotta be kidding me. Miami is more Cuban than Havana!