A little music

Photo: Claudio Fuentes Madan

When I was 18 I heard for the first time, on the Malecon and of course a capella, “The Cable” by the Cuban rapper Maykel Extremo. Now it has come into my hands through a flash drive and I find it very moving: I copied it, so as not to lose to anonymity the best summary of Cuban reality that I’ve heard in my lifetime.

I say I find catharsis in this blog but without a doubt he’s the one who was grounded in the truth; I post it here for you to enjoy.

Cable

Here is an excerpt of the rap translated into English. Please click over to the Spanish language site for all the lyrics.

It’s getting complicated, the flow is getting ugly
Se está complicando, poniéndose feo el picheo

Street walking for the bullies, dancing for the guitar plucking
Callejeo pa’los gua’o, changaneo pa’l punteo

The grain, the head taking out, the neck pulling out by the roots
Sacadera de beta, de chaveta, arrancadera de cuello

If the chain is good and if it is facing you
Si la cadena está buena y está a la careta

They hand you the oars, they stick the irons in you
Te pasan los remos, te meten los hierros

The houses: I pawn the motorcycle for you, you eat your girlfriend,
Las casas: te empeño la moto, cómete a la jeva,

Later, I take it out on the dogs
Después se lo saco a los perros

It doesn’t matter, the scorching of the stone the things I lose are forgotten
Total, de pedrusco el requeme se olvidan las cosas que pierdo,

I leave you the face for later, to throw it in your face with it
Te dejo la cara pa’luego, pa’echarte con ella

To enter into shamelessness when my stones run out
Pa’entrar en descaro cuando se me acaben las piedras

In Monte & Cienfuegos dicks of two canes and three canes
En pinchas de Monte y Cienfuegos de a dos cañas, y a tres cañas

And in Reina the lesbians get close to each other delightfully while fishing
Y en Reina por pesca se pegan sabroso las lesbias,

Transvestites, faggots and cocksuckers have turned 23rd regal
Trasvestis, maricones y pingueros tienen a 23 regia

Metals guard the ass, it is known
Los metales cuidan el culo, se sabe