El Africano
La Sonora Dinamita & Juliette Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴cumbia del africano...
mama dile, mama dile .(bis)
lala y lala... lal y lala... lal y lala... lala y lala.
mama el negro esta rabioso quiere peliar con migo deciselo a mi papa
mama yo me acuesto tranquila me arropo pie a cabeza y el negro me destapa.
ahy mama que sera lo que quiere el negro... ahy mama que sera lo que busca el negro... ahy mama dime que es lo quiere el negro... ahy mama que sera lo que quiere el negro.
¡ oh no sera que quiere otro pastenon!...weiiiii ... linda mi cumbia
y de nuevo a gozar con la sonora dinamita. (bis)Overall Meaning

The song "El Africano" by La Sonora Dinamita & Juliette is a classic cumbia tune from Colombia with catchy, upbeat lyrics that tell a humorous story. The song begins with the repetition of the phrase "mama dile," which means "tell Mama." The singer goes on to say that the black man (El Africano) is angry and wants to fight with her. She asks her Mama to tell her father about it, but then reassures Mama that she goes to bed peacefully, covering herself from head to toe, but the black man still uncovers her. The singer wonders aloud what El Africano wants, and suggests that maybe he wants another "pastenon" - a type of traditional Colombian empanada.

This song is often interpreted as a humorous comment on interracial relationships in Colombia. The black man in the song is portrayed as a persistent suitor, who won't take no for an answer, and the singer seems to be poking fun at his persistent, but ultimately harmless, advances. The repeated chorus of "ahy mama que sera lo que quiere el negro" emphasizes the singer's bewilderment and amusement at his behavior. At the same time, however, the song also reflects the complexities of race, gender, and power that still exist in Colombian society today.

Line by Line Meaning

cumbia del africano...
This is the cumbia song about the African man.

mama dile, mama dile .(bis)
The singer is asking the mother to talk to them.

lala y lala... lal y lala... lal y lala... lala y lala.
These are the vocalizations and sounds of the music.

mama el negro esta rabioso quiere peliar con migo deciselo a mi papa
The black man is angry and wants to fight, and the singer is asking their mother to tell their father.

mama yo me acuesto tranquila me arropo pie a cabeza y el negro me destapa.
The singer sleeps soundly, but the black man uncovers them.

ahy mama que sera lo que quiere el negro... ahy mama que sera lo que busca el negro... ahy mama dime que es lo quiere el negro... ahy mama que sera lo que quiere el negro.
The singer is asking their mother what the black man wants and needs.

¡ oh no sera que quiere otro pastenon!...weiiiii ... linda mi cumbia
The singer is asking if the black man wants another type of cake (pastel) and then praises the music.

y de nuevo a gozar con la sonora dinamita.
The song is ending with an invite to enjoy the music of the band, La Sonora Dinamita.

(bis)
This is a repetition of the opening line and is commonly used in Spanish music.

Writer(s): Calixto Ochoa Campo, Wilfrido Martinez

Contributed by Chloe P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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