January 2020 - El Envio

I had a very short-lived (one gig) stint as a lead vocalist in a new band called Dos Tres. It was a bunch of guys I knew from Veneno days who wanted to put together a new (mainly) Cuban music project and I agreed to do some singing. We got together to rehearse for months and eventually secured a gig at The Establishment at the beginning of March 2020. That date should sound familiar as it was a few days before Sydney entered its first COVID lockdown - the band never recovered from the interruption and remains a one-and-done Sydney Latin band.

I had fun digging up the salsa/timba singing chops I had long neglected since leaving Veneno more than 10 years earlier. It inspired me to try to write something in the style, around the same time that I was first dabbling with songwriting for SONIDO. It's no masterpiece, and never got beyond a pretty crappy demo, but it was another step in the process of rediscovering my love of songwriting and exercising the craft of putting together a demo.

Quince mil kilómetros viajaron

Empaquetados en burbujas, por avión

Y nos juntamos para abrir este regalo

Ritmos y melodías pa’ mi canción

Encima estaba el son, la base de todo

Debajito el changui y el danzón

También llegaba el guaguancó de La Habana

Y al fondo la timba y el timbatón

Y qué hacer con una herencia tan especial

Nosotros tan lejos de su tierra original

No hubo más que juntar bajo, piano y timbal

Y agregar el sabor de nuestro hogar austral

Llego el envío otra vez

Del paralelo veinte y tres

Aquí no bailan al revés

Cuando toca el Dos Tres

• Porque de falta de ingredientes no sufrimos (hay elementos del mundo entero); juntamos influencias que aprendimos en este tributo que les entrego

• que se sepa que aquí en Sydney hay sabor, sentimiento y picardía (que te lo digan los metales australes) con su linda melodía

RAP

Mira que al otro lado del mundo

Lo que siento es profundo

Me mueve un sabor fecundo

Esparramando, fertilizando, de eso que ando

Una manda que debo cumplir está rebalsando

Mi vaso con un bombazo, no hay caso

Fuera de mi control no hay rechazo posible

Es imprescindible el ritmo que me agarra

Luego dispara de mi boca como un cañonazo

Y te lo digo otra vez

No te engañes, se rapear en Spanish o en inglés

Y si no estamos en el 12 y 23 igual

La clave pega cuando toca el Dos Tres

Si es de son o de rumba tu ves

(La clave pega cuando toca el Dos Tres)

• dos gardenias para ti, y tres, tres, lindas cubanas

• Pero que pega y que pega, y sigue pegando, y la gente se está calentando

(La clave pega cuando toca el Dos Tres)

Translation

They travelled fifteen thousand kilometres

Packed in bubblewrap, via airmail

And we gathered to open this gift

Rhythms and melodies for my song

At the top was the son, the base of everything

Just below the changui and the danzón

Also in there was the guaguancó from La Habana

And at the bottom the timba and the timbatón

And what to do with such a special inheritance?

For us, so far from its land of origin

There was nothing else to do but gather bass, piano and timbales

And add the flavour of our southern home

The package has once again arrived

From the 23rd parallel

We don't dance back to front down here

When Dos Tres is playing

• Because we have no lack of ingredients (there are elements from the breadth of the world); we bring together all those influences in this tribute for you

• Let is be known that here in Sydney there's flavour, feeling and mischief (let the austral brass section tell you) with their lovely melody

RAP

Look, here at the other end of the world

What I feel is profound

A fruitful flavour takes hold,

Spreading, fertilising, of what makes us move,

A vow I have to fulfil, my cup is overflowing

With an explosion, it's no use,

It's out of my control, impossible to reject,

It's essential this rhythm that grabs me

And shoots from my mouth like a cannonball

And I'll tell you again,

Don't be deceived, I know how to rap in Spanish or in English

And even if we're not in the 12 y 23*

You feel the clave when Dos Tres is playing

Whether it's the son or rumba clave, you'll see

(You feel the clave when Dos Tres is playing)

• "dos gardenias para ti", y tres, "tres lindas cubanas"**

• Pero que pega y que pega, y sigue pegando, y la gente se está calentando

(You feel the clave when Dos Tres is playing)

* 12 y 23 is a famous theatre in La Habana

** Quotes from two classic Cuban songs "Dos Gardenias" and "Tres Lindas Cubanas"