El Cihualteco
from "Mexican Mariachi Music: Made in the U.S.A.." by Daniel Sheehy,
pg. 137-159
In The Music of Multicultural America
By Kip Lornell and Anne K. Rasmussen
This son jalisciense (Jalisco-style son) is typical of the son genre as played by the mariachi ensemble: driving rhythm in triple meter; strophic song structure, archetypical modern mariachi instrumentation. Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, based in Los Angeles since 1961, has been a major force in what many people refer to as the "mariachi movement," hundreds of school mariachi programs and dozen of mariachi festivals throughout the United States.
To listen to this track, purchase it through the Smithsonian Folkways website
To listen to this track, purchase it through the Smithsonian Folkways website
2002 (published), Los Angeles, California.
Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano
Lyrics
Arriba de Cihuatlán, le nombran Lago Escondido
Donde se van a bañar, cihualtecas de mi vida
Ay, sí, sí, ay, no, no, ay, sí, sí, ay, no, no.
Ay sí, ay no, ay sí, ay no.
De veras sí, de veras no, lo que te dije se te olvidó.
Al cabo sí, y al cabo no.
Cihualteco de me vida, dime ¿quién te bautizó?
¿Quién te puso cihualteco, para que te cante yo?
Ay, sí, sí, ay no, no, ay, sí, sí, ay, no, no.
Ay sí, ay no, ay sí, ay no.
De veras sí, de veras no, cuando ellas quieren no quiero yo.
Al cabo sí, al cabo no.
Donde se van a bañar, cihualtecas de mi vida
Ay, sí, sí, ay, no, no, ay, sí, sí, ay, no, no.
Ay sí, ay no, ay sí, ay no.
De veras sí, de veras no, lo que te dije se te olvidó.
Al cabo sí, y al cabo no.
Cihualteco de me vida, dime ¿quién te bautizó?
¿Quién te puso cihualteco, para que te cante yo?
Ay, sí, sí, ay no, no, ay, sí, sí, ay, no, no.
Ay sí, ay no, ay sí, ay no.
De veras sí, de veras no, cuando ellas quieren no quiero yo.
Al cabo sí, al cabo no.
Translated Lyrics
Above Cihuatlán, they call it Hidden Lake
Where my beloved Cihualtecan girls go to bathe.
Ay, yes, yes, ay, no, no, ay, yes, yes, ay, no, no.
Ay, yes, ay no, ay yes, ay, no.
Really yes, really no, what I told you, you forgot.
In the end, yes, in the end, no.
My dear Cihualtecan, tell me who baptized you?
Who named you Cihualtecan, so that I might sing to you?
Ay, yes, yes, ay, no, no, ay, yes, yes, ay, no, no.
Ay, yes, ay no, ay yes, ay, no.
Really yes, really no, when the women love me, I don’t want to.
In the end, yes, in the end, no.
Where my beloved Cihualtecan girls go to bathe.
Ay, yes, yes, ay, no, no, ay, yes, yes, ay, no, no.
Ay, yes, ay no, ay yes, ay, no.
Really yes, really no, what I told you, you forgot.
In the end, yes, in the end, no.
My dear Cihualtecan, tell me who baptized you?
Who named you Cihualtecan, so that I might sing to you?
Ay, yes, yes, ay, no, no, ay, yes, yes, ay, no, no.
Ay, yes, ay no, ay yes, ay, no.
Really yes, really no, when the women love me, I don’t want to.
In the end, yes, in the end, no.
Album cover to ¡Viva el Mariachi!: Nati Cano’s Mariachi Los Camperos. Smithsonian Folkways CD SFW 40459, 2002. www.folkways.si.edu.
Permission Information: Traditional song
Keywords: mexico, mariachi, son