Story Behind The Song
The story behind this song is that it represents me as a New York born and raised citizen of Puerto Rican heritage.
I come from both Puerto Rican Indian and Afro Caribbean Heritage.
Song Description
At sundown, the african slaves would get together to communicate through the sounds of the drums (bomba and plena folk music). The drummers would summons the company of their peers and would "sing out" how their day went at the slave masters home.
Women dancers, would call the sounds of the beats of the drums by way of shaking their shoulders, using their bodies (including the shaking of their breasts) and make the drummers play out the movements through sound of the skin of the african drums.
| Song Length |
6:58 |
Genre |
Electronic - Dance, Electronic - House |
| Tempo |
Medium (111 - 130) |
Lead Vocal |
Mixed Vocals |
| Mood |
In High Spirits, Joyful |
Subject |
Pride, Country, Nation |
| Similar Artists |
Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez |
Language |
Multi-Language |
| Era |
1900 - 1920 |
| |
Lyrics
AT SUNDOWN WE PARTY, UNDER THE MOONLIGHT WE SHAKE OUR TRAZEROS
DRUMMERS SUMMON ALL THE DANCERS
WITH THE SOUND OF THE SKIN FROM EL TUMBAU
EVERYBODY GETS TOGETHER
AND THE DRUMMERS MAKE THEM SHAKE SHAKE
(CHANT)
AI YAI YADA
IN THE ATMOSPHERE YOU HEAR A DRUMMING SOUND
AND A DANCER CALLS THE BEAT WITH HER FLESH
SHAKE IT SHAKE IT MAMA, SANDU SANDUNGUEA
WE UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE, SHAKE SHAKE, COMMUNICATE
BRIDGE
THIS IS THE TIME WHEN WE GO DANCING
SUNDOWN MARKS THE HOUR
LADIES BEGIN THEIR DANCE RELEASING THEIR FRUSTRATIONS "AI"
SO SUNDOWN MARKS THE HOUR
MUSIC AND UNITY CREATE FIRE DANCE
CELEBRATING THE CULTURE
AFRO CARIBBEAN'S BRINGING ON SANDUNGA
AI AI
CHANT
THE BEGININING OF THE RHYTHM CAN BE HEARD IN SAN ANTON
FROM PONCE TO JUANA DIAZ AND LOIZA YOU HEAR
TUN KHAN TUN TUN KHAN TUN
FIRE DANCE
SUNDOWN MARKS THE HOUR
SHAKE AI AI
(SPOKEN WORD)