Imagen Latina

¡Hola! Everybody...
Had a great time last night with my friends... sometimes our get-togethers are too freakin’ cool! I am blessed, for sure. Today, I have the option of going to Fordham Road for a series of free altin music concerts, a movie, or a long walk by the beach... Hope you all are enjoying yourselves, whatever you do.

* * *

-=[ Imagen Latina/ Latin Image ]=-

by Bernardo Palombo

[Note: one of my fave Latin American poems. It was set to music by Orquesta Libre (see video). Below I offer it in Spanish and English]

Indios, Hispanos y negros
Nos vinieron a formar
Raza de todas las sangre
Y un futuro por lograr

A las entrañas del monstruo
Corno dijiera Marti
vinimos, a esforzarnos
A trabajar y a vivir

De Quisqueya hasta El Plata
De Las Pampas hasta La Habana
Somos sangre voz y parte
De esta tierra Americana

En el país de la nieve
Y bajo del sol del palmar
El Latino en todas partes
Busca por su libertad

Americanos todos somos
El Norte, El Centro y El Sur
Con un presente de lucha
por un futuro de luz

Esta es mi imagen Latina
Esta es mi nuevo cantar
Para decirte mi hermano
Busca y encuentra unidad.

* * *
[translated]

Indians, Hispanics, and blacks
Came together to become
A race of all races
With a future to be won

To the Belly of the Beast
(as Martí called it here)
We have come to battle
So we can work, so we can live

From Quisqueya to El Plata
From Las Pampas to Havana
We are our blood, our voice,
Part of this American land

In the Land of the Snow
Under the Sun of the palm tree
Latinos everywhere
Must find their own freedom

All the Americas are here
North, Centrral and South
In a time of struggle
For a future full of light

This is my Latin image
This is my new way of singing
To tell you, my brother
Get together now.

Translated by Bernardo Palombo and Kurt Hollander

* * *

Love,

Eddie