El Rey De La Cumbia – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Los Askis

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Mexican Cumbia with Los Askis' "El Rey De La Cumbia." This iconic track showcases the band's unique fusion of Andean and Colombian cumbia rhythms, offering a taste of the infectious energy and celebratory spirit that defines their music. Learn the catchy phrases and feel the rhythm that makes cumbia a beloved genre across Latin America.

[English]

Right now, we are dancing

Right now, we are having fun

Right now, we are dancing

Right now, we are enjoying ourselves

The king of cumbia, that’s me

The drums are pounding, my rhythm is playing

The king of cumbia, that’s me

The drums are pounding, my rhythm is playing

What’s up, black man, you don’t know anything!

What’s up, black man, you don’t know how to dance!

What’s up, black man, you don’t know anything!

What’s up, black man, you don’t know how to dance!

He doesn’t know, he doesn’t know

He dances like Elvira the black girl

He doesn’t know, he doesn’t know

He dances like Elvira the black girl

I carry cumbia in my heart

I dance it with rhythm and lots of passion

I carry cumbia in my heart

I dance it with rhythm and lots of passion

The wind instrument, the drum, the black man

And they dance very close, this big cumbia

What’s up, black man, you don’t know anything!

What’s up, black man, you don’t know how to dance!

What’s up, black man, you don’t know anything!

What’s up, black man, you don’t know how to dance!

He doesn’t know, he doesn’t know

He dances like Elvira the black girl

He doesn’t know, he doesn’t know

He dances like Elvira the black girl

“Askis!”

The king of cumbia, that’s me

The drums are pounding, my rhythm is playing

The king of cumbia, that’s me

The drums are pounding, my rhythm is playing

The black man and the black woman, dancing are they

Everyone joins in, till the very end

The black man and the black woman, dancing are they

Everyone joins in, till the very end

Look, black man, you do know how to dance

Look, black man, you do know how to enjoy

Look, black man, you do know how to dance

Look, black man, you do know how to enjoy

Yes, he knows, he knows

He dances like Elvira the black girl

He knows, he knows

He dances like Elvira the black girl

...

[Spanish]

En esto momento, estamo bailando

En esto momento, estamo gozando

En esto momento, estamo bailando

En esto momento, estamo gozando

El rey de la cumbia, ese soy yo

Repican los tambores, baila mi son

El rey de la cumbia, ese soy yo

Repican los tambores, baila mi son

¡Qué va negro, tú no sabe na!

¡Qué va negro, no sabe baila!

¡Qué va negro, tú no sabe na!

¡Qué va negro, no sabe baila!

No sabe, no sabe

Baila como la negra Elvira

No sabe, no sabe

Baila como la negra Elvira

La cumbia la llevo en mi corazón

La bailo con ritmo y mucha emoción

La cumbia la llevo en mi corazón

La bailo con ritmo y mucha emoción

El indio la gaita, el negro el tambor

Y muy juntos bailan, este cumbion

¡Qué va negro, tú no sabe na!

¡Qué va negro, no sabe baila!

¡Qué va negro, tú no sabe na!

¡Qué va negro, no sabe baila!

No sabe, no sabe

Baila como la negra Elvira

No sabe, no sabe

Baila como la negra Elvira

"¡Askis!"

El rey de la cumbia, ese soy yo

Repican los tambores, baila mi son

El rey de la cumbia, ese soy yo

Repican los tambores, baila mi son

El negro y la negra, bailando están

Todos lo acompañan, hasta el final

El negro y la negra, bailando están

Todos lo acompañan, hasta el final

Velda negro si sabe bailar

Velda negro si sabe goza

Velda negro si sabe baila

Velda negro si sabe goza

Si sabe, si sabe

Baila como la negra Elvira

Si sabe, si sabe

Baila como la negra Elvira

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bailando /baiˈlɑ̃ndo/ A2	verb - dancing
gozando /ɡoˈsɑ̃ndo/ B1	verb - enjoying
reina /ˈre.ina/ A2	noun - queen
cumbia /ˈkum.bja/ A2	noun - a style of Colombian dance and music
tambores /tɑmˈbɔ.ɾes/ B1	noun - drums
corazón /koɾaˈθon/ A2	noun - heart
ritmo /ˈrit.mo/ A2	noun - rhythm
negra /ˈne.ɣɾa/ A1	noun - black woman adjective - black
negra elvira /ˈne.ɣɾa ɛlˈβi.ɾa/ A1
final /fiˈnal/ A2	noun - end, conclusion
si /si/ A1	adverb - if
puede /ˈpwe.ðe/ A2	verb - can, to be able to

Key Grammar Structures

• En esto momento, estamo bailando

  ➔ Present continuous tense.

  ➔ The phrase uses the present continuous tense to indicate an action that is currently happening, as in "we are dancing".

• El rey de la cumbia, ese soy yo

  ➔ Subject pronoun and verb agreement.

  ➔ The phrase emphasizes the subject pronoun "yo" (I) and its agreement with the verb "soy" (am), indicating identity.

• Baila como la negra Elvira

  ➔ Imperative mood.

  ➔ The phrase uses the imperative mood to give a command or instruction, meaning "dance like Elvira the black woman".

• La cumbia la llevo en mi corazón

  ➔ Direct object pronoun.

  ➔ The phrase uses the direct object pronoun "la" to refer to "la cumbia" (the cumbia), indicating possession.

• Todos lo acompañan, hasta el final

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement.

  ➔ The phrase shows subject-verb agreement with "todos" (everyone) as the subject and "acompañan" (accompany) as the verb.

• ¡Qué va negro, tú no sabe na!

  ➔ Colloquial expression.

  ➔ The phrase uses a colloquial expression to convey disbelief or dismissal, meaning "Come on, black man, you don't know anything!".

• Velda negro si sabe bailar

  ➔ Conditional structure.

  ➔ The phrase implies a condition with "si" (if), suggesting that if the black man knows how to dance, he can join in.