Sonero Mayor – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe
• Album: Cosa Nuestra

Lyrics & Translation

Learn the powerful and rhythmic language of Salsa music with 'Sonero Mayor.' This song is special because it showcases Héctor Lavoe's legendary improvisational skills (soneo), a crucial element of the genre. You can learn vocabulary of pride and declaration, and understand how one generation of Latin musicians pays tribute to the masters that came before them, making it essential listening for anyone wanting to grasp the soul of Nuyorican Salsa.

[English]

To all the critics

Who want to criticize me

...

The sonero has arrived

...

To everyone, one by one

Now I'm going to dedicate

My singing and improvisation

I'm a sonero, a master sonero

...

Hey, hey, good dancer, watch out now that the sonero has arrived

...

And come, come, I say it so you can dance

Hey, little dancer from the new neighborhood, the sonero has arrived

Hey, come, come, come, dance it, walk it, enjoy it

Devil!

...

Two soneros here, the sonero has arrived

Hey, hey, good dancer, and come, come, I'm dying to play

...

The sonero doesn't hold back, he swears it to you

So you can dance, sir, come, come, I'm dying for the party

Sonero, here the sonero has arrived

I sing to you in crowds, and if I have to, I'll sing to you in Hong Kong too

...

Here the sonero has arrived

Here the sonero has arrived

...

Here the sonero has arrived

Hey, hey, good dancer

Here the sonero has arrived

Devil!

...

Here the sonero has arrived

Hey, hey, good dancer

And come, come, I'm getting desperate

Hey, I like it, I like the drums

Here the sonero has arrived

Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah

Here the sonero has arrived

Hey, give me a hit on the conga, that's good, camera!

Here the sonero has arrived

Sonero, sonero, sonero

...

Oh, little sonero, oh, great sonero

...

[Spanish]

A todos los criticones

Que me quieran criticar

Llegó el sonero

A todos y a cada uno

Ahora voy a dedicar

Mi canto y soneo

Soy sonero, sonero mayor

Ae ae rumbero bueno cuida'o ahora que a llegado el sonero

Y ven y ven lo digo yo para que baile

Hay rumberito de pueblo nuevo he a llegado el sonero

Hay ven ven ven bailalo caminalo la cuelalo

Diablo

Dos sonero aquí llego el sonero

Ae, ae, rumbero bueno y ven, y ven me muero

El sonero no se vacuna el te lo jura

Para que baile caballero ven ven la rumba me muero

Sonero, aqui llegò el sonero

Que yo te canto por monton y si me toca también te canto en hon Kong

Aqui llego el sonero

Aqui llego el sonero

Aqui llego el sonero

Ae, ae, rumbero bueno

Aqui llego el sonero

Diablo

Aqui llego el sonero

Ae, ae, rumbero bueno

Y Ven ven que me desespero

Hay me gustan hay los cueros

Aqui llego el sonero

Ae, ae, ae, ae, ea

Aqui llego el sonero

Hay dame un golpe de cajon que bueno camaraa

Aqui llego el sonero

Sonero, sonero, sonero

Ay sonerito, ay soneraso

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sonero /soˈneɾo/ C1	noun - singer who improvises verses in salsa or son music
rumbero /rumˈbeɾo/ C1	noun - person who dances or plays rumba music
criticar /kɾitiˈkaɾ/ B2	verb - to criticize or express disapproval
cantar /kanˈtaɾ/ A1	verb - to sing
baile /ˈbaile/ A2	noun - dance or dancing event
cueros /ˈkweɾos/ B2	noun - drums or percussion instruments made of hide
rumba /ˈrumba/ B1	noun - Afro-Cuban dance and music style
canto /ˈkanto/ A2	noun - singing or song
dedicar /deðiˈkaɾ/ B2	verb - to dedicate
bueno /ˈbweno/ A2	adjective - good
pueblo /ˈpweβlo/ A2	noun - town, village, or community of people
mayor /maˈʝoɾ/ B1	adjective - greater or senior
llegar /ʎeˈɾaɾ/ A2	verb - to arrive
caminar /kamiˈnaɾ/ A1	verb - to walk
golpe /ˈɡolpe/ B1	noun - hit, blow, or rhythmic beat
desesperar /desespeˈɾaɾ/ C1	verb - to despair or become desperate

Key Grammar Structures

• A todos los criticones que me quieran criticar

  ➔ Subjunctive mood

  ➔ The verb 'quieran' is in the subjunctive mood, used to express a wish or desire. Here, it indicates a hypothetical situation: 'to those who **want** to criticize me'.

• Llegó el sonero

  ➔ Past tense (Preterite)

  ➔ The verb 'llegó' is in the preterite tense, used to describe a completed action in the past. Here, it indicates a specific moment: 'the singer **arrived**'.

• Soy sonero, sonero mayor

  ➔ Present tense

  ➔ The verb 'soy' is in the present tense, used to describe a current state or identity. Here, it asserts: 'I **am** a singer, a great singer'.

• Ae ae rumbero bueno cuida'o ahora que a llegado el sonero

  ➔ Present perfect

  ➔ The phrase 'a llegado' is in the present perfect, used to describe an action that occurred in the past but has relevance to the present. Here, it indicates: 'the singer **has arrived**'.

• Para que baile caballero ven ven la rumba me muero

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The verbs 'baile' and 'ven' are in the imperative mood, used to give commands. Here, they instruct: '**dance**, sir, come, come'.