Traigo la Salsa – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe
• Album: Asalto Navideño

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the rhythmic world of Spanish-language salsa with 'Traigo la Salsa.' This song is a perfect gateway for learners to master energetic, colloquial Spanish and experience the infectious cadence and soulful phrasing of Héctor Lavoe, one of the genre's greatest vocalists.

[English]

Lo-le-lo-la-la-la, lo-le-lo la-la-la

Lo-le-lo-la-la-la, lo-le-lo la-la-la

Listen to me, sir, pay attention to me

To what I am singing

I bring you the salsa, I bring you the flavor

That you are looking for

I bring the salsa for you

I bring you the salsa, wow, listen to me sing

I bring the salsa for you

I bring you the salsa, wow, this Christmas

Just like back on the Island, having a great time

With the cuatro guitar and drinking rum

I don't care about anything

Because I am who I am

Eh, I make people enjoy themselves

Wherever I go

I bring you something unique

And this is the honest truth

Today we are adding the cuatro

Because it's Christmas time

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

Eh, the party has gotten good, I'm going to dance, come on, come on

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

I took my girl along, but she doesn't even wash her feet, you see?

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

Oh, this Christmas, ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to the party

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, this Christmas, this Christmas, ah-eh-ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

I'm going to get drunk, listen to me well, woman

...

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

Ah-ee, this Christmas, folks, listen, I'm going to have a blast, you see?

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, this Christmas, this Christmas

This Christmas, everything is going to be just fine

This Christmas, ah-eh

This Christmas, ah-eh

Oh, this Christmas, I'm telling you, I'm going to party until dawn, you see?

...

[Spanish]

Lo-le-lo-la-la-la, lo-le-lo la-la-la

Lo-le-lo-la-la-la, lo-le-lo la-la-la

Oigame señor, présteme atención

Lo que voy cantando

Te traigo la salsa, te traigo el sabor

Que tú estás buscando

Para ti traigo la salsa

Te traigo la salsa, caramba, óyeme cantar

Para ti traigo la salsa

Te traigo la salsa, caramba, esta navidad

Como allá en la Isla se pasa buen rato

Con el cuatro y tomando ron

A mí no me importa na'

Porque yo soy como soy

Eh, pongo a la gente a gozar

Donde quiera que yo voy

Yo le traigo una rareza

Y esto sí que es la verdad

Hoy le agregamos el cuatro

Por motivo 'e navidad

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Eh, la rumba se ha puesto buena, yo me voy a baila', ven-ven

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh, ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Me lleve a la jeva 'e justo que no se lava los pies, tú ve'

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Ay, esta Navida', señores, yo me voy para el bembe

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta navida', esta navida', esta navida', ah-eh-ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Vo' a cojer una borracherra, oyelo tú bien mujer

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Ah-ee, esta navida', señores, oyelo me voy a vacilar tú ve

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta navida', esta navida', esta navida'

Esta navida', todito va estar bien

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Esta Navida', ah-eh

Ay, esta navida', te digo yo me voy amanecer, tú ve

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
salsa salsa A2	noun - A style of Latin American dance music; also a sauce.
sabor sabor A2	noun - Flavor, taste, or zest/rhythm.
gozar gozar B1	verb - To enjoy, to have a good time.
navidad navidad A1	noun - Christmas.
cuatro cuatro A1	noun - A musical instrument (type of guitar).
rumba rumba B2	noun - Party, celebration, or musical genre.
borrachera borrachera B2	noun - Drunkenness, spree.
vacilar vacilar B2	verb - To fool around, to have fun, or to waver/hesitate.
amanecer amanecer B1	verb - To stay up until dawn.
jeva jeva C2	noun - Girlfriend or young woman (slang).
rareza rareza C1	noun - Rarity, something strange or unique.
bembe bembe C2	noun - A party or gathering (Afro-Caribbean religious or social context).
cantando cantando A2	verb - Singing (gerund).
atención atención A2	noun - Attention.
verdad verdad A2	noun - Truth.

Key Grammar Structures

• Lo que voy cantando

  ➔ Periphrasis 'ir + gerund'

  ➔ Using "voy" + "cantando" indicates a progressive, ongoing action that has been developing over time.

• Que tú estás buscando

  ➔ Present continuous (Estar + Gerund)

  ➔ The combination of "estás" + "buscando" describes an action that the listener is currently performing.

• Porque yo soy como soy

  ➔ Verb 'ser' for intrinsic characteristics

  ➔ The verb "soy" is used here to define the speaker's identity and permanent nature.

• Pongo a la gente a gozar

  ➔ Causative structure (Poner a + infinitive)

  ➔ Using "pongo" + "a gozar" indicates that the speaker causes the people to enjoy themselves.

• La rumba se ha puesto buena

  ➔ Present perfect of 'ponerse'

  ➔ "se ha puesto" refers to a state that has recently changed or been reached.

• Yo me voy a baila'

  ➔ Near future (Ir a + infinitive)

  ➔ The structure "voy a" + "baila'" (bailar) marks an imminent intention or future action.

• Vo' a cojer una borracherra

  ➔ Colloquial 'Voy a' + Verb

  ➔ The contraction "Vo'" is a Caribbean dialectal way of saying "Voy", showing regional phonetic reduction.

• Todito va estar bien

  ➔ Diminutive for emphasis

  ➔ The diminutive "-ito" on "todo" (todito) adds an emotional/emphatic tone to the certainty of the outcome.