Latinoamerica by Calle 13

The song "Latinoamérica" by Calle 13 is a great song for learning about Latin America. Listen to the song and read the lyrics. Then read about some of the cultural references made in the song.

Soy, Soy lo que dejaron, 
soy toda la sobra de lo que se robaron. 
Un pueblo escondido en la cima, 
mi piel es de cuero por eso aguanta cualquier clima. 
Soy una fábrica de humo, 
mano de obra campesina para tu consumo 
Frente de frio en el medio del verano, 
el amor en los tiempos del cólera, mi hermano. 
El sol que nace y el día que muere, 
con los mejores atardeceres. 
Soy el desarrollo en carne viva, 
un discurso político sin saliva. 
Las caras más bonitas que he conocido, 
soy la fotografía de un desaparecido. 
Soy la sangre dentro de tus venas, 
soy un pedazo de tierra que vale la pena. 
soy una canasta con frijoles , 
soy Maradona contra Inglaterra anotándote dos goles. 
Soy lo que sostiene mi bandera, 
la espina dorsal del planeta es mi cordillera. 
Soy lo que me enseño mi padre, 
el que no quiere a su patria no quiere a su madre. 
Soy América latina, 
un pueblo sin piernas pero que camina. 
Tú no puedes comprar al viento. 
Tú no puedes comprar al sol. 
Tú no puedes comprar la lluvia. 
Tú no puedes comprar el calor. 
Tú no puedes comprar las nubes. 
Tú no puedes comprar los colores. 
Tú no puedes comprar mi alegría. 
Tú no puedes comprar mis dolores. 
Tengo los lagos, tengo los ríos. 
Tengo mis dientes pa` cuando me sonrío. 
La nieve que maquilla mis montañas. 
Tengo el sol que me seca y la lluvia que me baña. 
Un desierto embriagado con bellos de un trago de pulque. 
Para cantar con los coyotes, todo lo que necesito.

English Translation

I am.
I am what they left, I am the leftovers of what they stole.
A town hidden in the summit, my skin is made of leather that is why it endures any climate.
I am a smoke factory, the hand of a farmer's labor for your consumption.
A cold front in the middle of the summer, love in the time of choleraⁱ, my brother.

The sun that is born and the day that dies with the best sunsets.
I am development in the flesh, a political speech without saliva.
The most beautiful faces I have known, I am the picture of a desaparecido.ⁱⁱ

The blood in your veins, I am a piece of land that is worth it.
A basket with beans, I am Maradona scoring 2 goals against England.ⁱⁱⁱ
I am what holds my flag together, the planet's backbone is my mountain range.^iv

I am what my father taught me, he who does not love his country does not love his mother.
I am Latin America, people without legs who are able to walk.

You can't buy the wind.
You can't buy the sun.
You can't buy the rain.
You can't buy heat.
You can't buy clouds.
You can't buy colors.
You can't buy my happiness.
You can't buy my pain

I have the lakes, I have the rivers, I have my teeth for when I smile.
The snow that adorns my mountains, I have the sun that dries me and the rain that bathes me.
A desert drunk from peyote, a "pulque" drink so I can sing with the coyotes.

Cultural references

Pulque is a traditional alcoholic drink from Mexico. Thick, slightly sweet and milky, it is brewed from the juice of the agave plant, or maguey, and is roughly equivalent in strength to beer. It was the sacred drink of the Aztecs, who used it in offerings to the gods and also for medicinal purposes. In modern-day Mexico it is often given to children since it is rich in vitamins, and in the cities it is sold in special bars called pulquerías.

Falklands War

Fought in 1982, the Falklands War was the result of the Argentine invasion of the British-owned Falkland Islands. Located in the South Atlantic, Argentina had long claimed these islands as part of its territory. On April 2, 1982, Argentine forces landed in the Falklands, capturing the islands two days later. In response, the British dispatched a naval and amphibious task force to the area. The initial phases of the conflict occurred mainly at sea between elements of the Royal Navy and the Argentine Air Force. On May 21, British troops landed and by June 14 had compelled the Argentine occupiers to surrender.

i A mention of Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

ii The word desaparecido (missing) makes reference to the thousands of people that were killed by dictatorships throughout Latin America during the 1970s

iii A reference to the two goals that soccer player Diego Armando Maradona scored against England during the 1986 World Cup just a month after the end of the Falklands War. Because of Argentina's defeat in that war, the goals of Maradona became a symbol of revenge against England

iv A reference to the Andean mountains