Richard Hildner Armacanqui & Juan Tomás Martínez perform 'El niño que quiere jugar'

[guitar and percussion] – Richard: The song is definitely about… children, you know, they, they have all this energy… to play.

Play, obviously, not just for human children, also for like baby lions and baby wolves, like, they’re playing all the time, and there’s got to be something inside of playing that’s crucial for development and crucial for us for survival and to thrive.

The chorus of it says, “Djate llevar por el nio que quiere jugar” like, so, let yourself, let yourself be led or taken away by that kid that wants to play.’

There’s a rhythm that we use a whole lot and it’s kind of central to, like, Latin American music, which is called son , and it’s originally from Cuba, and the, there’s two types of son .

You know, there’s, there’s the son that has a 2-3 clave, which is like 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, uhh!

[clapping rhythmically] Da, da, da, OOH, da da… da, da, da… you know?

And then, but then, on this last trip to Cuba, man, so many sons you heard like are swinging on the other side of the clave, which is the 3-2 one, which is like 1, 2, da, da, da.

[clap, clap, clap] Uhh, 1, 2, [clapping along] to the 1, 2, 3, 1, 2.

– Juan: This clave thing is something crucial in the music from Latin America because the influence of the rhythm, that all the music from Latin America come from is from Africa, right?

It’s just a equation.

Mathematic equation, that we, everything, all the music in Latin America, everything that has drums on it, it comes from that equation that is the clave, ‘la clave.’

[guitar and percussion] – Juan: Cuando el sol aparece (When the sun comes up) este nio amanece (This little one wakes up) de la cama corriendo a jugar (Runs out of bed to go play) El da imaginando (The whole day imagining) hasta la noche cuando (Until nighttime when) no va la cama (He doesn’t want to go to bed) por querer jugar (so he can play) [guitar] Quisiera ser igual que t (I want to be just like you) y no tener que comprender (And not need to comprehend) Sobre el trabajo y el deber (Work and responsibility) Y sobrevivir y comer (In order to survive and eat) Pero no me puedo engaar (But I can’t fool myself) T y yo algo tan similar (You and me are so similar) Lo mo es la msica (My thing is music) Lo tuyo es jugar (Your thing is playing) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) [guitar] Agua!

Djate!

(Hey!

Let yourself) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (Let yourself be led by that child that wants to play) Mira lo que lindo juega, (See how beautiful it is to play,) que disfrutar (to enjoy) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) ste es la idea para imaginar (This is the idea, to imagine) Fantasa, mira, jugar (A fantasy it is, to play) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) Saca de adentro ese infancia (Bring out the kid from within) Mira por una ms (Look, once more) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) [guitar] Juega!

(Play!)

[guitar and cajn] Quisiera ser igual que t (I want to be just like you) Y no tener que comprender (And not need to comprehend) Sobre el trabajo y el deber (Work and responsibility) Pa sobrevivir y comer (In order to survive and eat) Pero no me puedo engaar (But I can’t fool myself) T y yo algo tan similar (You and me are so similar) Lo mo es la msica (My thing is music) Lo tuyo es jugar (Your thing is playing) [guitar] Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) [guitar] Agua!

(Hey!)

Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) ste es todo el tiempo (This is all the time) que tienes para jugar con ella (you have to play with her) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) Sacar para fuera por la calle (Go outside on the street) Mira que bella, todo que hay (Look at all the beauty there is) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) No le pongas al frente la tele (Don’t park yourself in front of the television) La pantalla no da nada (The screen won’t give you anything) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) Si es un nio, nada ms (If they’re a kid, that’s all) Djalo, solo jugar (Leave them be, just to play) Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play) [guitar] Ah!

Djate!

(Ah!

Let yourself) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Vnte pa ac, vaya!

(Come over here) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Juega, juega otro poquito conmigo (Play, play a little more with me) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Porque a m me gusta vacilar (Because I like to have a good time) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Cuando t vienes a jugar (When you come to play) A m me gusta ms (I like it more) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Porque, mira (Because, look) A m me gusta ser un nio (I like to be a kid) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Juega!

Juega!

Juega!

(Play!

Play!

Play!)

Otra vez (Again) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Psame lo juguetico (Pass me the toy) Psame un carrito (Pass me a car) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) La pelotica (The ball) Ven pim pum (Come) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Oh, ese trencito (Oh that train) Hace choo choo choo (goes choo, choo, choo) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Oye, mira, como me gustas t (Hey, see how much I like you) Cuando eres feliz (When you are happy) Mira, juega (Come, play) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Juega (Play) Juega (Play) Juega (Play) Juega (Play) Juega (Play) Juega (Play) Juega (Play) Juega (Play) Yo quiero ir a Bayamo (I want to go to Bayamo) Ah!

Montando en coche (Ah!

Riding in a car) Porque, mira (Because, look) Que llvame contigo (Take me with you) Montando en coche (Riding in a car) Que yo me quiero ir otro ratico (I want to go a little bit longer) Montando en coche (Riding in a car) Yo quiero ir a Bayamo (I want to go to Bayamo) Montando en coche (Riding in a car) Para jugar (to play) Ahora ven y (Now come and) Ven y juega (Come and play) [laughing] Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Como me gusta la vida (How I like life) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Sin responsabilidad (without responsibility) Todos los das (Every day) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Solo quiero jugar como un nio (I just want to play like a kid) Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) Vmonos!

(Let’s go!)

[guitar] Ahora ven y juega (Now come and play) [guitar] Djate llevar (Let yourself be led) por el nio que quiere jugar (by that child that wants to play)