10 Spanish Songs About Overcoming Obstacles, Adversity, Hard Times, Challenges, and Not Giving Up
Music rooted in our cultural backgrounds can help us through the hard times in our lives. Music is one tool that people use to work through difficult emotions. The Latino/a culture has created many incredible songs about overcoming adversity. In order to overcome painful memories, they have taken those memories and turned them into great art. Below you will find songs that remind us to "feel-better," to "keep going," to take in the beauty around us and never forget that "it gets-better." These songs will get you off the ground and on your feet. They will have you dancing, tapping, and overcoming those mountains in no time.
To celebrate this amazing culture, I've created this list of songs about overcoming obstacles Latino style. The list includes lyric excerpts from each of the songs with their corresponding translations. While no translation can ever fully do justice to the original meaning, message, context, and feelings implicit in the original Spanish versions, I've translated the lyrics to try to maintain the integrity of the original language. I've tried to capture the overall message of each song as closely as possible.
These songs are listed in no particular order and are great for those times when the English language is just not enough. So, for those of you who understand Spanish, speak English and Spanish, fall somewhere in between, or have an appreciation of Latin grooves and need a little música to climb that montaña, this one's for you. Eeepa!
Spanish Songs for Overcoming Obstacles
Song
| Artist
|
|---|---|
1. "Que Suenan los Tambores"
| Victor Manuelle
|
2. "Pégate"
| Ricky Martin
|
3. "Vivir Mi Vida"
| Marc Anthony
|
4. "Creo en Mi"
| Natalia Jiménez
|
5. "La Vida es un Carnaval"
| Celia Cruz
|
6. "Llama al Sol"
| Tito El Bambino
|
7. "Echa Pa'lla"
| Pitbull featuring Papayo
|
8. "Que Suenan Los Tambores"
| Victor Manuelle
|
9. "Vivo La Vida"
| Olga Tañon
|
10. "Madre Tierra (Oye)"
| Chayanne
|
#1. "Que Suenan Los Tambores"—Victor Manuelle
¡Que suenen los tambores!
Ay no te desesperes y ten paciencia
Que todo en la vida viene
No se trata de velocidad, si no resistencia
Para lograr lo que se quiere
Let the drums sound!
Don't despair and have patience
Everything in life comes
It's not about velocity, but resistance
To reach what one wants.
— Victor Manuelle, "Que Suenan Los Tambores" (English translation)#2. "Pégate"—Ricky Martin
Pa'l dolor pa'l mal de amores
Nada como el repique de mis tambores
Que hay que tirarse a la calle dejando atras los problemas
Que como decia mi madre bailando todo se arregla.
For the pain, for love problems
There's nothing like the ringing of my drums
Have to throw oneself to the street leaving problems behind
Like my mother said, everything is fixed with dancing.
— Ricky Martin, "Pégate" (English translation)#3. "Vivir Mi Vida"—Marc Anthony
Y para qué llorar, pa' qué
Si duele una pena, se olvida
Y para qué sufrir, pa' qué
Si así es la vida, hay que vivirla, la la lé
Voy a reír, voy a bailar
Vivir mi vida la la la la
Voy a reír, voy a gozar
Vivir mi vida la la la la
Eso!
And why cry? For what?
If a sorrow hurts, it is forgotten
And why suffer? For what?
That's how life is. You have to live it.
I'm going to laugh, I'm going to dance
Live my life, la la la la
I'm going to laugh, I'm going to enjoy
Live my life la la la la
That's it!
— Marc Anthony, "Vivir Mi Vida" (English translation)#4. "Creo En Mi"—Natalia Jiménez
Ya me han dicho que soy buena para nada
Y que el aire que respiro esta de más
Me han clavado en la pared contra la espada
He perdido hasta las ganas de llorar
Pero estoy de vuelta estoy de pie y bien alerta
Eso del cero a la izquierda no me va
Ouh ouh oh
Creo creo creo en mí
Ouh ouh oh
Creo creo creo en mí
They've already told me that I'm good for nothing
And that I take up [respire] too much air
They've nailed me to the wall against my back
I've lost even the desire to cry
But I'm back, I'm on my feet, and I'm very alert
Being a nobody's not for me
Ouh ouh oh
I believe in myself
Ouh ouh oh
I believe in myself
— Natalia Jiménez, "Creo En Mi" (English translation)#5. "La Vida es Un Carnaval"—Celia Cruz
Todo aquel
Que piense que la vida es desigual
Tiene que saber que no es así
Que la vida es una hermosura
Hay que vivirla
...
Ay, no hay que llorar (No hay que llorar)
Que la vida es un carnaval
Que es más bello vivir cantando
Oh oh oh ay, no hay que llorar (No hay que llorar)
Que la vida es una carnaval
Y las penas se van cantando
To everyone
Who thinks that life is unequal
You have to know that it's not like that
That life is a beauty
You have to live it
...
Ay there's no need to cry (no need to cry)
Life is a carnival
It's more beautiful to live singing
Oh oh oh ay, there's no need to cry (no need to cry)
Life is a carnival
And the sorrows go singing.
— Celia Cruz, "La Vida es Un Carnaval" (English translation)#6. "Llama al Sol"—Tito El Bambino
Hoy ya no hay lluvia
Salió el sol ya no llorare por ti
Y hoy llama a luna
Y de favor te pido que llame al sol
Que se seque la lluvia y entre el calor
Que se esconda la luna mientras salga el sol
Que quede claro que no llorare
Y menos por una estrella que fuga se fue
Today there is no longer rain
The sun came out and I will not cry for you
And today the moon calls
And as a favor I ask that it calls the sun
That the rain dries and that the heat comes in
That the moon hides while the sun comes out
That it is clear, that I will not cry
And even less so for a star whose gas has gone.
— Tito El Bambino, "Llama al Sol" (English translation)#7. "Echa Pa'lla"—Pitbull featuring Papayo
Echa pa'lla, todo lo malo echa pa'lla
Say with me
Echa pa'lla, todo lo malo echa pa'lla
Say loud
Echa pa'lla, todo lo malo echa pa'lla
Say louder
Echa pa'lla, todo lo malo echa pa'lla
Throw it that way, all that is bad, throw it it that way
Say with me
Throw it that way, all that is bad, throw it it that way
Say loud
Throw it that way, all that is bad, throw it it that way
Say louder
Throw it that way, all that is bad, throw it it that way
— Pitbull featuring Papayo, "Echa Pa'lla" (English translation)#8. "Como Se Sufre Se Baila"—Pedro Alonso
No le tengas miedo
A comenzar de cero
Si quieres vivir tu sueño
Tienes que aceptar el reto
Es una batalla diaria
El que no arriesga no gana
Vivamos con alegría
Bailando todo se sana
Ay Dios
No te me mojes la cara
No te la mojes
Deja ya la tristeza
Como se sufre se baila
Don't be afraid
Of having to start from zero
If you want to live your dream
You have to accept the challenge
It's a daily battle
He[/she] who risks nothing, gains nothing
Let's live with happiness
Dancing cures everything
Oh God
Don't wet your face
Don't wet it
Leave the sadness
How one suffers, one dances.
— Pedro Alonso, "Como Se Sufre Se Baila" (English translation)#9. "Vivo La Vida"—Olga Tañon
Vivo la vida bailando
Las penas olvidando
Hay fiesta en los corazones
La música
Las penas quitan del alma
I live life dancing
Sorrows are forgotten
There is a party in hearts
The music
Sorrows are taken from the soul.
— Olga Tañon,#10. "Madre Tierra (Oye)"—Chayanne
Debes brindar amor para después pedir
Hay que perdonar para poder seguir
Recuerda que tenemos sólo un viaje de ida
Y hay que darle gracias siempre a la vida
A la vida, a la vida
Oye
Abre tus ojos
Mira hacia arriba
Disfruta las cosas buenas que tiene la vida
Abre tus ojos
Mira hacia arriba
Disfruta las cosas buenas que tiene la vida
Lalala lalala lala
Lalala lalala lala
Lalala lalala lala
Lalala lalala lala
You should give love to later be able to ask
You have to forgive to be able to follow
Remember that we only have one trip of departure
And we have to always give thanks to life
To life, to life
Hey
Open your eyes
Look up
Enjoy the good things that life has
Open your eyes
Look up
Enjoy the good things that life has
Lalala lalala lala
Lalala lalala lala
Lalala Lalala lala
Lalala lalala lala
— Chayanne, "Madre Tierra (Oye)" (English translation)Are you ready to dance your problems away?
Questions & Answers
© 2016 Nalini Marquez
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