TUNE OF THE WEEK: TATARALÍ
(ONDA VAGA, 2013)
This month marks 10 years since Argento-Uruguayan band Onda Vaga released Magma Elemental. Blending cumbia, rumba and folk, the album is a timeless classic of Latin music. Of the 13 tracks, the opening number, Tataralí, is something special.
Sombre a cappella harmonies launch into upbeat ukulele strumming, joined by a melancholy brass band march in the chorus. Meanwhile, the poignant lyrics tell the story of being mistreated by the one you love and the dawning realisation that it’s time to leave.
As a side note and a firm believer that song lyrics are an under-rated tool for language learning, Tataralí provides some excellent examples of irregular verbs in the preterite tense for all my linguists out there; “Siempre te quise igual” (“I always loved you the same”) and “Me puse a cantar” (“I started to sing”).
Regardless, it’s well worth a listen.
Read WAT’s previous Tune of the Week here.
