Chango1 is the god of thunder
And the black Africans
Dress him in red and white
He carries an ax in his hand
On his feast day
The blacks play drums
And with rum and fresh fruit
Express their devotion to him
And they all sing...
Sarabanda Chango Pani2
Long live Chango
Sarabanda Chango Pani
Long live Lord Chango
Sarabanda Chango Pani
Long live Chango
Sarabanda Chango Pani
Long live Chango
Among many guests
To this celebration for Chango
There were three Americans
Tempted by the folklore
Seeing the table of fruit
Offerings of love and faith
One took a banana
'Cause he thought it was a buffet
-'cause he thought what?"-
'Cause he thought it was a buffet
Someone yelled: "Sacrilege!"
Godmother fainted,
There was one that took in a ghost3
Another emptied himself from one
And one that had taken in a diety
very furiously shouted:
"¡Mr. don't touch the banana!
¡Banana belong' to Chango!"4
"¡Mr. don't touch the banana!
¡Banana belong' to Chango!"4
Mr. don't touch the banana!
The banana belongs to Chango!
This offering must be respected!
I wouldn't play with that!
Mr. don't touch the banana, oh no
The banana belongs to Chango!
Hear me, listen to my song
'Cause the spirit's filling me5
Mr. don't touch the banana!
The banana belongs to Chango!
Sacrilege!" No sacrilege!
Mr. don't touch the banana!
The banana belongs to Chango!
Hey! Don't you touch my banana
'cause I don't feel like it
Kabiosile6
"I not know
I'm sorry
Me not know that banana belong to mister Chango,
Forgive"7
Eh, eh...Oh, oh...
The banana belongs to Chango!
Listen to what I'm singing
The banana belongs to Chango!
Kabiosile Chango
The banana belongs to Chango!
The deity must be respected!
The banana belongs to Chango!
And this story is over.
"Sorry.
Me not know,
The drums sound so loud,
forgive,
But I not know
What is happening...?"7
1. an "Orisha" or diety in Santeria (an Afro-Cuban religion)2. I believe this means something along the lines of: Dance for Lord Chango.3. "un muerto" here means the spirit of a dead person. People who practice this religion also believe that they could be possed by "Orishas"(deities).4. a. b. the broken English and accent are intentional5. "Que se me sube el santo" could also mean 'cause I'll get really angry6. "Long live his Majesty" (from the Yorúbá language)7. a. b. The broken English here is meant to imitate the broken Spanish spoken by the American