Song guide

Abre que voy

Miguel Enriquez

Abre que voy by Miguel Enriquez, line by line: what the lyrics mean, 21 expressions explained and 453 words translated with their grammar. Learn Spanish from the song, free.

70 lines translated 453 words explained 21 expressions

Lyrics with English translation, line by line

Each line as sung, what it means, and — where it needs one — why it's said that way.

La clave, mi gente

The key, my people

'La clave' has a double meaning here: it refers both to 'the key' (as in the key to something) and to 'la clave', the fundamental rhythmic pattern of Afro-Cuban music — a 2-3 or 3-2 pattern played on wooden sticks called claves. It is the rhythmic foundation of salsa and son.
La clave llama a la salsa

The key calls out to salsa

The clave rhythm is personified here as a caller that summons salsa dancers. This reflects the central role of la clave in Afro-Cuban and salsa music — without it, the music cannot begin.
Salseros si llaman (yo vengo)

If the salsa dancers call (I'm coming)
Salseros si llaman (yo vengo)

If the salsa dancers call (I'm coming)
Salseros si llaman (yo vengo)

If the salsa dancers call (I'm coming)
Salseros si llaman (yo vengo)

If the salsa dancers call (I'm coming)
Yo sé que te gusta, te estoy encantando

I know you like it, I'm enchanting you
Ábreme la puerta que vengo gozando

Open the door for me, I'm coming in enjoying myself
Yo sé que te gusta, yo sé que te encanta

I know you like it, I know you love it
Ábreme la puerta que vengo apretando

Open the door for me, I'm coming in tight
Abre que voy (caminando)

Open up, I'm on my way (walking)
Abre que voy (echando un pie)

Open up, I'm on my way (stepping out)

'Echando un pie' is a classic Caribbean Spanish expression for stepping out to dance. It is widely used in Cuban and Puerto Rican salsa culture to mean getting on the dance floor.
Abre que voy (cuida'o con los callos)

Open up, I'm on my way (watch out for the corns)

The joke about 'callos' (corns/calluses on the feet) is a humorous nod to the crowded dance floor — a warning not to step on people's toes, both literally and figuratively. It is a common playful phrase in salsa settings.
Abre que voy (lo digo otra vez)

Open up, I'm on my way (I'm saying it again)
Abre que voy (qué bonito)

Open up, I'm on my way (how beautiful)
Abre que voy (lo baila usted)

Open up, I'm on my way (you dance it)
Abre que voy (si vienen los cubanos)

Open up, I'm on my way (if the Cubans come)
Abre que voy (se forma el bembé)

Open up, I'm on my way (the party gets going)

'Bembé' is a word of Yoruba/African origin used in Cuban culture to refer to a festive gathering or party, often with Afro-Cuban religious or musical connotations. In salsa, it simply means a great party or jam session.
La rumba está comenzando

The rumba is starting
Y tiene mucho sabor

And it has a lot of flavor
Que vengan muchos salseros

Let many salsa dancers come
De panamá y ecuador

From Panama and Ecuador

Panama and Ecuador are both countries with strong salsa traditions. Panama City and Guayaquil (Ecuador) have produced notable salsa musicians and dancers, making them natural shout-outs in a pan-Latin salsa anthem.
Que vengan de puerto rico

Let them come from Puerto Rico
De Venezuela y new york

From Venezuela and New York
Y que vengan los cubanos

And let the Cubans come
Pa' que se forme el rumbón y por eso

So that the big party gets going, and that's why

'Rumbón' is an augmentative of 'rumba', meaning a big, intense rumba or party. The -ón suffix in Spanish adds size and intensity to a noun.
Abre que voy (caminando)

Open up, I'm on my way (walking)
Abre que voy (echando un pie)

Open up, I'm on my way (stepping out)
Abre que voy (cuida'o con los callos)

Open up, I'm on my way (watch out for the corns)
Abre que voy (lo digo otra vez)

Open up, I'm on my way (I'm saying it again)
Abre que voy (qué bonito)

Open up, I'm on my way (how beautiful)
Abre que voy (lo baila usted)

Open up, I'm on my way (you dance it)
Abre que voy (si vienen los cubanos)

Open up, I'm on my way (if the Cubans come)
Abre que voy (Se forma el bembe)

Open up, I'm on my way (the party gets going)
Que venga Issac delgado

Let Isaac Delgado come

Isaac Delgado is a celebrated Cuban singer and bandleader, one of the most important figures in timba (Cuban salsa) since the 1990s.
Adalberto con su son

Adalberto with his son

Adalberto Álvarez is a legendary Cuban composer and bandleader known for his group 'Son 14'. 'Su son' refers both to his band and to the musical genre 'son cubano', the root of salsa.
La reve, la maravilla

La Revé, La Maravilla

'La Revé' refers to the Orquesta Revé, a famous Cuban charanga orchestra. 'La Maravilla' likely refers to Orquesta Maravilla de Florida or another Cuban ensemble with that name.
Manolito y la aragón

Manolito and La Aragón

Manolito Simonet leads 'Manolito y su Trabuco', a top Cuban timba band. 'La Aragón' is the legendary Orquesta Aragón, one of Cuba's most iconic charanga orchestras, founded in 1939.
Está llegando el canario

El Canario is arriving

'El Canario' is the nickname of José Alberto, a Dominican-born salsa singer based in New York, known for his smooth romantic salsa style.
También oscar d'león

Also Oscar D'León

Oscar D'León is one of the most beloved Venezuelan salsa singers and bassists, nicknamed 'El León de la Salsa' (The Lion of Salsa). He is a giant of the genre.
Los van van, willie rosario

Los Van Van, Willie Rosario

Los Van Van is Cuba's most famous and long-running salsa/timba orchestra, founded by Juan Formell in 1969. Willie Rosario is a Puerto Rican bandleader and timbalero, a legend of New York salsa.
Miguel enríquez con su salsón y por eso

Miguel Enríquez with his big salsa, and that's why
Abre que voy (caminando)

Open up, I'm on my way (walking)
Abre que voy (echando un pie)

Open up, I'm on my way (stepping out)
Abre que voy (cuida'o con los callos)

Open up, I'm on my way (watch out for the corns)
Abre que voy (lo digo otra vez)

Open up, I'm on my way (I'm saying it again)
Abre que voy (qué bonito)

Open up, I'm on my way (how beautiful)
Abre que voy (lo baila usted)

Open up, I'm on my way (you dance it)
Abre que voy (si vienen los cubanos)

Open up, I'm on my way (if the Cubans come)
Abre que voy (se forma el bembe)

Open up, I'm on my way (the party gets going)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Silvio Sixto con Pepe Bazar, camina)

Knock knock, who is it? (Silvio Sixto with Pepe Bazar, come on in)

'Tun tun' is the Spanish onomatopoeia for a knock at the door, equivalent to English 'knock knock'. The section that follows is a 'llamada' (roll call) of friends and musicians being welcomed into the party.
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Denis la clave y por Huey Polla y por Cheche)

Knock knock, who is it? (Denis la clave and Huey Polla and Cheche)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Francisco Rojo y El Chapulín)

Knock knock, who is it? (Francisco Rojo and El Chapulín)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Iván el Samurái, saca el sable)

Knock knock, who is it? (Iván el Samurái, draw the sword)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Pupo DJ, Tito Valdez, el Puma)

Knock knock, who is it? (Pupo DJ, Tito Valdez, el Puma)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Compa, el güiro, El Chino, Changuito, DJ)

Knock knock, who is it? (Compa, el güiro, El Chino, Changuito, DJ)

The güiro is a traditional Afro-Cuban percussion instrument made from a gourd, scraped with a stick. It is one of the essential instruments in salsa and son ensembles.
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Vaya Óscar Miguel Berquionda)

Knock knock, who is it? (Go on, Óscar Miguel Berquionda)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (El domingo a guarachear)

Knock knock, who is it? (On Sunday to go dancing)

'Guarachear' comes from 'guaracha', a fast, lively Afro-Cuban musical genre and dance style. The verb means to dance guaracha or, more broadly, to party and have a great time.
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Lili, Morris, Pacho Monti)

Knock knock, who is it? (Lili, Morris, Pacho Monti)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Pino Valerio, el Flaco)

Knock knock, who is it? (Pino Valerio, el Flaco)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Pedro, Pedrito, Pedrozo, camina papá)

Knock knock, who is it? (Pedro, Pedrito, Pedrozo, come on, man)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Vaya mi gente de Cuba, mi gente en Italia)

Knock knock, who is it? (Go on, my people from Cuba, my people in Italy)

The shout-out to 'mi gente en Italia' reflects the significant Cuban and Latin diaspora community in Italy, particularly in cities like Milan and Rome, where salsa has a strong following.
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Qué rico, qué rico, ¡sube!)

Knock knock, who is it? (How great, how great, turn it up!)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Vengo caminado suave)

Knock knock, who is it? (I'm coming walking smooth)
Tun tun, ¿quién es? (Suave, suavecito mami como te gusta, abre que voy)

Knock knock, who is it? (Smooth, real smooth, baby, just how you like it, open up, I'm coming)
Abre que voy (abre que voy echando)

Open up, I'm on my way (open up, I'm stepping out)
Abre que voy (voy caminando)

Open up, I'm on my way (I'm walking)
Abre que voy (bailando salsa)

Open up, I'm on my way (dancing salsa)
Abre que voy (somos salseros)

Open up, I'm on my way (we are salsa dancers)
Camina

Walk on

Expressions and idioms in “Abre que voy”

The lines that don't mean what the dictionary says.

te gusta you like it: gustar works the opposite way from English 'to like': the thing liked is the grammatical subject, and the person who likes it is the indirect object. So 'te gusta' literally means 'it is pleasing to you', not 'you like it'. This reversed structure is one of the most important patterns in Spanish.
te estoy encantando I am enchanting you / I am charming you: estar + gerund forms the Spanish present progressive (ongoing action). Here 'te' is the indirect object pronoun placed before the conjugated verb. encantar works like gustar — 'te encanta' means 'it delights you' — but here the singer flips it to mean he himself is doing the enchanting.
Ábreme la puerta Open the door for me: The clitic pronoun 'me' is attached directly to the imperative verb 'abre', forming 'ábreme'. This is standard in Spanish: object pronouns attach to the end of affirmative imperatives. The accent mark is added to preserve the original stress.
vengo gozando I'm coming enjoying myself: venir + gerund is a periphrastic construction meaning to arrive or come while doing something, emphasising the manner of arrival. It is similar to the English 'I come dancing' but more vivid in Spanish colloquial use.
te encanta you love it: encantar works exactly like gustar: the thing loved is the subject, and the person is the indirect object. 'Te encanta' literally means 'it enchants/delights you'. In everyday Spanish, 'me encanta' is the standard way to say 'I love it'.
vengo apretando I'm coming in tight / pressing close: Again venir + gerund describes the manner of arrival. apretar means to press, squeeze, or tighten; in a dance context it refers to dancing very close together.
voy caminando I'm walking along / I'm on my way walking: ir + gerund is a key periphrastic construction in Spanish expressing gradual or ongoing movement. It differs from estar + gerund in that ir adds a sense of progression or movement through space.
echando un pie stepping out / putting a foot forward: echar un pie is a colloquial expression in Caribbean Spanish meaning to dance or to step out onto the dance floor. Literally 'throwing a foot', it cannot be understood word by word.
cuida'o con los callos watch out for the corns: 'cuida'o' is a colloquial elision of 'cuidado' (care/caution), used as a warning interjection. The phrase 'cuidado con' means 'watch out for' or 'be careful with'. In a dance context, 'callos' (corns/calluses on the feet) is a humorous warning not to step on people's toes.
lo digo otra vez I'm saying it again: 'otra vez' is the standard Spanish phrase for 'again' or 'one more time'. It literally means 'another time'. The 'lo' is a direct object pronoun referring back to what was just said.
se forma el bembé the party gets going / the celebration forms: se forma is a reflexive/passive construction using 'se' + verb, meaning something happens on its own or spontaneously. 'Se forma' = 'it forms itself / it gets going'. This is the impersonal reflexive, very common in Spanish.
está comenzando is starting / is beginning: estar + gerund forms the present progressive in Spanish, describing an action in progress right now. 'Está comenzando' = 'is (currently) beginning'. This construction is used for ongoing actions at the moment of speaking.
tiene mucho sabor it has a lot of flavor: In Caribbean Spanish and salsa culture, 'sabor' (flavor/taste) is used metaphorically to mean musical feeling, groove, or soul. 'Tener sabor' = 'to have groove/soul'. This is a key cultural expression in Latin music.
Que vengan Let them come / May they come: 'Que' + present subjunctive expresses a wish or command directed at a third party. This is the standard way to say 'let someone do something' in Spanish. The subjunctive mood (vengan, not vienen) is required here.
por eso that's why / for that reason: 'Por eso' is a fixed phrase meaning 'for that reason' or 'that's why'. 'Por' here expresses cause/reason, and 'eso' is a neuter demonstrative pronoun referring to the whole situation just described.
Pa' que se forme So that it gets going: 'Pa'' is a colloquial contraction of 'para'. 'Para que' + subjunctive expresses purpose ('so that', 'in order that'). The subjunctive 'forme' is required after 'para que'. This is a very common purpose construction in spoken Spanish.
Que venga Let him come / May he come: 'Que' + present subjunctive (3rd person singular) expresses a wish for a specific person to do something. The singer is calling out individual musicians by name using this construction throughout the verse.
Está llegando is arriving / is on his way: estar + gerund (present progressive) describes an action happening right now. 'Está llegando' conveys that El Canario is in the process of arriving at this very moment, adding excitement and immediacy.
a guarachear to go dancing guaracha / to go partying: The preposition 'a' before an infinitive after a verb of motion expresses purpose: 'el domingo a guarachear' = 'on Sunday to go dancing'. guarachear is a verb derived from 'guaracha', a lively Afro-Cuban musical style, meaning to dance or party in that style.
Vengo caminado suave I'm coming walking smooth: venir + past participle used colloquially as a gerund (caminado for caminando) is a feature of Caribbean Spanish speech. 'Suave' here is an adverb meaning smoothly or coolly, describing the manner of walking/dancing.
como te gusta just how you like it: 'Como te gusta' uses 'como' as a comparative/manner conjunction meaning 'the way' or 'just how'. Combined with the gustar construction, it means 'in the way that pleases you'. This is a common flirtatious phrase in salsa lyrics.

Vocabulary to learn from “Abre que voy”

The words the song uses most.

abrir open for me verb ·32
ir I go / I'm going verb ·31
ser is verb ·16
venir I come / I'm coming verb ·14
caminar walking verb ·8
el salsero salsa dancers / salsa lovers noun ·6
llamar calls / summons verb ·5
echar throwing / putting out verb ·4
bailar dances verb ·4
el cubano Cubans noun ·4
formar forms / takes shape verb ·4
la clave key / rhythm pattern noun ·3

Verbs in the song, and the form being sung

Present tense for each; the highlighted row is the one you'll hear.

abrir open for me

sung: ábreme irregular

abrir — present tense
yo	abro
tú	abres
él / ella / usted	abre
nosotros	abrimos
vosotros	abrís
ellos / ustedes	abren

ir I go / I'm going

sung: voy irregular

ir — present tense
yo	voy
tú	vas
él / ella / usted	va
nosotros	vamos
vosotros	vais
ellos / ustedes	van

ser is

sung: es irregular

ser — present tense
yo	soy
tú	eres
él / ella / usted	es
nosotros	somos
vosotros	sois
ellos / ustedes	son

venir I come / I'm coming

sung: vengo irregular

venir — present tense
yo	vengo
tú	vienes
él / ella / usted	viene
nosotros	venimos
vosotros	venís
ellos / ustedes	vienen

caminar walking

sung: camina

caminar — present tense
yo	camino
tú	caminas
él / ella / usted	camina
nosotros	caminamos
vosotros	camináis
ellos / ustedes	caminan

Grammar you'll meet in this song

Present82
Imperative37
Present subjunctive5

Learn Spanish with more songs

All songs Spanish phrase packs Word packs