Song guide

Represent

Orishas

Represent by Orishas, line by line: what the lyrics mean, 24 expressions explained and 471 words translated with their grammar. Learn Spanish from the song, free.

62 lines translated 471 words explained 24 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.

  1. Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas son del lao de la Habana

    Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas are from the Havana side

    'lao' is a colloquial Caribbean Spanish shortening of 'lado' (side). 'Del lao de la Habana' means 'from the Havana side,' a hip-hop phrase for claiming one's neighborhood or city of origin.

  2. Represent, Represent Cuba, es mi música

    Represent, Represent Cuba, it is my music

  3. Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas son del lao de la Habana

    Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas are from the Havana side

  4. Represent, Represent Cuba, es tu música

    Represent, Represent Cuba, it is your music

  5. Ven que te quiero cantar de corazón así

    Come, I want to sing to you from the heart, just like this

  6. La historia de mis raíces

    The story of my roots

  7. Rumba, son y guaguancó, todo mezclado

    Rumba, son, and guaguancó, all mixed together

    The word 'son' in this line means the Cuban musical genre (not the verb 'are'). El son cubano is the foundational genre from which salsa, mambo, and cha-cha-chá evolved. Context is essential to distinguish it from the verb ser.

  8. Pa' que lo bailes tú

    So that you can dance to it

  9. Mira, hay quién no baila en la Habana

    Look, there is someone who doesn't dance in Havana

  10. Candidato, pa' rumbear en la cadencia

    A candidate for partying in the cadence

    'Candidato pa' rumbear' is a playful boast: calling oneself a 'candidate for partying' in the rhythm/cadence. 'Cadencia' in Cuban music refers to the rhythmic groove or swing that makes music irresistible to dance to.

  11. Represento mis ancestros toda la mezcla

    I represent my ancestors, the whole mix

  12. No lo pierdas, broth... yo

    Don't lose it, bro... me

  13. Latino Americano de la Habana

    Latin American from Havana

  14. Te lo mando con sabor mejor

    I send it to you with better flavor

  15. Aprenderás que en la rumba está la esencia

    You will learn that the essence is in the rumba

  16. Que mi guaguancó es sabroso y tiene buena mezcla

    That my guaguancó is tasty and has a good mix

  17. ¿Tú ves? A mi vieja y linda Habana

    Do you see? My old and beautiful Havana

  18. Sentimiento de manana, todo eso representas, Cuba

    A feeling of tomorrow, all of that is what you represent, Cuba

    'Manana' here is written without the tilde (should be 'mañana'), likely for lyrical/phonetic reasons. In context it means 'tomorrow,' suggesting Cuba represents hope and the future, not just the past.

  19. Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas son del lao de la Habana

    Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas are from the Havana side

  20. Represent, Represent Cuba, es mi música

    Represent, Represent Cuba, it is my music

  21. Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas son del lao de la Habana

    Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas are from the Havana side

  22. Represent, Represent Cuba, es tu música

    Represent, Represent Cuba, it is your music

  23. Pa' la gente, mi zona, pa' mis santos especulando

    For the people, my neighborhood, for my saints, speculating

    'Mis santos' in the context of Afro-Cuban religion (Santería) refers to the Orishas — the divine spirits worshipped in Lucumí/Santería. 'Santos' (saints) is the syncretic term blending Catholic saints with Yoruba deities.

  24. En el micro, escucha como dice MiKo NiKo

    On the mic, listen to how MiKo NiKo speaks

  25. La música cubana vale mucho, chico

    Cuban music is worth a lot, man

  26. My funk y estilo, mira, viene de La Habana

    My funk and style, look, comes from Havana

  27. Vas vas vas y bouge ton cul sur le beat, écoute ça

    Go go go and shake your ass on the beat, listen to this

    Lines 26–34 switch entirely to French, rapped by the Paris-based member of the Orishas group. This multilingual section (Spanish/French/English) reflects the group's transnational identity — Cuban roots, Parisian life.

  28. J'prêche pour ma chapelle : Panam

    I preach for my chapel: Panam

    'Panam' is French slang for Paris, derived from 'Paname,' an old affectionate nickname for the city. This line is rapped in French by a member of the group who is based in Paris, reflecting the group's Cuban-French background.

  29. J'représente gars mes refrè d'la Havana

    I represent, guys, my brothers from Havana

    'refrè' is a French slang/Creole spelling of 'frères' (brothers), reflecting the multicultural, street-influenced French of the Paris suburbs (banlieue). The Orishas group includes members who lived in Paris, giving the song its trilingual character.

  30. J'rappe, c'est mon dada

    I rap, it's my thing

  31. Miko Niko, chico, soy loco, siempre flow

    Miko Niko, dude, I'm crazy, always flowing

  32. J'représente la salsa, l'soleil de Cuba

    I represent the salsa, the sun of Cuba

  33. J'oubli Paris, la pluie, son ciel gris et tout ça

    I forget Paris, the rain, its grey sky and all that

  34. J'rêve des belles nanas sur la plage d'la Havana

    I dream of beautiful girls on the beach of Havana

  35. Me pavaner, sous les palmiers à fumer j'représente ça! Cuba

    To strut around, under the palm trees smoking — I represent that! Cuba

  36. Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas son del lao de la Habana

    Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas are from the Havana side

  37. Represent, Represent Cuba, es mi música, Cuba

    Represent, Represent Cuba, it is my music, Cuba

  38. Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas son del lao de la Habana

    Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas are from the Havana side

  39. Represent, Represent Cuba, es tu música

    Represent, Represent Cuba, it is your music

  40. Mi música tiene sabor a melao de caña

    My music has the flavor of sugarcane molasses

  41. Ay, dime si te gusto

    Hey, tell me if you like me

  42. Hey, yo representando a los Orishas de mi Cuba

    Hey, I'm representing the Orishas of my Cuba

  43. Maferefun Olofin hasta la sepultura

    Maferefun Olofin until the grave

    'Maferefun' is a Yoruba/Lucumí phrase used in Santería ritual meaning 'praise be to' or 'blessed be.' Olofin is the highest manifestation of the supreme deity Olodumare in the Lucumí/Santería pantheon. This line is a religious invocation.

  44. J'représente la salsa, le hip hop cusas se vous

    I represent the salsa, the hip hop — things for you all

  45. Cuando quiero estallar yo me voy a mi zona

    When I want to explode I go to my zone

  46. Pa' La Habana yo me voy

    To Havana I go

  47. J'représente le blanc, le noir, le chico, la chica

    I represent the white, the black, the guy, the girl

  48. D'Chicago à Panama, Tokyo à la Havana

    From Chicago to Panama, Tokyo to Havana

  49. J'représente la fiesta, le son de conga de mes congas

    I represent the party, the conga sound of my congas

  50. Saca los collares que llego Changó, Changó

    Take out the necklaces, Changó has arrived, Changó

    The 'collares' (necklaces) referred to here are the elekes — sacred beaded necklaces in Santería, each color-coded to a specific Orisha. Changó (also spelled Shango) is the Orisha of thunder, lightning, fire, and drumming, one of the most celebrated in Cuban Santería.

  51. Hey broth, Elegguá, Changó, Obbatalá, Yemayá, Oshún

    Hey bro, Elegguá, Changó, Obbatalá, Yemayá, Oshún

    Elegguá, Changó, Obbatalá, Yemayá, and Oshún are five of the most important Orishas in Cuban Santería/Lucumí. Elegguá guards crossroads and doors; Obbatalá is the creator of human bodies; Yemayá rules the sea; Oshún governs rivers, love, and fertility.

  52. Maferefún Orula y que mi canto suba, pa' la gente

    Maferefún Orula and may my song rise, for the people

    Orula (also Orunmila) is the Orisha of wisdom and divination in Santería. 'Maferefún Orula' is a ritual salutation meaning 'praise be to Orula.' This line blends hip-hop with genuine Afro-Cuban religious devotion.

  53. De mi Cuba, mis ancestros, to' mis muertos

    From my Cuba, my ancestors, all my dead

    'Mis muertos' (my dead) in Afro-Cuban religious practice refers to one's ancestral spirits, who are actively venerated and consulted. Honoring the muertos is a central practice in Santería and Palo Monte traditions.

  54. Todo eso represento, Cuba

    All of that I represent, Cuba

  55. Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas son del lao de la Habana

    Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas are from the Havana side

  56. Represent, Represent Cuba, es mi música, Cuba

    Represent, Represent Cuba, it is my music, Cuba

  57. Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas son del lao de la Habana

    Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas are from the Havana side

  58. Represent, Represent Cuba, es tu música, Cuba

    Represent, Represent Cuba, it is your music, Cuba

  59. Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas son del lao de la Habana

    Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas are from the Havana side

  60. Represent, Represent Cuba, es mi música, Cuba

    Represent, Represent Cuba, it is my music, Cuba

  61. Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas son del lao de la Habana

    Represent, Represent Cuba, Orishas are from the Havana side

  62. Represent, Represent Cuba, es tu música, Cuba

    Represent, Represent Cuba, it is your music, Cuba

Expressions and idioms in “Represent”

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

de corazón from the heart / sincerely
de corazón is a fixed idiomatic expression meaning 'sincerely' or 'wholeheartedly.' It cannot be deduced word-for-word; de means 'from' and corazón means 'heart,' but together they function as an adverbial phrase of manner.
te quiero cantar I want to sing to you
querer + infinitive is a common periphrastic construction meaning 'to want to do something.' The indirect object pronoun te (to you) is placed before the conjugated verb querer, not before the infinitive.
Pa' que lo bailes tú So that you can dance to it
para que + subjunctive is the standard Spanish construction for expressing purpose ('so that'). Here bailes is the present subjunctive of bailar. The subject pronoun tú is added at the end for emphasis, which is typical in song lyrics.
hay quién no baila there is someone who doesn't dance
hay + quién + verb is an idiomatic construction meaning 'there is someone who...' or 'there are those who...' It uses the impersonal form hay (from haber) and the relative pronoun quién.
pa' rumbear for partying / to dance rumba
pa' + infinitive (shortening of para + infinitive) expresses purpose: 'in order to do something.' rumbear is a verb derived from rumba, meaning to dance rumba or to party. This para + infinitive purpose construction is one of the most common in Spanish.
No lo pierdas Don't lose it
no + subjunctive forms the negative imperative in Spanish. Pierdas is the present subjunctive of perder used as a negative command. The direct object pronoun lo (it) is placed between no and the verb.
Te lo mando I send it to you
When both an indirect object pronoun (te) and a direct object pronoun (lo) appear together, the indirect object always comes first in Spanish. This double-pronoun construction is very common and must be learned as a pattern.
en la rumba está la esencia the essence is in the rumba
This is a poetic inversion: the normal word order would be 'la esencia está en la rumba.' Placing the location phrase first (en la rumba) is a common rhetorical device in Spanish song lyrics to create emphasis.
tiene buena mezcla has a good mix
tener + noun is used in Spanish where English often uses 'to be + adjective.' Here 'tiene buena mezcla' literally means 'has a good mix,' functioning like 'is well-mixed' in English. This tener pattern is extremely common.
todo eso representas all of that is what you represent
This is a fronted object construction for emphasis. Normally one would say 'representas todo eso,' but placing todo eso at the start highlights what Cuba embodies. This kind of topicalization is common in Spanish.
pa' la gente for the people
pa' is a very common colloquial shortening of para in Caribbean and Latin American Spanish. In song lyrics and informal speech, para is almost always shortened to pa' before a noun or infinitive. This elision is a key feature of Cuban and Caribbean Spanish.
vale mucho is worth a lot
valer is used to express worth or value in Spanish. 'Vale mucho' means 'is worth a lot.' This is also the root of the common Spanish expression 'vale' (OK / it's worth it), widely used in Spain.
viene de La Habana comes from Havana
venir de is the standard construction for expressing origin or provenance: 'to come from.' It is distinct from ser de (to be from, indicating permanent origin). venir de can suggest the source of something in a more dynamic, active sense.
melao de caña sugarcane molasses
melao is a colloquial/dialectal shortening of melado, meaning the thick syrup or molasses derived from sugarcane (caña). The phrase de caña specifies the source. This kind of elision of the final -d- is very common in Caribbean Spanish.
tiene sabor a has the flavor of / tastes like
tener sabor a is a fixed expression meaning 'to taste like' or 'to have the flavor of.' The preposition a here introduces the thing being tasted, not a destination. Compare with oler a (to smell like) — the same pattern applies.
dime si te gusto tell me if you like me
gustar works the opposite way from English 'to like': the thing liked is the subject, and the person who likes is the indirect object. So 'te gusto' literally means 'I am pleasing to you,' which translates as 'you like me.' dime is the imperative of decir with the clitic me attached.
hasta la sepultura until the grave / until death
hasta la sepultura is an idiomatic expression of absolute loyalty or devotion, equivalent to 'until death' or 'to the grave.' hasta means 'until/up to' and sepultura means 'grave/tomb.' The phrase signals lifelong commitment.
quiero estallar I want to explode / I feel like bursting
querer + infinitive expresses desire or wanting to do something. estallar literally means 'to explode' but is used figuratively here to mean feeling overwhelmed or needing to release tension. This periphrastic construction (querer + infinitive) is one of the most common in Spanish.
me voy a mi zona I go to my neighborhood
irse (reflexive) means 'to go away / to leave / to head somewhere,' which is subtly different from plain ir (to go). The reflexive me signals departure or movement away from the current place. This is a key reflexive meaning-shift to learn.
Pa' La Habana yo me voy To Havana I am going
This line uses irse (reflexive 'to go/leave') with a fronted destination for poetic emphasis. The normal order would be 'yo me voy pa' La Habana.' Fronting the destination is a common lyrical inversion in Spanish song.
que llego Changó because Changó has arrived
Here que functions as a causal conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for,' not the relative pronoun. This usage of que to introduce a reason is very common in colloquial and lyrical Spanish. llego (present tense) is used with a sense of immediacy, as if the arrival is happening right now.
Saca los collares Take out the necklaces
sacar is a verb meaning 'to take out / to pull out.' It is distinct from quitar (to remove/take off) and llevar (to take/carry). In Santería ritual context, sacar los collares means to bring out the sacred beaded necklaces (elekes) associated with the Orishas.
que mi canto suba may my song rise
que + present subjunctive is used to express a wish or prayer in Spanish, equivalent to 'may...' in English. suba is the present subjunctive of subir. This construction is common in prayers, toasts, and blessings.
to' mis muertos all my dead / all my deceased
to' is a colloquial Caribbean Spanish shortening of todos (all). mis muertos refers to deceased ancestors, a concept central to Afro-Cuban religious practice (Santería/Lucumí), where the spirits of the dead (muertos) are venerated and called upon.

Vocabulary to learn from “Represent”

The words the song uses most.

Verbs in the song, and the form being sung

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

ser are

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

ir go / you go

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

representar I represent

sung: represento
representar — present tense
yo represento
tú representas
él / ella / usted representa
nosotros representamos
vosotros representáis
ellos / ustedes representan

venir come

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

querer I want / I love

sung: quiero irregular
querer — present tense
yo quiero
tú quieres
él / ella / usted quiere
nosotros queremos
vosotros queréis
ellos / ustedes quieren

Grammar you'll meet in this song

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