From the recording Horizontes
Un Levantamiento 10:12
Composed by John Santos
Arranged by Saul Sierra, John Santos
(Guataca Music, BMI)
mazurka / seis Fajardeño / danza / plena / aguinaldo
Un Levantamiento is Spanish for a lifting up, a rising or
an uprising, and all three definitions apply here.
It is a suite of traditional Puerto Rican musical forms. It is intended to honor my mother and all my Puerto Rican ancestors who confronted much hardship as Americans and immigrants while maintaining their dignity through cultural traditions passed on to us. Un Levantamiento also represents all the souls, past and present, that have stood up to raise their collective voices against the brutal colonialism that continues to plague the island nation since being 'discovered" by Europeans in 1493. This is our attempt during these perilous times to transmit insight, courage, compassion and international, anti-colonial solidarity.
Stellar performances are featured by our special guests; Puerto Rican icon and vocalist extraordinaire, Jerry Medina, living legend Orestes Vilató, and vibrant Boricuas Pedro Pastrana on cuatro and Maria Cora with the spoken word. It is a grand honor for me that this composition was commissioned by Living Jazz (Oakland, CA) and the Oakland Symphony and was premiered by the Oakland Symphony at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, California on October 18th, 2024. For Dorothea Wilkinson (mi mamá), Tito Matos, Dylcia Pagan (RIP), Guido Barletta Segarra, Antonio Cabán Vale (El Topo) (RIP), y Danny Rivera.
David Flores - drums.
Saul Sierra - acoustic and baby bass.
Marco Díaz - piano, trumpet.
Dr. John Calloway - flute, coquíses.
Charlie Gurke - tenor sax.
John Santos - güicharo, panderetas, bongó, triangle, woodblocks, caxixí, coro, miscellaneous percussion, coquíses.
Jerry Medina - lead vocals.
Pedro Pastrana - Puerto Rican cuatro.
Orestes Vilató - timbales (solo).
Anthony Blea - violins, coquíses.
Maria Cora - spoken word, coro.
Christelle Durandy - coro.
Juan Luis Pérez - coro, coquíses.
Lyrics
I am the warmth of the mountain morning.
Life-giving affirmation
of the song of the coquí,
resounding in the valleys
of our beloved Borikén.
I am the spirit of freedom.
The courage of the cacique.
The love of the children.
The resistance of my pueblo
ever-leaning toward liberty,
as the azucenas follow the path of the sun.
I am the thunderous voice
of countless Tainos.
Vibrating in our veins.
Deep in the soil
on which we've always walked.
I am the machete.
El guajey.
The truth.
The tsunami.
An ageless uprising YO SOY!
UN LEVANTAMIENTO!!
Un levantamiento – 3X
Con la fuerza de mar y viento
Tenemos que levantarnos.
Escuchen bien que no miento.
Solidaridad es la solución.
Así es como yo me siento, mi gente.
A la naturaleza
no distingue entre blanco y prieto.
Negar nuestra belleza
no debe estar tanto reto, lo digo yo.
Si a ti te incomodan
los sentimientos que tengo,
dime tu que vas hacer
con las olas y el viento?
Hasta cuando el abuso?
Hasta aquí el sufrimiento.
El mar está molesto.
Allí viene un levantamiento.
Por el afán del dinero.
Por el afán del poder.
Los pueblos de este mundo entero
oye, se van a joder,
que barbaridad!
Temenos que levantarnos
Con la fuerza de mar y viento
Y los sueños realizar
Con la fuerza de mar y viento
Pa’ los niños y los mayores
Con la fuerza de mar y viento
Con valor y con sentimiento
Con la fuerza de mar y viento
Un levantamiento – 3X
Con la fuerza de mar y viento
____________________________________
An uprising – 3X
With the force of the sea and wind
We have to rise up.
Listen carefully for I am not lying.
Solidarity is the solution.
That is how I feel, my people.
Nature does not distinguish
between black and white.
Denying our beauty
should not be so challenging, I say so.
If you are uncomfortable
with the feelings I have,
tell me what are you going to do
with the waves and the wind?
Until when the abuse?
Enough suffering.
The sea is angry.
Here comes an uprising.
For the desire for money.
For the desire for power.
The people of this entire world
hey, they are going to be screwed, what barbarity!
We have to rise
With the force of the sea and wind
And make our dreams come true
With the force of the sea and wind
For the children and the elders
With the force of the sea and wind
With courage and with feeling
With the force of the sea and wind
An uprising – 3X
With the force of the sea and wind