Bemba Colora Lyrics in English by Celia Cruz
Bemba is a colloquial term from Caribbean Spanish for thick or prominent lips, often associated with people of African descent. Colora' is a shortened, colloquial form of colorada, meaning 'red'.
In this iconic salsa song, Celia Cruz playfully teases someone with "bemba colora'", suggesting their lips are swollen from gossiping too much. It's a vibrant expression rooted in Afro-Cuban culture and a fantastic example of the unique, regional slang you can discover through music.
Cuban salsa queen Celia Cruz doesn't mince words here: she looks someone straight in the eye and tells them, "Pa' mí, tú no eres nada" ("To me, you are nothing"). The whole track is built on this hilarious, sharp takedown of someone acting way too big for their boots. She calls them out for having "la bemba colora'"—which literally means "big red lips" in Afro-Caribbean Spanish slang (bemba is an informal word for thick, prominent lips, shortened from colorada for red). Instead of wasting time arguing, she just laughs at them and tells them to pick their mouth up off the floor: "Recoge, recoge, recoge, la bemba" ("Pick up, pick up, pick up your lips").
While she tears down their ego, Celia tells this person to stick to what they know: "Canta tu rumba / Canta tu son / Tu guarachita / Y tu danzón" ("Sing your rumba, sing your son, your guaracha, and your danzón"). These are all classic Cuban musical styles, and by listing them out, she's essentially telling them to go play their little tunes and stay in their lane. It is punchy, full of attitude, and impossible to sit still to.
