Tiburón (song)
| "Tiburón" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades | |
| from the album Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos | |
| Language | Spanish |
| English title | Shark |
| Genre | Salsa |
| Length | 7:00 |
| Label | Fania Records |
| Songwriter(s) | Rubén Blades |
"Tiburón" (Spanish: Shark) is a salsa song by Rubén Blades and Willie Colón which appeared on their 1981 album Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos.[1] The song is a metaphor for American intervention in Latin America, with the titular shark representing the influence of American imperialism in the region.[2] Throughout the second half of the song, the singers shout the phrase, "si lo ven que viene, ¡palo al tiburón!" ("If you see him coming, [bring a] stick to the shark!")
Reception
Music critic Dave Marsh listed "Tiburón" as one of his top 20 political songs written after 1976, calling it "the original anti-Central America invasion protest."[2] At the time of its release, American radios played the song infrequently, and it was heavily unpopular among the Cuban community in Miami.[1] In a 1991 interview, Colón said that politically charged songs like "Tiburón" and "Pedro Navaja" were so controversial that he and Blades occasionally performed them in bulletproof vests.[1]
References
- ^ a b c "Canciones Del Solar De Los Aburridos". Fania.com. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
- ^ a b "Rock 'n' Revolution". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2020-05-05.