El centurion de la noche is not only a tell about the musical way of Joe Arroyo, maybe the best singer and interpretor of the Colombian Music. It is the story of a man maked by the sucessful and the tragedy: Consagrated by the musical genius that he got from his African ancestors and knew how to conjugate them with rythms of the trópico, clapped because of this obvious voice that many people qualify as the male version of Celia Cruz, but just like that, condemned by the drug addiction, hited by the familiar tragedies and handicaped by the illnesses which he has been saved in many times. In the Joe Arroyo's life, there is an exciting story to tell about the glory and the hell that has been by Arroyo's side. After a long investigation- which Mauricio had got closed to his music with a good ear, travelled each village searching testymonies and places, and sometimes accompained him in front rows and other times in the typical stand- Mauricio Silvia Guzmán brings into this book the key size to the Colombian popular music, to recall the unforgotten moments the endless national party, to know about the secret life of singer beyond the esscenary, above all, to discover in his real dimension the genius which many Colombians has been dancing without stopping.
By Federnando Quiroz.
THE CENTURION OF THE NIGHT
THE JOE ARROYO, A MUSICAL LIFE
MAURICIO SILVIA GUZMÁN
To my dear parentsCHAPTER ONE
Rebelión: 1989
Quiero contarle, mi hermano, un pedacito de la historia negra, de la historia nuestra, caballero. Y dice así.../ I would tell you, my friend, a little bit about the black hisory, our black history. And it goes like that....
En los años 1600 Que aún se escucha en la verja:
cuando el tirano mandó español con el alma negra,
las calles de Cartagena no le pegue na'
aquella historia vivió no le pegue na'
no le pegue a jeva
Cuando aquí
llegaban esos negreros Oye, porque el negro se te rebela,
africanos en cadenas, chapetón con el alma friega
besaban mi tierra abra puño y va apretando al prieta.
esclavitud perpetua No le pegue a la prieta,
porque la negra se me respeta.
Un matrimonio africano
esclavos de un español, Abusador que le pegue a jeva
él le daba muy mal trato que alma, que el alma,
y a su negra le pegó que alma, que el alma
se me respeta.
Y fue allí Oye, no le pegue a mi negrana
se rebeló el negro guapo porque el alma se me agita, mi prieta.
como venganza por su amor Hay lamento en la playa, nena,
y aún se escucha en la verja en las playas de Cartagena
no le pegue a mi negra no, no, no, no, de Marbella bella,
el alma negra que canta y que llora
Oye men, no le pegue a la negra, por que entonces el negro se venga
oye, esa negra se me respeta,
que aún se escucha en verja: No le pegue a la negra.
No, no, no, no, no, no,
no le pegue a la jeva
Negra que me dice, vete.