“El Cumbanchero” is a popular Latin American song composed by Rafael Hernández. The word “cumbanchero” refers to the musician or performer who plays the “tambora,” a type of drum used in Latin American music. The song is characterized by its lively and upbeat rhythm and is often played during festive occasions such as parties and celebrations. The lyrics of the song usually celebrate the joy and excitement of dancing to the rhythm of the tambora and the skills of the cumbanchero who plays it. The song has been covered by many different artists and has become a classic in Latin American music.
Lyrics
Cumbanchero
A cumba cumba cumba
cumbanchero…
A bongo bongo bongo
bongocero…
Riquiti que va sonando
el cumbanchero, bongocero que se vá…
Bongocero que se vá…
A cumba cumba cumba
cumbanchero…
A bongo bongo bongo
bongocero…
Riquiti que va sonando
el cumbanchero, bongocero que se vá…
Bongocero que se vá…
Y suena así el tambor ríquititi
bom bom bom bom bá…
y vuelve a repicar ríquititi
bom bom bom bom bá…
A cumba cumba cumba
cumbanchero…
A bongo bongo bongo
bongocero…
Riquiti que va sonado
el cumbanchero, bongocero que se vá…
Bongocero que se vá…
El Cumbanchero in the “I Love Lucy” show
Lucy and Desi Arnaz were a famous couple who starred in the television sitcom “I Love Lucy” in the 1950s. One of the most famous episodes of “I Love Lucy” features Desi Arnaz performing the song with his band. In the episode, Lucy tries to join the band as a tambourine player but ends up causing chaos and hilarity on stage. The performance of “El Cumbanchero” in that episode is considered a classic moment in television history and helped to popularize the song even further. The episode also showcased Desi Arnaz’s musical talents and helped to cement his status as a popular performer and bandleader.
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