A catchy Ska tune has recently hit big in Venezuela and is spreading quickly across the entire continent. Performed by the Spanish group Ska-P (the homophone of which translates as "Escape" in English) the song is called 'El Libertador' and pays homage to both Simon Bolívar and Hugo Chávez.
You too, kind reader, can listen to it by clicking right here and no matter what your politics might be you'll hear a catchy song that's very good indeed and a deserved hit. However, imagine my surprise when I saw a photo of the band.
You too, kind reader, can listen to it by clicking right here and no matter what your politics might be you'll hear a catchy song that's very good indeed and a deserved hit. However, imagine my surprise when I saw a photo of the band.
Ska-P and Authers/PulpulIt took about a millisecond for the penny to drop: THE SINGER IS JOHN AUTHERS OF THE LONDON FINANCIAL TIMES!...........probably. Let's examine the evidence.
- Here's Authers' page on the FT site that gives a bit of his bio. Here's the picture from it.
It's him!- Look again at the lead singer from Ska-P. He goes by the PSEUDONYM of 'Pulpul'.
It's Authers!- Note that before taking up his present post, John Authers was bureau chief in Mexico. HE SPEAKS FLUENT SPANISH! Here's another shot of Authers/Pulpul which surely gives the whole game away:
Dead ringer- And here's the clincher; a little known fact not on his FT biog is that Authers is a well-regarded singer! True! He says his hobby is choral singing, but today's revelation has surely blown the lid off all that sweet crooning malarkey.
But if you don't believe me you can always get confirmation from the horse's mouth. Just send a mail to john.authers (AT) ft (DOT) com and ask him yourself. Finally here's the words to El Libertador so you can read along while you listen to Authers (here's the music link again, just in case).
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Entre miseria, hambre y desolación, en el fango alguien plantó una flor
Un tal bolívar, le dicen el libertador, el libertador
Gritos de justicia, tierra y libertad vuelven a resonar en sudamérica
Ha comenzado una nueva revolución y esta vez avanza con convicción
Reforma agraria y justa redistribución, sanidad, cultura y buena educación
Respeto y dignidad al indígena, al indígena
Socializar y ¡¡no a la privatización!!, mejoras laborales "pal" trabajador
Lo que la tierra ofrece es de la población, contra la oligarquía y el explotador
Una guerra de medios manipula la verdad
Enséñale los dientes a la cara al tío sam
Sin dar un paso atrás.
Adelante comandante, ponte al frente con honestidad
Comienza a amanecer en latinoamérica
Paso firme hacia delante, pisa fuerte con rotundidad
Cuando un pueblo se sabe organizar
Es un pueblo sabio y libre
Oh oh oh oh! lejos de la perfección
Se avanza al caminar cuando se tiene ilusión
Una guerra de medios manipula la verdad...
Adelante comandante, ponte al frente con honestidad...
Oh oh oh oh! aires de rebelión en latinoamérica
Oh oh oh oh! tiempo de transición en toda américa
Adelante comandante, ponte al frente, comandante
Oh oh oh! de latinoamérica
Paso firme hacia delante, pisa fuerte, comandante
Oh oh oh! en latinoamérica.