La canción de la semana #272

...is Taki Ti Taki performed by Susana Baca. According to Baca,

This is a song from Venezuela, one of the many complex rhythms played by the drummers of Guatuire. Venezuela has a variety of rhythms and musical forms that are very sophisticated... These are songs from the drummers that play to San Juan in June and sing songs in tribute for hours. We share similar roots in Spain and Africa but there are very different nuances that come out. It is a song that spoke to me, "Taki Ti Taki" refers to the rhythm and the adoration of San Juan and we feel it is close to our own culture and a part of the culture of the Americas.

This song appears on her wonderful new album, Afrodiaspora.

¡Nadie espera a la inquisición española!

Today, Yuri asked how to say in Spanish "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition". I was unable to find the Spanish version straight away; here's the sketch in English with Spanish subtitles.

"¡Nadie espera encontrarse a la Inquisición española! Nuestra principal arma es la sorpresa, y el miedo... Nuestras dos armas principales son la sorpresa y el miedo, y una eficacia despiadada... Nuestras tres armas son el miedo, la sorpresa y una eficacia despiadada, y una devoción fanática por el Papa... Nuestras cuatro... Entre nuestras armas hay elementos como el miedo, la sorpresa... Volvamos a entrar."

"¡No esperaba encontrarme a la Inquisición española!"

"¡Nadie espera encontrarse a la Inquisición española! Entre nuestras armas, hay elementos como el miedo, la sorpresa, una eficacia despiadada y una devoción fanática por el Papa, y unos uniformes rojos preciosos..."

La canción de la semana #271

...is beautiful song by Matilde Casazola, Como un fueguito, performed by Emma Junaro. This song appears on Junaro's 1987 album Mi Corazon En La Ciudad.

¿Dónde puedo copiar la llave?

Now that I officially (!) live in Spain, I reckon it's time to move beyond tourist Spanish. In places like Corralejo, ¿Dónde está el bar? or ¿Dónde está el restaurante? are really silly questions. They are, well, everywhere. ¿Dónde está la ferretería? — entirely different matter. I actually had to ask this last week. Although even that did not help: not every ferretería provides the service I was after.

¿Dónde puedo copiar la llave?

(For the record, I did not find any open establishment doing that in Corralejo.)

Here are a few more words which can be of real use when you just move in and start looking for stuff:

el cubo	bucket
el cuchillo	knife
la escoba	broom
el fontanero, la fontanera	plumber
la fregona / la mopa	mop
el hervidor	(electric) kettle
la lavadora / el lavarropas	washing machine
el lavavajillas	dishwasher
el (punto de) reciclaje	recycling (point)
el recogedor	dustpan
el sacacorchos	corkscrew

La canción de la semana #270

...is Y Para Que... by Niña Pastori. This song opens (and closes) her new album, La Orilla De Mi Pelo.

La canción de la semana #269

...is Echale by Colombian champeta singer Louis Towers.