Talkin To Ya - in two languages

First of all, open this page (if it doesn't open, your pop-up blocker may be messing with it, so right-click on it or hold-mouse-down for Mac), then scroll down to DEL CASTILLO, click that, and hit the CLICK HERE FOR MUSIC link. It's a RealPlayer download of the great new Del Castillo song, or I should say new recording of a song that we've been hearing live for a long time. Give it a listen!!

This has got to be a hit song! It showcases the best of this band, and it will have wider appeal than some of the rest of the band's recordings simply because it's in Spanglish.

Now, the fact that I don't know what a lot of their songs are about without getting out the lyric translation sheet has never mattered much to me. The music still speaks for itself and is deeply moving. I suspect, however, that if I were comfortable if not fluent in Spanish that they would hit me even harder (at least the non-instrumentals).

As for Spanglish, I am going on record here to say I believe that in a few generations it will replace English as the national language of the USA. Are you now thinking of telling me that Spanglish is not a language? It isn't an official language, no. It's not even a language that can generate a dictionary because it's just a matter of mixing up the two languages as the speaker wishes... and linguistics experts and etymologists correct me, but isn't this how new languages form? What we speak as English now will be called something like "Old American English", or "Anglo-English".

But back to Del Castillo and English (or Spanglish), for some people, the melody or instrumental part of the music is most important, and for others the lyrics come first. A song like this (and the other new one that they are promoting called "Brotherhood") is going to appeal to both of those groups. In a few more generations everyone will need to know Spanish in order to get by in the USA. Some places, like Austin for example, will get there first. Just a few of my humble opinions, folks!