La Pollera Colorada: Lust, "Otherness" and Black Women in Afro-Hispanic/Caribbean Culture

To start off International Week here at HNH, I wanted to start off with examining sex, lust and Black women in Afro-Hispanic/Hispanic culture.

I wanted to start off with the song "La Pollera Colora", a beloved song in most of Latin America, particularly those cultures with a deep African subculture.

Here are the lyrics (summary in English to follow):


pollera colorada
ay,al son de los tambores

Am
esa negra se amaña

G
y al sonar de la caña

Am
va brindando sus amores

G
es la negra Soledad

Am
la que goza mi cumbia,

G
esa negra sarabulla oye caramba
[ Checo Acosta Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]

Am
con su pollera colora

G
por eso te digo oye mi negrita goza oye caramba

Am
con su pollera colora,


ay,cuando le canto a Soledad
es que estoy yo contento
porque con su rico movimiento
inspiracion ella me da

Tiene sabor de canela
o rico sabor a pìmienta
como esta de contenta
con su pollera colora

This song by Checo Acosta, is actually, in my opinion, full of lust, and it paints the black protagonist as a very sexual and jubilant creature. I grew up listening to quite a few songs like this about black women. Honestly, there weren't many songs that were demeaning to black women (I honestly can't remember any).

He's singing about how sweet she smells, how joyful/happy she seems, carefree even, as she walks down the street. He sings about her taste, her movements and how awe-inspiring she is as she "toasts" her life (love life included). This attracts him to her, because she brings a joie de vivre to her surroundings; it lives within her.

Some may argue that this puts black women into a position that is fetishized, and I can see that. However, this is coming not from a Westernized place. This is coming from places that, at the end of the day, realize how much richer their culture is for having been touched by African culture. It is one big melting pot of African, Indian (Native) and Spanish (to name a few) cultures and people, and so the "admiration" comes from a more organic place.

As I explored my own budding sexuality, songs like this were drawn upon by me. It is something that I embrace, because when I think of "La Negra Soledad (her name)", I realize that she's carefree despite all of the societal bullshit because she knows how "rich" her culture, background and heritage are.

I think this is something we should really explore. Josephine Baker is a perfect example of this school of thought. Her "otherness" was not something that she wore with shame or was angry about, she embraced it, and owned it. We, in my opinion, have become so guarded, and so much more interested in integrating completely because of false, "post-racial" promises and hopes, that we've lost sight of what makes us truly "rich".

This is one of the reasons why sometimes my opinions are unpopular, because I see my "otherness" not as a hindrance or a clutch, but something that's powerful and disarming. It does not negate racism. It does not negate injustice. It, for me, is a statement of strength and even perseverance. It was that way of thinking that helped me to shed relaxers, even.

The closer I am to my "otherness", the better.

What are your thoughts? Are you offended by the song content/thoughts behind the lyrics?

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