4 lenguas
RCA Victor 76-2386 · Mexico
- Artist
- Pancho Pantera
- Title
- 4 lenguas
- Release
- El 4 lenguas / La taquiza
- Label
- RCA Victor # 76-2386
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- Spanish
- Country
- Mexico
- Songwriter
- Melesio Chaidez Díaz
- Genre
- Polka · Norteño · Ranchera · Polka
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation — Mexican-American / Hispanic Songs
Ángel Rojano Jiménez, known as Pancho Pantera, started his career as an actor, doing commercials for a well-known brand of powdered chocolate, Pancho Pantera - hence the nickname. He starred in over 20 films. (1) He was a member of the Mexican group Conjunto Río Bravo. This record was released in the USA. No further information is known about this artist, and he potentially could be from Mexico, rather than Mexican-American. The song "El 4 Lenguas" ("The 4 Language") (RCA Victor # 76-2386), composed by Melesio Chaidez Díaz, is related to the Vietnam War, narrated from the soldier's perspective: "I went to Vietnam, all the way overseas". It is in the Polka genre. It contained the interesting introduction: "I’m Mexican, from the other side" - is this a reference to being from a border town? He continues, "I was a soldier of this land and over there" - perhaps, a soldier of the US, over there in Vietnam. The narrator goes off to war, but observes "the cowards were scared to die", so he yelled at them in the four languages he spoke, saying "I'm Mexican, now let yourselves come over" - said as an insult to cowards. Transcription and translation by Joel Garcia.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Died 8 October 2005.
Themes
In collections
Mexican-American / Hispanic Songs · US Combat Perspective Songs