El Tilingo Lingo

El Tilingo Lingo is a Mexican folk dance from the state of Veracruz, a city on the gulf of Mexico. I had never heard the tune until I made this video on Nov. 1, 2009, and I was instantly drawn to it. I love the use of harp throughout, especially in the opening, and I love the humorous lyrics. To me, they exemplify the "roll-with-the-punches" attitude of many Mexican farmworkers and laborers, and their approach toward the often backbreaking work they do. There is mention of a strike, or "huelga," in the lyrics below. Music from Veracruz is known as El Son Jarocho. The dance was performed by children at the Pueblo de Los Angeles historic monument on this year's Day of the Dead. They were dancing to a recording, and I can't locate the artist at the moment. I didn't find the online recordings as fetching as this one. The rhythm seemed too fast or too slow in the others, and the vocals not so clear and sweet as the tenor on this recording. I also love his accent and how he pronounces "zapatear."

"El Tilingo Lingo" was recorded by Los Lobos in 1978 on their album "Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles" and is generally included as part of the Chicano movement's songs of protest. It was recorded in 1998 by the more traditional folk song group Conjunto Jardín. The online lyrics vary. From what I can gather a "tilingo" is a simple, pedantic person, and "lingo" as well.

The Conjunto Jardín lyrics are as follows:
"Ay que bonito es bailar
El son de tilingo lingo
Que lo puede zapatear
Tanto el chino como el gringo"

This means
"Oh how beautiful it is to dance
The sound of tilingo lingo
It can be danced equally
By a Chinese and a gringo."

Los Lobos took out the reference to Chinese and gringos, and instead sang "Se baila singulario," which as best I can translate means it can be danced "uniquely." I find the reference fascinating because the square in which the children were dancing is located at the heart of the historic birthplace of Los Angeles. From the beginning, the Mexican center of town was also the heart of L.A's Chinatown, and the Chinese-American Museum is housed in the same complex of buildings as the monument offices and exhibits.

In the chorus, the song mentions a strike:
"Ay repica pica pica...
Mientras estemos en huelga
No se puede comer uvas
Ni tampoco ensalada
Por la huelga de lechuga
"Oh how it picks and pecks(the harp)
While we're on strike
We can't eat grapes
We can't eat salad
Because of the lettuce strike"

Finally, it says:

"Ay repica pica pica
Hasta lo canta mi suegra
Que bonitas que bonitas
Todas las que están en huelga"

"Oh how it picks and pecks
Even my mother-in-law sings it
How beautiful
Everyone on strike"


For more information on the Day of the Dead celebration and other events at El Pueblo Historic Monument, see www.olvera-street.com.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• tilingo
• lingo
• los
• angeles
• dance
• performance
• baile
• veracruz

[NadiaYC1998]

what does tilingo mean? yo no se.

[finemellow]

@NadiaYC1998 From what I can gather a "tilingo" is a simple, pedantic person, and "lingo" as well.

[luigyzam]

queisiera saber donde puedo conseguir esa version del tilingolingo????

[finemellow]

@luigyzam Hola, traté de responder muy antes, por no sirvió... La cosa es que busqué esta versión en el internet pero no pude encontrar ningun grupo que lo presentó. La señora que organizó este baile in noviembre lo debería conocer el origen de la versión. Creo que los pueden encontrar a los organizadores en la oficina de El Pueblo de Los Angeles "historic monument."

[TheBillyean]

tilingo es una cancion con mucho q sacar..!!! esta estampa me parece de flojera..

[socalevents]

Thank you for your effort to provide a background for this performance. It makes evidence a genuine feel for cultural inquiry and exploration, and what we need are more people who are willing to venture out and explore other cultures. Thank you and adelante! Hopefully I will see you in the future at the Placita Olvera or any of the many, many sites for cultural performances in Los Angeles.

[a1r2t3u4r5o61]

@luigyzam yo tengo esa versión que se escucha, si quieres te la puedo pasar

[oscarelo222]

@luigyzam intenta : Conjunto Jarocho Villa del mar

[ybre666]

parese que tienen flojera

[kb7clx]

Kudos for posting this! Great audio quality too considering. I guess there must be a few variations out there, the one I have by Conjunto Villa Del Mar says nothing about strikes, grapes, nor mothers-in-law. It's all about the dance and how beautiful are the people dancing. Also says que bonitas son las hijas de Don Simón, (how beautiful the daughters of Don Simon are.)