Tostaky

I'm surprised to read no comment at all about this interesting song. So here I go. Maybe the lack of feedback is because of the French lyrics (?). Noir Desir is a French rock band from the 90's. One of the unavoidable rock references in that country. They also had some international projection- at least they were popular in “rock circles” in my country, Spain. The main verse is in French but there also some phonetic, pseudo-Spanish quotes, which adds to the obscurity and may put any unaware translator in problems. Being Spanish myself, I find quite amusing those verses (haha). In fact, it took me some time to realize that those weird lines were supposed to be Spanish. But don't misunderstand me: the song overall is great, with that stinging, hypnotic riff and the raw energy of the lyrics and music seen as a whole: a poetic and powerful rock piece. Whatever it means. So what does it mean? This is my view: there you have a bunch of French young guys, half-idealist, half-decadent, who are flying to Mexico on holidays. They are looking for something different, maybe try some Peyote, new experiences; they come from decadent wasted old Europe and need to find a “sense of sense”. (Just like Artaud with the Tarahumaras?). As soon as they arrive, they are amazed by the ubiquitous presence and power of mother nature, and the old forgotten wisdom they see or believe to see among the pre-Spanish ruins. They also witness the poverty and the rage of the humble people living on the street. Of course they sympathize with the old pre-Columbian times, and with the revolution of Emiliano Zapata. “Tostaky” is, according to the French Wikipedia, a contraction of the Spanish expression “todo está aquí” (=everything is here), a slogan uttered by Zapata’s revolutionaries. Such a slogan MUST catch the attention of any young french poet wannabee, half idealist and half decadent. It resonates with so many things, you know: from actual social revolution, to poetry, to Paul Éluard, French surrealism playing with Marxism, and a holistic anti-historical view of nature, mankind, etc., etc. I guess they ill-pronounce the Spanish words on purpose (or they don’t give a damn); the artist feels the urge to transmit an inner experience, not a literal anything. (And anyway, who can blame them..? English is not my mother tongue either so sorry English readers for any misspelling). You can find a translation of the French verses somewhere else. But the pages I checked contained some errors concerning the Spanish verses… As I said before Noir Desir are using a dense mixture of Mexican slang along with their own naïf, almost phonetic, reinterpretation of these words :-)

Para la queja mexica Este sueño de america Celebremos la aluna De siempre, ahorita

Para la queja mexica (=for the Mexican protest) - “queja” may be translated by “claim” or “protest”, but sounds a bit naïf or inoffensive if it is about an armed revolution. “mexica” is a contraction of “mexicana”, meaning original from Mexico). Este sueño de america (=This American dream…..) Celebremos la aluna. (=Let´s celebrate the “aluna”). Here is where translators often get stuck. “aluna” means nothing. Misspelled, I guess. It should be Luna (=moon). De siempre, ahorita. (=forever, now). “ahorita” is a common Mexican alteration of “ahora” (=NOW). This verse and the precedent go directly to the heart of the song: the vindication of a pre-Spanish, pre-Christian vision of life and time, closer to nature, and seen through the lenses of an educated “western man” like let’s say J. Morrison or Noir Desir themselves: We-want-the-world-and-we-want-it-now. “Cortez” is for Hernan Cortés, the Spanish conqueror of Mexico.