"El espanto" (The ghost) Cover by @sayury

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Hello, community of music lovers. In this third round in week 105 of this wonderful Hive Music Festival I bring you a song from Venezuelan folklore, it is a Larense merengue, its lyrics are very funny. Its music is happy and I hope you enjoy it.

When a group of friends gets together to sing and play or at any family celebration where someone arrives "with a four (Kind of small four-string guitar) in their hand" it is very likely that this will be one of the songs that is performed after the well-known "Hey... Do you know "El Espanto"? (The Ghost)


We have several terms to clarify, and I thought it would be convenient to prepare a kind of glossary that will help better understand the lyrics of the song:


Espanto: This is what specters or ghosts are called in Venezuela and there are many legends about these "dead" or "appeared" ones.


Pelaos (Peeled): When referring to the eyes it indicates that they are very open ("Eyes more open than a garment seller" (In this case "garments" are "jewels")


Chorriao (Dripped): In the case of mustaches, it refers to the fact that they are drooping, that is, downward as if they were hanging.


Paraos (Parados) The hair "paraos" is having the hair raised, upwards, because it has not been combed.


Carota (Caraota) These are black beans that are very common on the Venezuelan table. It is said that the black bean is like blue jean...It goes with everything! In fact, a typical dish such as "pabellón" is made up of black beans, white rice, "smechada" meat and slices of banana.

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Ñema: It is the yellow part of the eggs, made up of white and "nyema". Although sometimes, par excellence, it refers to the complete egg and you go to buy it and ask "Give me two ñemas." Although there are those who jokingly say "Give me two whole chickens in their shells"


Tajá (Tajada). In Venezuela, the plantain is grown, which is a type of banana but large and is eaten cut into slices and fried in very hot oil or butter. It is parboiled to make a puree that is eaten with butter and grated cheese. You can also cut each banana into two pieces that are opened longitudinally, place a slice of cheese inside and bake them.


This song "El Espanto" (The Ghost) is lyrics and music by Adelis Freitez (Lara, 1943 – Barquisimeto, 2020), co-founder and director of the group "Carota, Ñema y Tajá", teacher at various universities and who received an honorary doctorate from UNESR

This famous and fun song became a children's book illustrated by Yonel Hernández in 2021. It was published by the independent label Utopia {portable}. The illustrations were inspired by both the musical theme and the landscapes of Yakambú Park, in the state of Lara, the composer's land.

It was popularized by the group "Carota, ñema y tajá"


Other versions of this Larense meringue:


: "Francisco Pacheco and his People",


"Venezuela Quintet"


"Venezuelan Power"


"@carmenrivas"

Beyond I don't know where
It is not known when
They say a ghost comes out
Who saw it is not known
nor where, nor how, nor when
nor why was he frightening

I saw him, I did see him
I saw him, I did see him

He was a dead man without a head
No pants, no shirt
With his hands in his pocket
And a macabre smile

I saw him, I did see him
I saw him, I did see him

He had very open eyes
He had a dripping mustache
He had his hair disheveled
He had his beard behind him

And he danced this merengue
Tasty like this halfside
And he danced this merengue
With that rhythm blocking the way

I share with you the video with the original version of "Carota, ñema y tajá"