Alhucema

Voodoo Woman

Note that many tango lyrics published on the internet are the officially submitted lyrics and not what was actually sung at the time of recording. These vary from recording to recording.

These are my own transcriptions and translations.

TangoTweets

"Alhucema"

Orquesta Anibal Troilo c. Alberto Marino

Recorded on 1944-08-31

Music: Francisco Pracánico

Lyrics: Horacio Sanguinetti

Alhucema

Negra macumba que zumba el tambor.

¡Ha muerto un moreno y ha muerto de amor!

Triste retumba, retumba el tambor:

¡Ha muerto un hermano de nuestro color!

Y cruzan la noche los negros y el coche

que encierra un reproche de sangre y pasión.

Y canta un cortejo de labios bermejos

poniendo reflejos de antorcha en la voz.

Alhucema,

se llamaba la morena,

que a la muerte lo arrastró.

Negra loca,

fue la sangre de su boca

que a los negros embriagó

Doble pena,

uno vive en sus cadenas

y otro ha muerto por su amor.

la hoguera del canto se ha ido apagando

con llanto llorando.

Y el fúnebre carro se hunde en un barro

de sombras, rodando.

"Alhucema" [Literal Translation]

A Black Magic Woman is banging the drum

A black man has died and died of love!

The sad mumbling re-mumbled by the drum:

A brother of our colour has died!

And the blacks and the hearse traverse the night

that contains a reproach of blood and passion.

And chants of a cortege of crimson lips

reflecting flaming torches in the voice.

Alhucema,

was the name of the black woman

that dragged him to death

Crazy black woman

it was the blood from his mouth

that made the blacks get drunk

Double penalty,

one lives in chains

and another has died for his love.

the bonfire of the song has been extinguished

with tearful crying.

And the funereal car sinks into a mud

of rolling shadows

"Voodoo Woman" [Singing Interpretation]

Voodoo woman; she thunders her drum

A black brother dies; he's died of love

A sad thunder, rumbles the drummer

A brother has died; a black bro

And passing in the night brothers and the hearse

that hides a censure of blood and passion.

And a cortege of vermilion lips chants

adding the torchly glows to the voice.

Alhucema,

was the name of the sister,

that to the death she dragged him.

Crazy black mother

It was was the blood from her mouth

that was drunk by the brother

sorrow, re-sorrow,

one lives in her chains

and the other has died for love.

The flames of song are flickering away

with weeping and wailing

And the funeral hearse rolls

in a quick-sand of shadows.