"Soy Roquero" genre: Rock En Espanol
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	Short but potent, like a cup of cafe cubano, this 2 minute blast from Arranca has become an anthem for the Cuban roquero.Being a "roquero". or rock aficionado, in Cuba means going against the grain of the dictatorship."Soy Roquero" distills the frustration, rebelliousness, and pride, of a typical roquero in Castro's Cuba, into a melodic punk singalong.
	CD: Exile On Pain Street [Exilio Doloroso]   Label: Roquero Records Credits: Sonido Lorido Music, BMI
	Story Behind the Song Songwriter Victor Garcia-Rivera transformed a song he wrote for his first band, The Edge, into "Soy Roquero" by changing the lyrics. Originally titled "Rock N' A Hard Place", the song originally described the frustrations of a young rock aficionado in the 1980s era USA. For his next project, Arranca, Victor rewrote the words in his native tongue, Spanish, and changed the point of view to that of a Cuban rock aficionado trapped in Castro's restrictive society. "I thought, there but for the grace of God go I", says Garcia-Rivera. "If my parents had remained in Cuba, this song would probably have described my situation. As it turned out, I grew up in the States, but I had friends in Cuba who were into rock but ran afoul of the government for following what was considered 'decadent' North American rock. This is their story, and would have been mine, but for a simple twist of fate." Lyrics Me reuno con mis amigos cada noche en la Coppelia En la cola para un helado otra noche en el Vedado Chorus: oyeme, mama, soy Roquero, un delincuente habanero mirame mama, soy Roquero un aficionado verdadero Los policias son guajiros y no nos entendemos les gritamos: "¡Abajo Fidel!" y nos meten en la carcel Chorus [2s] ¡Bolaísimo! TRANSLATION: I get together with my pals every night at The Coppelia* Waiting in line for an ice cream another night in Vedado** Listen to me mom, I'm a Roquero*** a delincuent Habanero Look at me mom, I'm a Roquero a real rock aficionado The policemen are all hicks and they don't understand us we yell out: "Down with Fidel!" and they haul us off to jail CHORUS [2X} Bolaissimo [Cuban slang, roughly translated: "It's the balls!" NOTES: *Coppelia is an ice cream parlor in the **Vedado neighborhood west of the old city. It is a gathering spot for Cuban ***Roqueros [rock aficionados] as well as tourists. The tourists, who pay in dollars, get served right away. The roqueros, and other Cubans, have to wait in line for as long as 3 hours to get their ice cream. Due to the lack of activities for younger people, the place has become a hangout, where youths meet their friends, and hopefully, make contacts with foreigners who can do them favors.

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