Dog School in Antigua

It is amazing how an image can trigger memories. It is usual for a song to bring back memories and images to mind, but today it is a photograph that brought the melodic, nostalgic and angry voice of Alí Primera, lead singer of Los Guaraguao [ES] and their world famous song Las casas de cartón back to the present.

The reason the photo above brought memories back from an old forbidden song in Latin America was the lyrics of Las casas de cartón (the cardboard houses) which had something about dog schools where the canine were given education so they don’t bite the newspapers… but I rather leave you with part of the lyrics and the song below it.

Usted no lo va a creer, (You won’t believe this,)
pero hay escuelas de perros (but there are dog schools)
y les dan educación (and education is given to them)
pa’ que no muerdan los diarios (so they don’t bite the newspapers)
pero el patrón (but the boss)
hace años, muchos años (it’s been years, many years)
que está mordiendo al obrero. (that is biting the worker)
Source: Las casas de cartón where you can read all the lyrics.

If you know this song, what kind of memories does it bring to you? what can you share with us?

Jilly says:

November 13, 2007 at 9:51 am

I’ve never seen dog schools in the street and why not. Love the photo.

Not heard this music before – so no memories – but I adore it and intend buying a copy. thankyou for that.

Manolo says:

November 13, 2007 at 10:10 am

Pues I had heard of, but never heard this song until today (thanks Rudy!). However the topic reminded me of relatives I visited in El Mezquital(suburban slum of Guatemala City, well known by LD btw) two (or three) lifetimes ago. Yes, they are “illegitimate” relatives, but I do share a last name with them… It made me think of my cousin who was killed near his house, probably by maras, my other cousin who got pregnant and married the year after her quince años, and the third one who I hope learn the lessons vicariously… things I usually don’t think about… about blood ties and “luck” and whatnot.

Lessie says:

November 13, 2007 at 11:57 am

Ah, dog training. Necessary the world over, I guess. Just more scenic backdrop in Antigua. 🙂

LD says:

November 13, 2007 at 9:36 pm

I love that song. I have a lot of memories associated with it. One would be the many protests in Guatemala City. This song always seems to be the music pumped out of a sound system on a pick-up truck to get people in the mood for taking on authorities. While the protests may be organized by Guatemalan city folk, often a lot of the people marching are some of the poorest people from rural areas. I picture them and their wrinkled faces and sad eyes.

The line “que triste vive mi gente en las casas de carton” … “How sad my people live, in their cardboard houses” reminds me of the crumbling poor neighbourhoods (such as El Mesquital) and the isolated, empoverished communities where the idea of doggie education must be preposterous. I bet the price of those pure-bred pooches and their treats would shock them as well.

Carmen says:

November 14, 2007 at 9:54 am

I know this song. I heard it in the 80s when listening to songs such as these was deemed to be “unacceptable” and anti-government for containing true social commentary. Sadly, this song is still relevant today…