# unintelligible Santana song

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintelligible-santana-song/23630>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 26, 2000, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintelligible-santana-song/23630 "2000-06-26T22:28:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintelligible-santana-song/23630/1 "2000-06-26T22:28:36Z")

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Maria Maria…

What the #@%$! is the guy in background babbling during the “segue” or whatever it is called? It sounds to me like, “majeemba, majeemba, mama mama jeemba” or something along that order. What is he really saying (if anything) and what does it mean? Help! This song drives me nuts.

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**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintelligible-santana-song/23630/2 "2000-06-26T22:44:23Z")

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Ok, these are probably the lyrics you mean

> [@](#):
>
> Ahora vengo mama chola mama chola  
> Ahora vengo mama chola
> 
> ```
> Ahora vengo mama chola mama chola
> Ahora vengo mama chola
> 
> ```

Which, according to the AltaVista translations

> **[How Babel Fish Got Lost In Translation: A History Lesson - Digital.com](https://digital.com/babel-fish/)**
>
> Learn the interesting history of how the Babel Fish translator came about, and its legacy as the pinnacle of online translation.

means

> [@](#):
>
> Now I come chola breast chola breast Now I come chola breast Now I come chola breast  
> chola breast Now I come chola breast

Hmmmm, does that answer your question?

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**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintelligible-santana-song/23630/3 "2000-06-26T22:50:09Z")

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According to [http://www.lyrics.ch](http://www.lyrics.ch), the lyrics are:

Ahora vengo mama chola mama chola  
Ahora vengo mama chola  
Ahora vengo mama chola mama chola  
Ahora vengo mama chola

Which (I think) means “Now I come (chola) mama”. Dunno what chola means and Babelfish doesn’t have it, leading me to believe that it is slang. Maybe a spanish speaking doper can help ya.

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**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintelligible-santana-song/23630/4 "2000-06-26T22:54:43Z")

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WAG…

Cholo is a slang term used for male Mmexicans

Chola would (I guess) be a female mexican.

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**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2000, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintelligible-santana-song/23630/5 "2000-06-27T02:38:34Z")

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From “Spanish Lingo for the Savvy Gringo”

> [@](#):
>
> Cholos are variously L.A. street punks, Mexican American gangsters, or (according to Mexicans) any sor of low rider low-lifes that come south of the border. Though the word is ill-defined, there is a definite Cholo style, though it might change

So the hispanic female equivalent of a gangsta or girl from the 'hood.

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**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2000, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintelligible-santana-song/23630/6 "2000-06-27T02:46:00Z")

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Wow! You learn something new everyday. I’m mexican and not knowing this kind of stuff is precisely the reason why there aren’t any “Ask the mexican chic” topics.