Despacito

When Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s song Despacito featuring Justin Bieber reached number 1 in the billboard Chart,

There was a smile on my Spanish speaking mouth.

I believed

It brought awareness that the Spanish language is here to stay.

I, along with all of America twisted my hips,

As I heard,

Despacito

Then I heard a drunken Justin Bieber attempt to sing the song by himself,

Replacing the lyrics with blah blah blah dorrito,

And Blah blah blah burrito.

My smile turned into a frown,

My heart had more anger than a villain in a novela.

Justin, did Selena Gomez not teach you anything about our language?

Is dorrito and burrito really the only Spanish words you could think of?

Did you not find this as stereotypical?

Or maybe because both words ended with an O

Despacito means slowly in Spanish,

So let me slowly introduce you to a couple more Spanish words that end with an O.

Guero

Loco

Es-Tu-Pi-Do

Pu-to

Here is a better solution to your dilemma,

Learn the words to the song!

This language is not for you to sound sexy,

It is a form of communication.

This music is not for you to destroy,

It is for our souls to dance away borders.

You’re Canadian Bieber,

You should know about this.

However, your tongue does not get asked about its citizenship as much as mine does in the U.S.

So, excuse me for being a little upset.

Your manager says that you will no longer sing the song out of respect.

But this is not the first-time white people take something from another culture so they can make a profit from it.

Respect would be giving some of your money to help the people of Puerto Rico struggling with poverty.

Respect would be for you to remember you asked to be in this song,

So Regeaton does not owe you,

You owe reggaeton.

Ask Daddy Yankee if you could contribute anything to his barrio fino.

Respect would be to learn the words to the song!

Even if they are in Spanish.

Repeat them as many times as Mexican mothers have repeated the names of their children.

Learn the words to a song that was good even before you sang it.

But when you sing it,

Don’t just make up lyrics.

Instead sing it with the same joy that rings out as spanish speaking people all over the world sing it with you,

despite their troubles

Despite your disrespect.

And when you finally do remember the words to the song make sure you sing it,

Slowly,

Despacito.

Beatriz Ceja (Miss B ) is a 2013 and 2017 Texas Grand Slam finalist and 2013 Laredo BorderSlam Champ. She’s a Licensed Social Worker, an advocate, and current president of Laredo BorderSlam. She puts her frustrations of work, love, and loss into her heart-wrenching poetry. She’s been part of the Laredo BorderSlam community since its initiation 9 years ago and represented them in 4 BorderSlam Teams. Miss B continues to show passion for the art of spoken word and is one of the Chingona poets competing for a spot in Woman of The World Poetry Slam.