Bahía Málaga, like much of Colombia's Pacific Coast, is home to dense mangrove forests that are among the most extensive and biodiverse in the world.
Like other secular songs of the region, "En la raíz del manglar" narrates a traditional activity that depends on this rich biodiversity: the practice of piangüar,
or harvesting clams from the roots of the mangrove forest at low tide.
The song has a didactic tone, instructing listeners to seek out the piangua by hand among the mangrove roots,
to leave small pianguas where they are found—which helps the population reproduce and remain stable—and to leave with one's harvest when the tide rises.
Ya el agua se está secando, vámonos pa'l manglar (x2)
¿Y dónde será la piangua? En la raíz del manglar (x2)
¿Cómo hacen pa' sacarla? Meté la mano sacá de allá (x2)
Ya el agua se está secando, vámonos pa'l manglar (x2)
¿Y dónde será la piangua? En la raíz del manglar (x2)
¿Y cómo hacen pa' sacarla? Meté la mano sacá de allá (x2)
Nosotros hacemos la veda cuando vamos al manglar
Sacamos la piangua grande y la pequeña queda allá (x2)
Meté la mano sacá de allá (x2)
El pejesapo te va picar
La piangua pequeña dejala allá (x2)
La marea, la marea, la marea va subir (x2)
Yo cojo mi canasto y me voy de aquí (x2)
Meté la mano sacá de allá (x2)
El pejesapo te va picar (x3)
Metéla ahí quitá de allá
Y la piangua pequeña déjala allá (x3)
The water is receding, let’s head to the mangrove (x2)
Where to find the piangua? In the roots of the mangrove (x2)
How do you get it out? Reach in and pull it out (x2)
The water is receding, let’s head to the mangrove (x2)
Where to find the piangua? In the roots of the mangrove (x2)
And how do you get it out? Reach in and pull it out (x2)
We practice conservation when we go to the mangrove
We take the big piangua and leave the small ones behind (x2)
Reach in and pull it out (x2)
The toadfish might bite you
Leave the small piangua behind (x2)
The tide, the tide, the tide is coming in (x2)
I’ll grab my basket and head away from here (x2)
Reach in and pull it out (x2)
The toadfish might bite you (x3)
Reach in, pull it out
And leave the small piangua behind (x3)
