Que Le Den Candela Lyrics in English Celia Cruz
Candela literally means "candle" or "fire". However, in many Latin American contexts, especially in Caribbean Spanish, it's used colloquially to mean "trouble," "hell," or to give someone a hard time.
In this song, Celia Cruz repeatedly sings "Que le den candela," which translates to "Let them give him hell" or "Let them give him trouble." It's a fiery and memorable way to express her frustration with a lazy and ungrateful man, making it a very enticing word to learn.
"Que Le Den Candela" is Celia Cruz's fiery send-up of a lazy, disrespectful boyfriend. Over a classic salsa groove, she lists everything wrong with him: he sleeps all morning while his partner works, disappears at night, and gets angry if she complains.
The chorus is where the song has its fun. "Que le den candela" literally means "give him fire," and Celia piles on more mock punishments from there - throw him in a pot, let him cook in his own wine, hang him from a kite. None of it is meant literally. It's playful, exaggerated venting, the kind of thing you'd tell a friend about a no-good partner.
By the end, her advice turns practical: pack his bags, leave a note, and let him fend for himself. It's a celebration of standing up for yourself with humor instead of heartbreak - very much in the spirit of Celia Cruz's larger-than-life salsa persona.
