Guaynaa Reveals the Meaning Behind ‘El Payo,’ Featuring India Martínez
We've adored Guaynaa and India Martinez's steamy, flamenco-driven "El Payo" ever since it dropped last year, but the track's gorgeous video, released last month, makes it even better.
The song is both a love story and a journey, with a unique sound blending both different genres and different cultures, and we can't get enough. We got the chance to ask Guaynaa himself all about the origins of the track and how the stunning collaboration came to be, and here's what he had to say.
Sweety High: What was the songwriting process behind "El Payo"? What was the inspiration behind the track?
Guaynaa: "El Payo" came about in Seville, and once we were there, we built it. Being there we were inspired by the culture, the atmosphere, the rhythms and the music. On the fly, we were elaborating on the rhythmic part and the composition of the song.
SH: For our English-speaking audience, can you explain what the track is all about?
Guaynaa: "El Payo" is basically an homage to the gypsy culture. For them, "el payo" is a person on the outside, a person who is not gypsy, and the song is about the love between un payo and a gypsy person.
SH: How did the collaboration with India Martínez come about? What do you think her voice uniquely lends to the track that wouldn't be there otherwise?
Guaynaa: The collaboration with India Martinez arose through a person from my work team. I was looking for a person who represented gypsy roots and that is how I met her.
Her voice and the way she performs are unique. Flamenco music tends to be lamentful music, and she is an artist who has developed from her beginnings in that musical style and interprets it with a super level of excellence. Spectacular.
SH: What was it like to film the video for the track? Do you have a favorite memory from the shoot?
Guaynaa: I remember that we went to a bullfighter's house, quite far from the location where we were. He was a renowned bullfighter in Spain, and I had never been in a place like that before, so seeing everything that makes up the lives of these people seemed quite amazing.
SH: What's your favorite lyric from the song? Why?
Guaynaa: My favorite part is India Martinez's hook, when she says, "Because love doesn't warn or give signs, that when it touches your soul the unequals come together." I think it's a very inclusive part.
SH: Is there anything else our readers should know about the song?
Guaynaa: I would love for you to know that it has very elaborate lyrics. Basically, it tells the story of the gypsies who are nomads, apart from the fact that it is a tribute to them and that in each bar, in each rhyme, it has part of their trajectory, what it is and what is part of the gypsy culture. It is a very strong and deep rhythmic composition that has to be analyzed from all points, both from the lyrical and musical point of view, since it is very tied to the concept.
Love discovering the meanings behind hot new tracks? Click HERE to read our interview with Sheryl Sheinafia on her song "Earn It."