Duende

Alux Nahual's song 'Duende' paints a poignant picture of the harsh realities faced by impoverished children. The lyrics describe a child who has never asked to be born into a world that offers him nothing but neglect and suffering. His body is likened to the bones consumed by the earth, a metaphor for the extreme poverty and the lack of basic necessities that he endures. The child's mind is compared to a balloon, constantly floating and untethered, symbolizing his escapist thoughts and dreams as a means of coping with his dire circumstances.

The repeated chorus, 'Es como un duende, Parece duende,' which translates to 'He's like a goblin, seems like a goblin,' suggests that the child is almost mythical or otherworldly due to his invisibility in society. He is a child without a childhood, without celebration, living in conditions that are so deplorable they seem unreal. The song calls attention to the societal neglect of such children, who are forced to grow up too quickly and are deprived of the joys and innocence of childhood.

The song ends on a note of hope and a call to action. It urges us to provide the child with education, symbolized by a book that can help him touch the stars, implying that knowledge and learning can be his salvation. By feeding and teaching him, we can help him think and dream, ultimately changing his world and, by extension, ours. 'Duende' is a powerful reminder of the potential within every child and the societal responsibility to nurture and support the most vulnerable among us.