Pink Martini performs “¿Dónde estás, Yolanda?”, a beautiful Latin American song, from the band’s 1997 album titled “Sympathique”. It is sung by the guest singer Pepe Raphael.
“¿Dónde estás, Yolanda?” is a song composed by Puerto Rican musician Manuel Jiménez Fernandez and made popular in the 1960s by Afro-Cuban singer Orlando Contreras and the Mexican group Sonora Santanera (an orchestra founded in 1955, still active and playing tropical music from Mexico with over 55 years of history).
¿Dónde estás, Yolanda?
“¿Dónde estás, Yolanda?” (“Where Are You, Yolanda?”) is a Cuban bolero-mambo written in 1940 by Manuel Jiménez, also known as Canario. The song belongs to the golden era of Cuban popular music, when boleros and mambos were blending into danceable, romantic styles that spread widely throughout Latin America. Its lyrics are simple and heartfelt: the singer longs for Yolanda, asking where she is, and expressing sadness and yearning over her absence. The combination of melancholy words with lively Afro-Cuban rhythms gives the piece both intimacy and movement, a characteristic feature of the era’s music.
The tune became especially popular through interpretations by Orquesta Aragón, one of Cuba’s most influential charanga bands, known for its distinctive sound shaped by violins and flutes. Their version gave the song a light, danceable character, and it soon traveled across borders. Over time, “¿Dónde estás, Yolanda?” has been recorded by many artists and remains a staple in Latin music repertoires.
In modern times, it gained renewed international attention when featured in the 2000 film Amores Perros by Alejandro González Iñárritu, where its nostalgic mood contrasted with the gritty narrative. Today, the song is considered both a romantic classic and a bridge between Cuba’s bolero traditions and global popular culture.
¿Dónde Estás, Yolanda? Lyrics
Spanish
Donde estas, donde estas, Yolanda
Que paso, que paso, Yolanda
Te busque, te busque, Yolanda
Y no estas, y no estas Yolanda x2
Tus ojos me miraron
Tus labios me besaron
Con ese fuego ardiente
Ardiente de mujer
La luz de tu mirada
El fuego de tus labios
Flecharon a mi pecho yde ti me enamore
Donde estas, donde estas, Yolanda
Que paso, que paso, Yolanda
Te busque, te busque, Yolanda
Y no estas, y no estas Yolanda x2
Dikedikeda!!
Donde estas, donde estas, Yolanda
Que paso, que paso, Yolanda
Te busque, te busque, Yolanda
Y no estas, y no estas Yolanda x2
Me dicen que paseabas;
En un carro Yolanda
Muy guapa y arrogante;
Y todos te silbaban.
Si un dia te encontrara
No se que puedo hacer
No se me vuelvo loco
Si ya no te vuelvo a ver
Donde estas, donde estas, Yolanda
Que paso, que paso, Yolanda
Te busque, te busque, Yolanda
Y no estas, y no estas Yolanda x2
Related: Pink Martini – La Soledad
English (version 1)
Where are you, where are you, Yolanda?
What happened, What happened, Yolanda?
I looked for you, I looked for you, Yolanda
And you’re not there, you’re not there, Yolanda. x2
Your eyes gazed at mine
Your lips kissed mine
with desire and passion,
The passion of a woman.
The sparkle in your eye
the fire of your lips
conquered my heart and
I fell in love with you.
Where are you, where are you, Yolanda?
What happened, What happened, Yolanda?
I looked for you, I looked for you, Yolanda,
and you’re not there, you’re not there, Yolanda. x2
Ticky ticky tack!
Where are you, where are you, Yolanda?
What happened, What happened, Yolanda?
I looked for you, I looked for you, Yolanda,
and you’re not there, you’re not there, Yolanda. x2
They tell me you were cruising
In your new car, Yolanda.
looking very pretty and
all the men whistled at you.
If someday I were to find you
I wouldn’t know what to do
And I think I will go crazy
If I never see you again.
Where are you, where are you, Yolanda?
What happened, What happened, Yolanda?
I looked for you, I looked for you, Yolanda,
and you’re not there, you’re not there, Yolanda. x2
Related: Splendor in the Grass (Pink Martini)
English (version 2)
Where are you, where are you, Yolanda?
What went down, what went down, Yolanda?
I look ’round, I look ’round, Yolanda!
Can’t find you, can’t find you, Yolanda!
Your eyes have looked at me
Your lips were kissing me
with such an ardent flame
the fervour of a dame
The light in your eye stare
The heat of your lips’ flare
sent arrows through my chest
I love you, I attest
(chorus)x2
Ticky ticky tack!
(chorus)x2
I’ve been told you were cruising
In a new car, Yolanda
That’s neat and flashy, kinda
And all whistled at you
If one day I stumble upon you
I don’t know what I’ll do;
Maybe I’ll lose my brain
If we don’t see again
(chorus)x2
Sources
- Pink Martini on Wikipedia
