ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nellie McKay - Singer/songwriter
Nellie McKay sings, croons, raps, grooves and -- barks? -- to glowing critical acclaim.

Why you should listen

Playful, quirky, hilarious, endearing: not attributes of your typical political agitator. But singer-songwriter-producer-activist Nellie McKay merits the description. Her music is whimsical, colorful, catchy and as engaging as it is restless. Toying with antique genres and yet undeniably contemporary, it flirts with multiple styles of delivery while maintaining a sharp social conscience.

For these and other eccentricities, McKay has gained a devoted fan following. On stage and off, she's an outspoken advocate of animal rights, a friend and ally to any arch political quip and -- lucky for us -- artistically uncompromising. After cutting two major-label records, her own indie label, Hungry Mouse, produced her latest, Obligatory Villagers.

More profile about the speaker
Nellie McKay | Speaker | TED.com
TED2008

Nellie McKay: "Mother of Pearl," "If I Had You"

Nellie NcKay canta "Madreperla" y "Si yo te tuviera"

Filmed:
1,386,342 views

La maravillosa Nellie McKay canta "Madreperla" (con su inmortal primera linea "Las feministas no tienen sentido del humor") y "Si yo te tuviera" de su brillante actuación en TED2008.
- Singer/songwriter
Nellie McKay sings, croons, raps, grooves and -- barks? -- to glowing critical acclaim. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:25
FeministsFeministas don't have a sensesentido of humorhumor. ♫
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♫Las feministas no tienen sentido del humor.♫
00:32
FeministsFeministas just want to be alonesolo -- booabucheo hoohoo, hoohoo, hoohoo. ♫
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♫Las feministas sólo quieren estar solas. Boo hoo, hoo, hoo.♫
00:39
FeministsFeministas spreaduntado viciousvicioso liesmentiras and rumorsrumores. ♫
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♫Las feministas propagan mentiras y rumores maliciosos;♫
00:44
♫ They have a tumortumor on theirsu funnygracioso bonehueso. ♫
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♫tienen un tumor en el "hueso de la alegría".♫
00:51
♫ They say childniño molestationacoso isn't funnygracioso -- hadecir ah, hadecir ah, hadecir ah, hadecir ah. ♫
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♫Dicen que el abuso a menores no tiene gracia. Ha, ha, ha, ha. ♫
00:59
RapeViolación and degradation'sdegradación just a crimecrimen -- lightenaligerar up, ladiesseñoras. ♫
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♫Que la violación y la humillación son sencillamente un delito - avívense, señoras.♫
01:06
RampantDesenfrenado prostitution'sprostitución sexsexo for moneydinero -- what’s wrongincorrecto with that? ♫
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♫El alarmante aumento de la prostitución, sexo por dinero -- ¿qué hay de malo en ello?♫
01:12
♫ Can't these chickspolluelos do anything but whinegimoteo? ♫
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♫¿No pueden estas chicas hacer nada más, sino lloriquear?♫
01:18
DanceBaile breakdescanso! DaDa, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada. ♫
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♫Tiempo para bailar. Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da. ♫
01:27
DaDa, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada. ♫
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♫ Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da. ♫
01:29
Woo-hooWoo-hoo! ♫
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♫ Woo-hoo! ♫
01:31
DaDa, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada -- ♫
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♫ Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da ♫
01:35
♫ yeah, take it off. ♫
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♫Sí, dale.♫
01:38
DaDa, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dumdum. ♫
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♫ Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, dum. ♫
01:44
♫ They say cheapbarato objectificationobjetivación isnisn’t wittyingenioso -- it’s hotcaliente! ♫
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♫Dicen que fijarse un objetivo fácil no es ingenioso -- ¡está de moda!
01:52
EqualIgual work and wagessalario worthvalor the fightlucha -- ♫
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♫Trabajos y salarios equitativos merecen la lucha.♫
01:57
singcanta us a newnuevo one. ♫
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♫Cántenos uno cuento nuevo.♫
01:59
On-demandBajo demanda abortionaborto everycada cityciudad -- OK, but no gunpistola controlcontrolar. ♫
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♫Aborto a petición en todas las ciudades -- De acuerdo, pero nada de control de armas.♫
02:06
WonWon’t these womenmujer ever get a life? ♫
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♫¿Lograrán alguna vez estas mujeres vivir su propia vida?♫
02:12
FeministsFeministas dondon’t have a sensesentido of humorhumor -- poorpobre HillaryHillary. ♫
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♫Las feministas no tienen sentido del humor -- pobre Hillary.♫
02:20
FeministsFeministas and vegetariansvegetarianos -- make minemía a BigGrande MacMac. ♫
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♫Las feministas y los vegetarianos -- háganme la mía una Big Mac.♫
02:27
FeministsFeministas spreaduntado viciousvicioso liesmentiras and rumorsrumores. ♫
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♫Las feministas propagan mentiras y rumores maliciosos;♫
02:32
♫ They're farlejos too sensitivesensible to ever be a hamjamón, ♫
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♫Son demasiado sensibles para exagerar,♫
02:39
♫ that's why these feministsfeministas just need to find a man. ♫
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es por eso que estas feministas sólo necesitan encontrar un hombre.
02:44
DaDa, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada. ♫
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♫ Da, da, da da, da, da, da, da, da, da. ♫
02:50
I’m DennisDennis KucinichKucinich and I approvedaprobado this messagemensaje.
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Soy Dennis Kucinich y estoy de acuerdo con este mensaje.
02:56
Thank you.
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Gracias.
02:58
(ApplauseAplausos)
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(Aplausos).
03:01
Thank you.
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Gracias.
03:03
(ApplauseAplausos)
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(Aplausos).
03:06
Thank you.
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Gracias.
03:09
I askedpreguntó my mothermadre, you know, should I say anything in supportapoyo of anyonenadie?
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Le pregunté a mi madre, ya sabes, ¿debería decir algo en favor de alguien?
03:13
And she said, "Oh no! Just disdis everybodytodos, exceptexcepto RalphRalph NaderNader."
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Y me dijo: "¡Qué va! Insúltalos a todos, excepto a Ralph Nader".
03:19
(LaughterRisa)
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(Risas)
03:25
♫ I could showespectáculo the worldmundo how to smilesonreír, ♫
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♫Podría enseñar al mundo como sonreír,♫
03:30
♫ I could be gladalegre all of the while. ♫
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♫Podría estar contenta todo el tiempo,♫
03:40
♫ I could turngiro the graygris skiescielo to blueazul, if I had you. ♫
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♫Tornaría los cielos grises en azules si yo te tuviera.♫
03:53
♫ I could leavesalir the oldantiguo daysdías behinddetrás, ♫
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♫Podría dejar atrás los días pasados,♫
03:59
leavesalir all my palsamigos, I’d never mindmente. ♫
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♫dejar a mis amigos, no me importaría.♫
04:09
♫ I could startcomienzo my life all anewde nuevo, if I had you. ♫
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♫Podría empezar mi vida toda de nuevo, si yo te tuviera.♫
04:22
♫ I could climbescalada the snow-cappedcubierto de nieve mountainsmontañas, ♫
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♫Podría escalar las montañas nevadas,♫
04:29
sailvela the mightypoderoso oceanOceano wideamplio. ♫
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♫navegar el inmenso y poderoso oceano.♫
04:38
♫ I could crosscruzar the burningardiente desertDesierto, if I had you by my sidelado. ♫
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♫Podría cruzar el ardiente desierto si yo te tuviera a mi lado.♫
04:51
♫ I could be a kingRey, dearquerido, uncrownedsin corona, humblehumilde or poorpobre, richRico or renownedrenombrado. ♫
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♫Puedo ser un rey, querido, sin corona, humilde o pobre, rico o renombrado.♫
05:07
♫ There is nothing I couldncouldn’t do, if I had you. ♫
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♫No hay nada que yo no pudiera hacer si yo te tuviera.♫
05:25
Thank you. Well, thank you so much.
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Gracias. Muchas gracias.
Translated by Gloria Lao García
Reviewed by Diana Garcia

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nellie McKay - Singer/songwriter
Nellie McKay sings, croons, raps, grooves and -- barks? -- to glowing critical acclaim.

Why you should listen

Playful, quirky, hilarious, endearing: not attributes of your typical political agitator. But singer-songwriter-producer-activist Nellie McKay merits the description. Her music is whimsical, colorful, catchy and as engaging as it is restless. Toying with antique genres and yet undeniably contemporary, it flirts with multiple styles of delivery while maintaining a sharp social conscience.

For these and other eccentricities, McKay has gained a devoted fan following. On stage and off, she's an outspoken advocate of animal rights, a friend and ally to any arch political quip and -- lucky for us -- artistically uncompromising. After cutting two major-label records, her own indie label, Hungry Mouse, produced her latest, Obligatory Villagers.

More profile about the speaker
Nellie McKay | Speaker | TED.com

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