Churisus Påkpak by Chilang Delgado – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation

Two Saturdays ago our evening practice group listened to and transcribed Churisus Påkpak by Chilang Delgado. On the surface, the song appears to be about churisus påkpak, a sausage that is common in Chamorro kitchens and gets its name from the fact that it bursts open when cooked (hence the word påkpak which means “explode” or “pop”). But this is a song full of innuendo, and the churisus påkpak is just imagery to represent something else. It wasn’t until we reached the final lyric that it suddenly clicked for the group what the song is actually talking about. (Jay only had us listen to the audio, as the music video makes the underlying meaning obvious).

This post includes the music video, Chamorro lyrics, an English translation, language notes and a cultural context note for the song Churisus Påkpak by Chilang Delgado. Happy listening!

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Nihi Fan Che’lu by Walter Manglona – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation

I was recently reminded of this song when Jay and I were walking into the city a few days ago. We often like to have a good walking song, which manifests in either improvising Chamorro lyrics to random tunes (Jay is great at this and I am terrible, haha) or just singing our favorite Chamorro songs. Last week we sang this song, which is fun for walking because it’s sung in a call-and-response style, framing a conversation between two friends trying to decide what to do next. Admittedly, one of the friends in this song seems like a pain, but that’s also what makes the song so fun. Our Saturday evening group actually transcribed this one back in 2024, so it has been sitting deep in our Chamorro music backlog. I’m glad I finally got around to posting it 🙂

So here are the Chamorro lyrics, an English translation (with plenty of notes!) and the audio recording for the song Nihi Fan Che’lu by Walter Manglona. Happy listening!

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Tuma’lu Yu’ Piniti by Maria Naputi Quintanilla – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation

Last Saturday our Praktikan Pupuengi group listened to another song by Maria Naputi Quintanilla, which is a Chamoro cover of Patsy Kline’s “I Fall to Pieces”. It’s another heartbreak song, where it’s clear the singer’s love interest has moved on. Yet every time they pass by, she feels the pain of heartbreak all over again—Tuma’lu yu’ piniti.

This is another excellent song for beginners who want to strengthen their listening comprehension. As you listen, pay close attention to moments where pronouns are shortened or blended into surrounding words, something that happens often in natural, fluent speech.

As always, this post includes Chamorro lyrics, notes for learners, and an English translation for the song “Tuma’lu Yu’ Piniti” by Maria Naputi Quintanilla. Happy listening!

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Mungnga Masångan by Toni Quitugua – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation

Last Saturday, Jay led the Praktikan Pupuengi group through listening to and transcribing the love song Mungnga Masångan by Toni Quitugua. This song has long been in rotation on Jay’s Chamorro music playlist, so it felt like a full-circle moment to hear the practice group working through the lyrics together. It’s a great song for beginners—the pacing is slow and the lyrics use simple but emotional language. As always, this post includes Chamorro lyrics, an English translation and language notes. Happy listening!

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Adios Guinaiya by Rose Martinez Certeza – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation

For this Saturday’s Praktikan Pupuengi session, our friend Danet won the vote and chose Adios Guinaiya by Rose Martinez Certeza. The music is in an upbeat, East coast swing style, which contrasts with the singer’s sad tale of being left by their significant other. The group had a great time helping each other out to get these lyrics transcribed and some words were not immediately obvious. I was supposed to be resting during the session because of my headache, but everyone was having so much fun that I couldn’t help but jump in and participate.

As always, this post includes Chamorro lyrics and an English translation for Adios Guinaiya by Rose Martinez Certeza. Happy listening!

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