Andréa Burns is an American actress and singer known for her work on Broadway and television. She gained fame for roles like Daniela in In the Heights and Carmen in The Nance.

Born in Miami Beach to a Venezuelan mother and Jewish father, she started her career early, touring Europe in West Side Story. Andréa has appeared in many musicals, including Beauty and the Beast and The Full Monty, and has performed at Carnegie Hall.

She also acts in TV shows like Jessica Jones and films such as Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021). Besides performing, she teaches and coaches aspiring actors.

About the Song

Carnaval del Barrio from the Broadway musical In the Heights celebrates the vibrant spirit and pride of the Latinx community in their neighborhood. It mixes fun, humor, and energy as characters dance and sing about their heritage and the challenges they face.

The song highlights unity, cultural pride, and the joy of coming together despite challenges such as power outages. It’s a lively tribute to community, family, and the colorful life of the barrio.

Carnaval Del Barrio Lyrics by Andréa Burns

DANIELA

Hey! Hey!
What’s this tontería that I’m seeing on the street?
I never thought I’d see the day…
Since when are Latin people scared of heat?
When I was a little girl
Growing up in the hills of Vega Alta
My favorite time of year was Christmas time!
Ask me why!

CARLA, spoken

Why?

DANIELA

There wasn’t an ounce of snow
But oh, the coquito would flow!
As we sang the Aguinaldo
The carnaval would begin to grow!
Business is closed, and we’re about to go…
Let’s have a carnaval del barrio!

PIRAGUA GUY

¡Wepa!

Community groans

DANIELA

¡Carnaval del barrio!
¡Carnaval del barrio!
Carnaval…

PIRAGUA GUY

¡Carnaval!

DANIELA

Del barrio…

PIRAGUA GUY

¡Barrio!

DANIELA

Carnaval…

SONNY/PIRAGUA GUY/GRAFFITI PETE

¡Carnaval!

DANIELA

Del barrio…

SONNY/PIRAGUA GUY/GRAFFITI PETE

¡Barrio!

DANIELA

We don’t need electricidad!
Get off your butt, ¡avanza!
Saca la maraca, bring your tambourine
Come and join the parranda

PIRAGUA GUY

¡Wepa!

DANIELA/CARLA/
PIRAGUA GUY/GROUP 1

Carnaval…

¡Del barrio!

Carnaval…

¡Del barrio!

DANIELA/CARLA/
PIRAGUA GUY/SONNY/GROUP 1

Carnaval…

¡Del barrio!

Carnaval…

¡Del barrio!

GROUP 2

¡Carnaval!

¡Barrio!

¡Carnaval!

Barrio!

Carnaval!

Barrio!

¡Carnaval!

¡Del barrio!

CARLA

Oh, me, me, me! Dani I have a question
I don’t know what you’re cantando

DANIELA

Just make it up as you go!
We are improvisando!
Lai le lo lai lo le lo lai!
You can sing anything!

CARLA

What?

DANIELA

Carla, whatever pops into your head
Just so long as you sing!

CARLA

Uh… My mom is Dominican-Cuban
My dad is from Chile and P.R. which means:
I’m Chile-Domini-Curican…
But I always say I’m from Queens!

PIRAGUA GUY

¡Wepaaa!

DANIELA/CARLA/
PIRAGUA GUY/SONNY/GROUP 1

Carnaval…

¡Del barrio!

Carnaval…

¡Del barrio!

COMMUNITY

¡Carnaval!

¡Barrio!

¡Carnaval!

¡Del barrio!

VANESSA

Why is everyone so happy?
We’re sweating and we have no power!
I gotta get out of here soon
This block’s getting worse by the hour!
You can’t even go to a club with a friend
Without having somebody shove you!

DANIELA

Ay, por favor
Vanessa, don’t pretend that Usnavi’s your friend
We all know that he looooove you!

COMMUNITY

Ohhhh!!

CARLA

Wow, now that you mention that sexual tension is easy to see!

VANESSA

Yo, this is bogus!

DANIELA

Haven’t you noticed you get all your coffee for free?

Community cheers

DANIELA/CARLA/
PIRAGUA GUY/SONNY

Carnaval…

¡Del barrio!

Carnaval…

¡Del barrio!

COMMUNITY

¡Carnaval!

¡Barrio!

¡Carnaval!
¡Del barrio!

NEIGHBOR

Here comes Usnavi!

USNAVI

Yo! Yo! Yo, y-y-yo-yo!
Now, now, everyone gather ‘round, sit
Down, listen, I got an announcement
Wow, it involves large amounts, it’s
Somewhere in the range of ninety-six thousand!
Atención, I’m closin’ shop!
Sonny, grab everybody a soda-pop!
Yo, grab a bottle, kiss it up to God
‘Cause Abuela Claudia just won the lotto!
Abuela Claudia won the lotto!
We’re bookin’ a flight for D.R. tomorrow!

COMMUNITY

Oh my gah!

COMMUNITY (EXCEPT VANESSA & SONNY)

Alza la bandera
¡La bandera Dominicana!
Alza la bandera
¡La bandera Puertoriqueña!
Alza la bandera
¡La bandera Mexicana!
Alza la bandera
¡La bandera Cubana!

PIRAGUA GUY

¡Pa’ribba esa bandera!

¡Álzala donde quiera!

¡Recuerdo de mi tierra!

PIRAGUA GUY/USNAVI

¡Me acuerdo de mi tierra!

¡Esa bonita bandera!

¡Contiene mi alma entera!

Y cuando yo me muera
¡Entiérrame en mi tierra!

COMMUNITY

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Dance break

DANIELA

Everything changes today!

COMMUNITY

Hey!

DANIELA/CARLA

Usnavi’s on his way!

COMMUNITY

Hey!

DANIELA/CARLA

Off to a better place!

COMMUNITY

Hey!

DANIELA/CARLA

Look at Vanessa’s face!

COMMUNITY

Hey!

BENNY

Everything changes today!

COMMUNITY

Hey!

BENNY

Goodbye, Mr. Rosario!

USNAVI

Okay!

BENNY

I’m taking over the barrio!

USNAVI/DANIELA/CARLA

We’re getting out of the barrio!

DANIELA

Hey, Mr. Benny: have you seen any horses today?

COMMUNITY

Hey!

BENNY

What do you mean?

DANIELA

I heard you and Nina went for a roll in the hay!

ALL

Hey! Ohhhh…

WOMEN

Benny and Nina

Sitting in a tree!

K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

¡Qué bochinche!

Nina and Benny!

K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

MEN

Benny and Nina

Sitting in a tree!

K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

¡Qué bochinche!

Nina and Benny!
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

SONNY

Hold up

SONNY/GRAFFITI PETE

Wait a minute!

SONNY

Usnavi’s leavin’ us for the Dominican Republic?
And Benny went and stole the girl
That I’m in love with?
She was my babysitter first!

GRAFFITI PETE

Hoo!

SONNY

Listen up, is this
What y’all want?
We close the bodega
The neighborhood is gone!
They selling the dispatch
And they closing the salón
And they’ll never turn the lights back on, ‘cause—

SONNY/VANESSA

We are powerless, we are powerless!

SONNY

And y’all keep dancin’ and singin’ and celebratin’
And it’s gettin’ late and this place disintegratin’ and—

SONNY/VANESSA

We are powerless, we are powerless!

USNAVI

Alright, we’re powerless, so light up a candle!
There’s nothing going on here that we can’t handle!

SONNY

You don’t understand, I’m not trying to be funny!

USNAVI

We’re gonna give a third of the money to you Sonny!

SONNY

What?

USNAVI

Yeah, yeah…

SONNY

For real?

USNAVI

Yes!
Maybe you’re right, Sonny, call in the coroners!
Maybe we’re powerless, a corner full of foreigners
Maybe this neighborhood’s changing forever
Maybe tonight is our last night together, however!
How do you want to face it?
Do you wanna waste it, when the end is so close you can taste it?
Y’all could cry with your head in the sand
I’m a fly this flag that I got in my hand!

PIRAGUA GUY

¡Pa’rriba esa bandera!

COMMUNITY

Hey!

PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA

¡Álzala donde quiera!

COMMUNITY

Hey!

USNAVI

Can we raise our voice tonight?
Can we make a little noise tonight?

COMMUNITY

Hey!

PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA/CARLA

¡Esa bonita bandera!

COMMUNITY

Hey!

PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA/CARLA

¡Contiene mi alma entera!

COMMUNITY

Hey!

USNAVI

In fact, can we sing so loud and raucous
They can hear us across the bridge in East Secaucus?

PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA/
CARLA/SONNY/MEN

¡Pa’rriba esa bandera!
¡Álzala donde quiera!

COMMUNITY

¡Carnaval del
Barrio!

USNAVI

From Puerto Rico to Santo Domingo
Wherever we go, we rep our people and the beat go…

PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA/
CARLA/MEN

¡Esa bonita bandera!
¡Contiene mi alma entera!

COMMUNITY

Carnaval del
Barrio

USNAVI

Vanessa, forget about what coulda been
Dance with me, one last night, in the hood again

DANIELA/CARLA

¡Wepa!

Vanessa and Usnavi slowly begin to dance.

COMMUNITY

¡Carnaval del barrio!
¡Carnaval del barrio!

DANIELA

¡Pa’rriba esa bandera!
¡Oye!
Y cuando yo me muera
Entiérrame en mi tierra
¡Del barrio!

Alza la bandera!

Adios!
Adios!
Adios!

COMMUNITY

¡Carnaval del barrio!

¡Carnaval del barrio!
¡Del barrio!

Alza la bandera
La bandera Dominicana!
Alza la bandera
¡La bandera
Puertoriqueña!

Alza la bandera
¡La bandera Mexicana!

COMMUNITY

Alza la bandera
La bandera
La bandera
La bandera
La bandera

¡Alza la bandera!
Hey!

Similar Songs Like Carnaval Del Barrio

Here are similar songs like Carnaval Del Barrio by Andréa Burns, all from In the Heights, and each with a unique emotional feel:

• Alabanza: A soulful, emotional tribute filled with reverence and grief. It honors loss, blending sorrow with beauty in a powerful moment of collective mourning and cultural pride.

• No Me Diga: It’s a fun, fast-paced number that bursts with gossip, sass, and humor. It holds friendship, playful teasing, and the bright spirit of a tight-knit community salon in Washington Heights.

• 96,000: Energy surges through this number with excitement, fantasy, and shared dreams of a better life, showing ambition, playful banter, and the thrill of imagining endless possibilities.

Similar Artists Like Andréa Burns

Below are similar artists to Andréa Burns, along with their genres and top albums:

• Lin-Manuel Miranda
  Genre: Musical Theatre, Hip-Hop, Latin Pop
  Top Album: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Karen Olivo
  Genre: Musical Theatre, Contemporary Broadway
  Top Album: In the Heights (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Daphne Rubin-Vega
  Genre: Musical Theatre, Rock, Latin Pop
  Top Album: Rent (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Chita Rivera
  Genre: Musical Theatre, Latin Jazz
  Top Album: Chita! (1962)

Frequently Asked Questions

What Languages are Used in Carnaval Del Barrio?

The song features both English and Spanish lyrics, showing the bilingual nature of the Washington Heights neighborhood and its diverse Latinx community.

What Instruments are Prominently Featured in Carnaval Del Barrio?

Latin percussion instruments such as congas, timbales, and bongos create the song’s lively salsa and merengue rhythms, giving it an original Latin dance feel.

What is the Significance of Flags Mentioned Carnaval Del Barrio?

The flags represent various Latin American countries—Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Cuba, symbolizing the rich, diverse heritage of the neighborhood’s residents and their pride in their roots.