AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Today is Father's Day, and as many parents know, talking to kids about their feelings can be tough. That can be true of other relationships, too.
JUAN WAUTERS: My name is Juan Wauters. I'm Uruguayan, also American, from Jackson Heights, Queens. This song, "Dime Amiga," in Spanish means, tell me, friend. Actually, the original hook - tell me, friend, how you doing? Tell me why you're crying - came while I was seeing my daughter cry when she was a baby earlier. Luisa's my daughter. Now she's two.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DIME AMIGA")
WAUTERS: (Singing in Spanish).
I was a home-alone dad for two months. So I was spending a lot of time with her. So she was just laying around there, and I was playing guitar and singing. And she kicked into that crying, and my playing switched into those lyrics - a melody. I probably, right after, left the guitar and went and hugged her and gave her some love.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DIME AMIGA")
WAUTERS: (Singing in Spanish).
So this is a very tender song. It's me opening my heart and being like, this is a safe place for you. You know, what do you need? I'm here.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DIME AMIGA")
WAUTERS: (Singing in Spanish).
It's like the ultimate test, but that's why I like being a father. It's like the ultimate test as for a human, you know? How good of a human are you? How good of a father are you?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DIME AMIGA")
WAUTERS: (Singing in Spanish).
It's something that you learn on the way. No one really knows how to be a parent, you know? And luckily, some of my friends are now parents, and we pass each other's tricks, and we talk about the experience.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DIME AMIGA")
WAUTERS: (Singing in Spanish).
The initial spark came from that moment with my daughter, but then it became something about two friends - that it could be me lending a shoulder to a friend or a friend lending a shoulder to me and me being the voice that the song is singing to.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DIME AMIGA")
WAUTERS: (Singing in Spanish).
RASCOE: That's Juan Wauters on his new song "Dime Amiga." His new album, "MVD LUV," is out June 27, and happy Father's Day to all of you out there.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DIME AMIGA")
WAUTERS: (Singing in Spanish). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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