Latin America! In the fall of '12 All Around This World will focus on music, stories and games from all over Latin America. Here's a little information about each tune we'll enjoy. Jay will soon be working on real CDs for each season of All Around This World with full arrangements, professional musicians and 100% correct pronunciations. In the meantime, click the name of each song and you’ll find an mp3 of Jay singing it so at least you can remember how your favorite songs go in the days between classes. (Each song will open in a new browser window.) You may also follow the links in the "more info" section of each description to learn more the song and hear some original versions. Most of the below translations aren't exact, but use a little poetic license so the words will work well in English. Click on a country map for a list of songs from that country. Listen to songs from All Around This World's African session and learn about songs from All Around This World's South and Central Asian session. Please Let Jay know about any egregious mispronunciations. All Around This World's African session. All Around This World's South and Central Asian session. All Around This World's Caribbean session. All Around This World's Eastern Europe and the Baltics session. Jay is currently trying to track down contact information for the publishers and/or composers of the songs in question. Please contact him if you own the copyright for any of these songs and he'll happily compensate you for licensing your wonderful music.

Hello/We Are Happy Country: Uganda Lyrics: We are happy, we are happy on this day. (4x), Hello (child’s name), hello hello Hello mommies, hello daddies, hello caregivers...We are happy, we are happy on this day. More info: Wait, Uganda isn’t in South America! We will be singing this Ugandan “hello” song every season. The Abayudya of Uganda are a small community of about 500 Luganda-speaking Bagandans who have been practicing Judaism for over 80 years. Abayudaya community members Rabbi Gershom Sizomu and his brother JJ Keki wrote these two welcome songs that are combined here into one. The Abayudaya have recorded four CDs of African-Jewish music, including Shalom Everybody Everywhere and Abayudaya: Music from the Jewish People of Uganda. Un Barcuito chiquitito Language:Spanish Lyrics: Había una vez un barco chiquitito (3x) Que no podía, no podía, no podía parar. Habia una vez un avión chiquitito (3x) Que no podia, no podia, no podia parar. Translation: Once upon a time there was a little boat (3x) That could that could that could not stop. Once upon a time there was a little airplane (3x) That could that could that could not stop. More info: Listen to the tune on Vamos a Cantar: Let Us Sing: A Collection of Children's Songs in Spanish Los Animals Country: Argentina Language: Spanish Lyrics: El perro, el perro, hace guau, hace guau El perro, el perro, hace guao, hace guao Translation: The dog says Woof! More info: Animals can speak Spanish too! Sung to the same tune as "Frere Jacques." O Pião Country: Brazil Language: Portuguese Lyrics: O pião entrou na roda, ó pião (x2) Roda pião, bambeia pião (x2) Translation: The top entered the round, (x2) Spin top, slow down, top, (x2) More info: Thanks to Mama Lisa's World for the lyrics and melody. A la Rorro Niño Country: Guatemala Language: Spanish Lyrics: A la rorro niño, a la rororo Dormite mi niño, dormite mi amor Dormite mi niño, dormite mi amor A la rorro niño, a la rororo Translation: Rock my child, rock Sleep my child, sleep my love Sleep my child, sleep my love Rock my child, rock More info: This song is usually sung around Christmas-time, with the "niño" in question being the baby Jesus. In All Around This World, our niño is going to be the niño in your arms. Thanks to Smithsonian Folkways' Lullabies of the World for the melody. Un Elephante Country: Mexico Language: Spanish Lyrics: Un elefante se balanceaba sobre la tela de una araña, como veía que resistía fue a llamar a otro elefante. Dos elefantes se balanceaban…Tres elefantes...Cuatro elefantes... Translation: An elephant stood on the web of a spider. She said, "Oh no! Oh no!". Along came her friend. She called to invite her. They both got caught and said, "Let us go!" (Three elephants...Four elephants... More info: Thanks to Mama Lisa's World for the lyrics and melody. Xtoles Country: Mexico Language: Mayan Lyrics: Conex, conex palanxen, xicubin, xicubin yocolquin (4x) Translation: Let's go, let's go boys, for the sun is setting (4x) More info: Thanks to Mama Lisa's World for the lyrics and melody. Los Pollitos Country: United States/Puerto Rico Language: Spanish Lyrics: Los pollitos dicen pío, pío, pío, cuando tienen hambre cuando tienen frío. La gallina busca el maíz y el trigo, les da la comida y les presta abrigo. Bajo de sus alas, acurrucaditos. Duermen los pollitos hasta el otro día! Translation: The little chicks say pio pio pio when they are hungry and when they are cold. The mother chicken looks for corn for them to eat. She will gives them shelter, she will give them peace. Under mama's wings the little chickens keep, until the next morning they are all asleep. More info: Thanks to Mama Lisa's World for the lyrics and melody. There's a really nice version of this song on Elizabeth Mitchell's You Are My Little Bird.

La llave Language:Spanish Lyrics: ¿Donde está la llave? Mate-rile-rile-rile ¿Donde estí la llave? Mate-rile-rile-ro (pon!) ¿Quien ira a buscar? Mate-rile-rile-rile ¿Quien ira a buscar? Mate-rile-rile-rile Translation: Where is the key? Let’s look for it. (2x) Who is going to find it? More info: Listen to the tune on Chago Rodrigo's Smithsonian Folkways Album. (On the album it's calld "Estrellita.") Aserín (the Woodsman) Country: Argentina Language: Spanish Lyrics: Aserrín, aserrán, los maderos de San Juan Piden pan, no les dan piden queso les dan hueso. Translation: Saw, saw, the woodsmen of San Juan, ask for bread, they're given none Ask for cheese they're given a bone. More info: Not exactly the most pleasant lyrics for a song, eh? Then again, children's song lyrics aren't always pleasant (like life). Thanks to Mama Lisa's World for the lyrics and melody. A Canoa Country: Brazil Language: Portuguese Lyrics: A canoa virou, quem deixou ela virar Foi por causa da [name], que não soube remar Siriri prá cá, siriri prá lá Translation: The canoe flipped and who let it flip was it you? It was because of [name], now what are we going to do? Paddle this way paddle that way, paddle this way paddle that way More info: Thanks to Mama Lisa's World for the lyrics and melody. Sol Solecito Country: Colombia Language: Spanish Lyrics: Sol, solecito, caliéntame un poquito por hoy, por mañana, por toda la semana. Translation: Sun, little sun, warm me up a bit Today, tomorrow, all week long. More info: Thanks to Mama Lisa's World for the lyrics and melody. Punta Country: Honduras Language: Garifuna Lyrics: Nuruhuma arihei habuidumenina My story may be sad but we'll laugh anyway. Translation: Sit down and watch this. You’ll enjoy the story but that won’t make it any less sad. More info: This is a song from the Garifuna of Honduras. It’s the opening lines of an epic romance tale that is told through dance. Thanks to Smithsonian Folkways for the lyrics and melody. Este Torito Country: Mexico Language: Spanish Lyrics: Este torito que traigo lo traigo desde Tenango, y lo vengo manteniendo con cascaritas de mango. Translation: This little bull I am bringing comes here from Tenango To get him to come here with me I feed him lots of mango. More info: Thanks to Mama Lisa's World for the lyrics and melody. Despierta Country: Nicaragua Language: Spanish Lyrics: Qué linda esta mañana en que vengo a saludarte, venimos todos con gusto, y placer a felicitarte Despierta, mi bien, despierta, mira que ya amaneció, ya los pajarillos cantan, la luna ya se metió. Translation: How beautiful is morning, we’ve come to sing along We all will sing together and we’ll start with this song Wake up dear, wake up my darling, rub your eyes, it’s almost dawn The little birds are singing and the nighttime has gone. More info: Thanks to Mama Lisa's World for the lyrics and melody.

La Luna Language:Spanish Lyrics: Quisiera ser tan alto como la luna, Ay-ay-ay! Como la luna Quisiera ser paloma y poder volar, ¡Ay-ay-ay! y poder volar Translation: I’d like to be as the moon way up high, high, high, Ay-ay-ay! way up high, high, high. I’d like to be a dove so I could fly fly fly, Ay-ay-ay! I could fly fly fly More info: Listen to the tune on Chago Rodrigo's Smithsonian Folkways Album, Coya chiquitito Country: Argentina Language:Spanish Lyrics: Soy un coya chiquitito, vivo solo en mi ranchito. Con mis ojotas de cuero, ya me voy camino al cerro. Translation: I’m a little Kolla boy, I live on this tiny farm I put on my leather sandals on my way up to the hill. More info: The Kolla are indigenous people from Argentina's north. Thanks to Mama Lisa's World for the lyrics and melody. Cachumbambé Country: Cuba Language: Spanish Lyrics: Cachumbambé, La vieja Inés, Se bebe guarapo y no toma café. Translation: See-saw, See-saw, Old lady Ines drinks sugar cane juice and doesn’t drink coffee. More info: Thanks to the Library of Congress and its Florida Folklife/WPA Collection for the lyrics and melody. Al citron Country: Mexico Language: Spanish Lyrics: Al citron de un fandango, Sango sango, Sabare sabaré de la randela, con su triki triki tron. Translation As with some children's chants, there isn't any translation to this one that makes sense. More info: This is the song for a children's game played in Mexico. Mayan Peace Song Country: Mexico (There are no lyrics.) More info: A Mayan peace song from Chalcuitan. Check out the Smithsonian Folkways "Modern Mayan: The Indian Music of Chiapas, Mexico, Vol. 1" for the original melody. Tambobambino Country: Peru Language: Quechua Lyrics: Tambobambino maqt'acha, parachallapin purichian, Flautachallantan fukustin, charangochantaq kunkanpi. ¡Wifalitay wifala, wifalatay, wifala, Wifalitay wifala, wifalatay, wifala! Translation: A boy from Tambobamba is walking in the rain, Playing his flute with his musical charango* hanging from his neck. What a foolish little boy! What a silly little boy! *charango is an instrument that looks like a little guitar More info: Check out the Cultures of the Andes page for the lyrics and melody of this and other Quechua songs. Goodbye/We Are Happy Country: Uganda Lyrics: We say goodbye but we’re not sad because of all the fun we had We are happy, we are happy on this day... More info: We will be singing this “good-bye” song every season. In many African cultures there is an emphasis on positivity, or at least the appearance of positivity, that is unfamiliar to most Americans. In that spirit, this "good-bye" song is a celebration of the good times we had when we were together. (And yes, Uganda is still not in South America!)

Jay also teaches SALLY'S MUSIC CIRCLE classes in West Philly and children's music classes at the University City Arts League.

Questions? Contact Jay.
Logo by Sean Wolfe. Copyright 2009-2010