Not only is this a fun song to sing and to play, but it's also a great introduction to the language of Swahili and the music of Kenya.
See if you can make your own drum or percussive instrument out of things you find at home and join in with one of the rhythm lines.
Learn to improvise! Grab an instrument and join in...
If you want to play along using a ukulele or piano, the chords shown in the video are G, Am, D and G.
La Bamba is a wonderful Mexican folk song that became internationally famous by the Hispanic-American singer Ritchie Valens.
There are 4 sections in this version:
a section that focusses on lyrics and their translation,
a section for Orff instruments,
a section to learn the melody on the piano or recorder,
and a section to sing along with all the chords and lyrics
Ritchie Valens was an American singer with Hispanic roots who never really learned how to speak Spanish.
He took an old folk song from Mexico, make it his own, and changed the world in the process.
Che Che Koolay, also known as "Kye Kye Kule", is a wonderful repeat-after-me song that comes from Ghana, Africa.
It's a group dance in which singers touch their toes, knees, shoulders and head, similar to the song "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes"
You'll find a simple set of rhythmic ostinatos to accompany the song.
Can you play one of the ostinato lines while the children are singing on the video?
Can you keep a steady beat while you play your rhythmic pattern?
Can you play AND sing?
Burung Kakak Tua is a fun and beautiful folk song from Indonesia that compares a beloved old parrot to grandma.
The melody is catchy and there are giant leaps in the melody that will challenge you to find the highs and lows of your singing voice!
You might even be able to play it on the recorder!
Checki, Morena, Checki is a Puerto Rican children's song.
This version is arranged for tambourine, rhythm sticks (or wood blocks), and xylophone.
Can you use body percussion (snap, clap, pat, tap) to play along with the rhythms? chop sticks? upside down plastic cup?
El Tambor, which translates to "The Drum", is a folk song from Panama.
Traditionally this song is a call-and-response song with one singer singing various statements with the chorus always responding "Yo quiero que tu me lleves, El Tambor de la Alegria".
In this version, the song focusses on learning tha names of several instruments, learning the basic words to El Tambor, and a fun little counting activity near the end.
Can you draw a picture of the congas? claves? guitar? guiro? bass?
Why do you think El Tambor is called the Drum of Gladness?
Cielito Lindo is a popular folk song from Mexico.
You'll recognize the iconic refrain, "Ay, ay, ay ay! Canta y no lloris" from movies and cartoons!
This song is in triplet meter, or 3/4 time.
Can you feel the "boom-cha-cha" rhythm of the accompaniment?
Does it seem to change as you speed up so you can almost feel the beat in "one"?
Can you draw a picture of the mountains of Sierra Morones shown at the beginning of the video and frame it in a Mexican pattern like the one at the top and bottom in the second half of the video?
Zimbole is a folk song from South Africa that's simple but very energetic and fun for everyone to sing and perform together.
"Zimbole" is most often translated as "peace".
This version will challenge you to perform on multiple instruments while singing and clapping.
See if you can clap on the up beat, but not on the sound "zim".
Can you hear the steady beat as you keep a clear and consistent pattern on your drums or homemade percussive instrument?
Show someone in your family the solfege hand signals for do, re, mi and fa.