Bilingual Música, Spanish and English: ¿Porque No?

Birdie Mendoza of Birdie’s Playhouse speaks Español pochoso and is a Mexican-American kids music artist. Her debut kids CD, The Wild World of Wildlife, won a Spring 2010 Parent’s Choice award and you can also find her on Facebook now, too. Below she reviews some of her family’s favorite bilingual children’s music.

Listening to music in other languages boosts your child’s brain power, and when the music is maravilloso, it’s just plain fun. Por el momento, my son’s favorite CD (which includes some bilingual songs) is Volume 4: The Pod Squad by Hot Peas ‘N Butter. He often asks for the first song, Paranuae, a one-word Capoeira song set to spicy percussion.

As a parent musician, I so appreciate this CD’s superb musicianship, kickin beats & brilliant lyrics. There is one track, Beautiful Dream, that’s a bit too precious for my taste. But otherwise, parents, you will be able to hear these songs 200 times and not go loco!

The same goes for the scorching hot HPnB’s Volume 5: Best of the Bowl, Ingles y Español CD, comprised of their most requested songs. Francisco J. Cotto & Danny Lapidus let their Puerto Rican/NYC roots shine through with songs like Somos Familia, a fantastico way to learn Spanish words about family, and Que Bonita Bandera which features flags from around the world. They also do a timeless version of Pollito/Chicken, a traditional Spanish refrain set to music. Several artists have their version, including Dan Zanes, who plays it more urban/hip-hop on his bilingual CD ¡Nueva York!.

My almost 3 year-old is not as bonded as I am to ¡Nueva York!, but post-toddler kids will be. With their sophisticated rhythms and melodies, Dan Zanes and Friends will inspire the entire familia. La Bruja sings and raps Pollito Chicken and by the end you just can’t help but learn new Spanish vocabulary. Plus the video rocks.

Other standouts on Nueva York include El Pescador, Palo Bonito, and Colas. With it’s Banda beat and Mariachi-style violins, Colas reminds me of time spent on the farm with grandma just north of the border—pass the tamales por favor. With Dan Zanes’ star power, he has assembled a super-estrella cast and as far as production value goes, it doesn’t get any better than this. ¡Eso!

Contrast the deeply produced HPnB & Zanes CDs with the Spanglish Wrangler’s Spanglish Sing-Along! Imagine stripped down, catchy tunes being sung in a dusty town saloon by a 10-gallon hat cowboy. Put away the tequila and bust out the juice boxes because vaquero Will Thomas delivers. His earthy yet bouncy hits include Desayuno Boogie, and Baila Pollito, in which “dance is an art between your feet and your heart.” Genial!

Because Putamayo Kids is such a powerhouse brand, I couldn’t ignore their Latin Playground compilation, which offers an introduction to Latin grooves for kids and parents. The CD features classic songs (Mexico’s Cielito Lindo) and well-known stars (Otmuara Portuando, Lila Downs) alongside lesser known styles (have you ever heard of Ska Cubano?) and more obscure artists. This eclectism is what makes Putamayo’s compilations so interesante. That and the liner notes, which read like a festive mini-book.

In terms of melodic songwriting, my personal favorite is the Spanish-language self-titled CD by Sandra Sandia. This 13-song colección is highly accessible to kids with it’s mesmerizing, ultra-catchy melodies and heartfelt, but not overbearing, percussion. And it’s no wonder the percussion is so smokin,’—Sandia began as a percussionist.

With tracks like Buenas Ondas, I myself felt inspired to learn more Spanish—and then take a chill on the beach. Hearing El Tren is like watching a big fiesta chugging happily toward you. Haremos Quesadillas is an adorable song about making quesadillas, bare-bones ala the Spanglish Wrangler and yet just as dance-able as HPnB’s latin grooves. And El Casamiento is a funny tune about the romance and marriage between various foods, e.g. ham & cheese, bread & butter, and salsa & tortilla. Bravo Sandra Sandia!

Overall, exposing your children to all manner of musical styles is mind-expanding and border-busting. And when they are inspired by another language, won’t they be more open to other people & cultures down the camino? Espero que sí. I hope so!