This CD is filled with original Spanish-influenced songs in English and Spanish, updated versions of old classics, and a fun array of instruments. The alphabet song (ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ) is sung as a jazzy a capella number, complete with scat at the end and snapping as the only 'music'; Old MacDonald is updated to sound quite hip with the majority of the verse in English, but the animal names in Spanish; and El Sol (You Are My Sunshine) has verses in English and Spanish with only body noises and voice sounds as backup 'music'. In Let Me Take You To The Beach (Vamos A La Playa), listeners hear the cool sound of a muted trumpet, as well as children chanting the chorus in Spanish throughout much of the song. Somos La Banda is a very upbeat tune with a prominent beat and solos by each instrument, the instruments are introduced right before they each play to help listeners properly identify them. The album ends with Drume Negrita, a slow and jazzy song that features the piano and a beautiful trumpet solo.
What better way to help your little one begin learning a second language than to sing their way through the lessons? Listeners are certainly encouraged to sing along. Each song on the album contains both English and Spanish words, often repeated side-by-side to aid in the association. The use of songs that children may already know, such as Wheels on the Bus, also aids in understanding the Spanish version. The Story of Otis The Cat and His Special Sauce follows along with the board book, each line repeated in both languages, so your child can evoke a third sense and see the Spanish words as well as hear and say them. Mi Famila Es La Muisica teaches the words for different family members (mother, father, uncle, auntie, and more) in Spanish, and the title is repeated multiple times throughout the song, so it's easy to sing along. At the beginning of Bailar Rapido (Bailar Tranquilo) the title is pronounced in Spanish and then translated into English, "I like to dance slow, I like to dance fast." The music mirrors the title by playing a little ditty, and then repeating it at a noticeably faster tempo. Children's voices are heard egging the band on to play faster in Spanish. It will be fun to see your little one try to dance to the increasingly fast beat.
My three-year-old friend, Sam, had so much fun with the song Meow, Hau-Hau. He has always loved dogs, so as soon as he figured out that the song was saying 'little kitties say meow meow meow and all the little doggies say Hau hau hau' it was an instant favorite. He would dance his crazy "Sam Dance" to the quick beat of the song. He cracked me up when he asked, "So, how come Spanish dogs don't say ruff ruff ruff?"
--Audra