Hannah Balcomb, Gluck Fellow in Music

The Importance of Folk Songs, Stories and Games in Latin American culture: an Interactive Workshop with Voice and Percussion

Many folk songs around the world are based on folk tales, often with the intent of explaining phenomena or of scaring children into behaving, (think the boogeyman, Dracula, or even, the Grimm’s fairytales). One of the stories told in Mexico is about a witch, who much like Dracula, sucks the blood of her victims. This song, “La Bruja” takes a first-person perspective on this character as the witch sings about flying around at 2:00 in the morning and searching for her victims.

“La Bruja,” composed and interpreted by Jose Gutierrez and the Ochoa brothers, is a traditional son jarocho from Veracruz, Mexico. The primary instrument in son jarocho music is the jarana, which looks like a small, skinny guitar. The jarana comes in various sizes. Other stringed instruments include requintos and sometimes harps. Percussion instruments include the quijada (donkey jaw bone), sometimes a rhumba box, and, most importantly, dancing. Indeed, the dancers are the percussionists, as they dance a step known as zapateado on a small, wooden platform called a tarima.

La Bruja The Witch ¡Ay que bonito es volar Oh! how wonderful it is to fly y a las 2 de la mañana! at two in the morning ¡y a las 2 de la mañana! at two in the morning ay que bonito es volar oh! how wonderful it is to fly, oh woman! ay mamá volar y dejarse caer To fly and let yourself fall en los brazos de tu hermana in the arms of your sister, ¡en los brazos de tu hermana in the arms of your sister y hasta quisiera llorar until you want to cry me agarra la bruja, The witch grabs me me lleva a su casa she takes me to her house me vuelve maceta, she turns me into a pot y una calabaza and into a pumpkin. me agarra la bruja, The witch grabs me me lleva al cerrito she takes me to the little hill me sienta en sus piernas She sits me on her lap me da de besitos She gives me little kisses

Ay dígame, dígame Oh! you must tell me, hay dígame usted tell me, tell me cuantas criaturitas how many little ones se ha chupado usted have you drunk from? ninguna None, ninguna no ve None, don’t you see? que ando en pretensiones I just want to

1 Hannah Balcomb, Gluck Fellow in Music de chuparlo a usted drink from you.

¡Ay! me espantó una mujer, ¿a dónde? Oh! I was frightened by a woman, where? en medio del mar salado, in the middle of the salty sea en medio del mar salado, in the middle of the salty sea ¡ay! me espantó una mujer, ¡ay mamá! oh! I was frightened by a woman, oh woman!

¿Por qué no quería creer Why didn't I want to believe lo que otros me habían contado? what others had told me? lo de arriba era mujer from above she was a woman y lo de abajo pescado, ¡ay mamá! from below she was a fish, oh woman!

¡Ay! dígame, dígame Oh! you must tell me, dígame usted tell me, tell me ¿cuántas criaturitas how many little ones se ha chupado usted? have you drunk from?

Ninguna, None, ninguna no ve, None, don’t you see? ando en pretensiones I just want to de chuparme a usted. drink from you.

YouTube videos: La Bruja, Lila Downs La Bruja, Veracruz Zapateado

Tarima (stage), Zapateado (dance steps) Jaranas (guitar-like instruments featured in Son Jarocho music)

Image credits: http://www.24-horas.mx/son-jarocho-alista-fiesta-en-el- cenart-con-ocho-conciertos-en-sus-areas-verdes/ https://centerforworldmusic.org/2016/03/the-jarana- jarocha/

2 Hannah Balcomb, Gluck Fellow in Music

Written by Alfredo Zitarrosa in 1966, “Zamba por Vos” is primarily romantic in nature. Zambas are part of an Argentine folkloric repertoire. The primary instruments are guitar, voice, and bombo (an Argentine drum). Zamba dances follow a specific choreography that involves the waving of a pañuelo, (handkerchief). The basic zamba hand movement consists of making figure-eight-like patterns as one dances. Zambas are romantic dances, performed between couples.

Zamba por Vos Zamba for You Yo no canto por vos; I don't sing for you; te canta la zamba. the zamba is singing. Y dice al cantar: And it says singing: no te puedo olvidar, I can't forget you, no te puedo olvidar. I can't forget you. Y dice al cantar: And it says singing: no te puedo olvidar, I can't forget you, no te puedo olvidar. I can't forget you.

Yo no canto por vos; I don't sing for you; te canta la zamba. the zamba is singing. Y cantando así And singing this way canta para mí it sings for me canta para mí. it sings for me. Y cantando así And singing this way canta para mí it sings for me canta para mí. it sings for me. Zambita canta Zamba sing no la esperes más don't wait for her anymore Tenés que pensar You have to think que si no volvió that if she didn't return es porque ya te olvidó is because she forgot you Perfumá esa flor, Perfume that flower, que se marchitó that withered que se marchitó. that withered.

Yo tuve un amor, I had a love, lo dejé esperando. I left her waiting. Y, cuando volví And, when I returned no lo conocí I didn't know her no lo conocí. I didn't know her. Y, cuando volví And, when I returned no lo conocí I didn't know her no lo conocí. I didn't know her. Dijo que tal vez, She said that maybe, me estuviera amando. she was loving me. Me miró y se fué She looked at me and left sin decir por qué without saying why sin decir por qué. without saying why. Me miró y se fué She looked at me and left sin decir por qué without saying why

3 Hannah Balcomb, Gluck Fellow in Music sin decir por qué. without saying why.

Zambita canta Zamba sing no la esperes más don't wait for her anymore Tenés que pensar You have to think que si no volvió that if she didn't return es porque ya te olvidó is because she forgot you Perfumá esa flor, Perfume that flower, que se marchitó that withered que se marchitó. that withered

YouTube Video: Zamba por Vos, Alfredo Zitarrosa

The next song is a children’s song that it sung in many countries including Mexico and Spain. This song teaches children the parts of a body. It is a fun song that has many different versions with distinct lyrics.

A Mi Burro My Donkey A mi burro, mi burro My donkey, my donkey Le duele la cabeza His head hurts Y el médico le manda The doctor gives him Una gorrita negra A black cap Una gorrita negra A black cap Mi burro enfermo está My donkey is sick Mi burro enfermo está My donkey is sick

A mi burro, mi burro My donkey, my donkey Le duele la garganta His throat hurts Y el médico manda The doctor gives him Una bufanda blanca A white scarf Una bufanda blanca A white scarf Una gorrita negra A black cap Mi burro enfermo está My donkey is sick Mi burro enfermo está My donkey is sick

A mi burro, mi burro My donkey, my donkey Le duele el corazón His heart hurts Y el médico le manda The doctor gives him Gotitas de limón Drops of lemon Gotitas de limón Drops of lemon Una bufanda blanca A white scarf Una gorrita negra A black cap Mi burro enfermo está My donkey is sick Mi burro enfermo está My donkey is sick

A mi burro, mi burro My donkey, my donkey Ya no le duele nada Now nothing hurts him

4 Hannah Balcomb, Gluck Fellow in Music

Y el médico le manda The doctor gives him Trocitos de manzana Pieces of apple Trocitos de manzana Gotitas de limón Pieces of apple Una bufanda blanca Drops of lemon Una gorrita negra A white scarf Mi burro sano está A black cap Mi burro sano esta My donkey is healthy My donkey is healthy

YouTube Video: A mi burro, a mi burro

The last song is a Mexican folk song that is also often sung with children.

De Colores In Colors De colores, In colors, De colores se visten los campos In colors the fields are dressed En la primavera In the springtime

De colores, In colors, De colores son los pajaritos Colorful are the little birds Que vienen de fuera That come from far away1

De colores, In colors, De colores es el arcoiris Colorful is the rainbow Que vemos lucir That we see shine

Y por eso los grandes amores And that is why the great loves De muchos colores me gustan a mi of many colors are pleasing to me (3Xs)

Canta el gallo, Sings the rooster, Canta el gallo con el Sings the rooster with the Quiri, quiri, quiri, quiri, quiri Cock-a-doodle-do, cock-a-doodle do...

La gallina, The hen, La gallina con el The hen with the Cara, cara, cara, cara, cara Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck...

Los polluelos, The baby chicks, Los polluelos con el The baby chicks with the Pio, pio, pio, pio, pi Peep, peep, peep, peep...

Y por eso los grandes amores And that is why the great loves De muchos colores me gustan a mi Of many colors are pleasing to me

YouTube Video: De Colores, Jose Luis Orozco

5