Can Anyone Help with a Czech or Slovak Kids Song?

Lewis Grimm wrote: Hi. My grandmother used to sing a children's song to me in Czech or Slovak. I believe it is about a little hunter. It went along the lines of (phonetically): Ya simali nissli vechek… Any ideas? If anyone can help Lewis, please let us know in the comments below. Thanks! Lisa Share on Facebook and other [...]

Mama Lisa Now Has a Facebook Group

We'd love it if you'd join the Mama Lisa Facebook Group. You can post anything you'd like about your culture. You can post your own musical recordings or YouTube videos… Links to culture and musical sites… Photos of your country… Questions about songs or cultural issues… Anything related to World Culture and [...]

The Symbolism of the Egg

As Easter approaches, it's natural to think a little about eggs! In days gone by the egg, due to its shape, was a symbol of the earth. Thanks to its obvious association with the beginning of life, it has also been the basis of many ancient creation stories. It has been a symbol [...]

Elaborately Decorated Eggs for Easter In Eastern Europe

Guest Blogger, Ed Gawlinski, has been involved in many cultural organizations throughout his life. Here, he discusses Easter traditions in several Eastern European cultures. A common custom is to color hard boiled eggs for Easter. We usually colored them on Good Friday, while eating hot cross buns… Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns, one ha' penny, two [...]

Does Anyone Know a Slovak Rhyme with the Line “Isli pani na hruski”?

Liana wrote: Dear Lisa, My maternal grandmother was Slovak, and used to say a nursery rhyme to me in Slovak when I was a child. I came across your site trying to find the full words to this rhyme, and am wondering if you might be able to help me. The rhyme begins with the Slovak words: “Isli [...]

How to Find Sheet Music, Tunes and MP3's on Mama Lisa's World

In addition to this blog, I also host Mama Lisa's World. Mama Lisa's World is a large collection of children's songs and rhymes from countries all around the globe. Matt, a music teacher from Rhode Island, wrote a question to me, the other day, about Mama Lisa's World: Hey Mama, I love the concept of your site. [...]

Mama Lisa's World News and Multimedia Features

A significant part of the Mama Lisa sites is a large collection of songs and nursery rhymes from around the world. We currently have about 750 songs from around 90 countries and cultures. When you consider how many languages there are in those cultures – that's a lot of information! In order to make [...]