A Short Poem about the Life of a Child, based on a Persian Verse

This is a short, four lined poem that encompasses a child's life from birth till death. It seems sad, yet it's really a wish for a happy life full of people who care for the child… The Babe On parent knees, a naked new-born child, Weeping thou sat'st while all around thee smiled: So live, that, sinking to [...]

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 [...]

Multicultural Songs about the Seasons

People often write me looking for songs about the four seasons, from around the world. Here are some! The links below take you to the different pages on Mama Lisa's World of International Childrens Songs. There, you'll find the lyrics in the original languages, with English translations. Songs about Winter Yuki (Snow) – Japanese A, [...]

Can Someone Help with the Lyrics or Melody to the Arabic Lullaby called “Doha Ya Doha”?

Rondi wrote to me… Hello Lisa! This is Rondi Charleston – I am a singer/songwriter in the NY area. I have an important recording project coming up in which I need an Arabic Lullaby to incorporate into an original song. I'm searching for the MELODY! Sheet music? or an MP3? I [...]

The Muslim Festival Eid al-Adha – Festival of Sacrifice – is Celebrated Today

This year Eid al-Adha (a holiday that's also known as Eid Kbir) is held on the 18th to the 20th around the Muslim world. It's a festival celebrating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah. Everyone dresses up and goes to the mosque to perform the Eid prayer. Families that can [...]

Recipe for Ashe Mast – A White Persian Stew

My neighbor brought me a sampling of a very popular Persian soup called Ashe Mast. I found it to be interesting and different. It's the type of food my family enjoys, as they like chick peas, beans, rice and yogurt. I'll definitely be adding it to the repertoire of meals I make. [...]

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 [...]

May Day – Labor Day Marches and Rallies Around the World

In an earlier entry, I wrote about the history of Labor Day. In case you were wondering, here are some of the countries where demonstrations were held or where Labor Day was in some way honored around the world today (in some cases against the wishes of the government)... Russia Belarus Japan Germany Italy Philippines Cambodia Indonesia Malaysia South Korea Malta Mexico France Nepal Portugal Sri Lanka Nigeria Turkey Iran Great Britain Feel free to comment below [...]