Mama Lisa's World
International Music & Culture
A place for poems, songs, rhymes and traditions from around the world for both kids and grown-ups to enjoy!
German Cultural Sampler
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Songs, holidays and recipes from Germany's rich cultural tradition. Available in downloadable PDF for just $0.99! More...
Articles about 'Uruguay'
Andrea Garrido shared with us an early childhood memory of the Spanish lullaby called "La loba".  She’s from Montevideo, Uruguay. Here’s what she wrote: Since I was young, I heard "The She-Wolf" as a lullaby sung in my family. My grandmother sang it to me at night when I stayed at her home overnight. She would...
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The fifteenth birthday is very important for girls in many Latin American countries and in some Hispanic communities in the US.  It’s called Quince or Quinceañera (15 years).  It marks a girl becoming an adult.  It’s a bit like the Jewish Bar Mitzvah, a Sweet 16 Party and a Debutante Ball all mixed into one. ...
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Mate is a drink from South America that’s made by steeping yerba mate leaves in hot water. It’s traditionally drunk out of a gourd (called a mate) with a straw. Mate is usually shared with family and friends in a social setting. It’s the national drink of Uruguay. A Traditional Mate Gourd Oscar Teliz sent me a...
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Noche de paz is the Spanish version of Silent Night. This Christmas Carol was originally written in German in 1816 by Joseph Mohr. It was called Stille Nacht. Below you can listen to Noche de paz, read the Spanish lyrics and then a literal English translation of the Spanish version. MP3 Recording of...
I received an email by Cay from the Girl Scouts about International World Thinking Day. She’s looking for information about childhood life in Uruguay. I have gotten this type of request for information in the past for this event. I welcome you to post questions and answers in the comments below. ...
Jeringonza (aka jerigonza) is played in Spain and throughout Latin America. It’s also found in Portuguese speaking Brazil and even in Italy. It’s a secret language for kids – just like the English word game Pig Latin. (I’m going to make all the changes to the words in bold below to help...
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Oscar Teliz told me his grandmother used to say in Spanish, “No hay mal que dure cien anos, ni cuerpo que lo soporte” which is an obscure saying meaning, “No bad occurrence will last forever, and if it did, you wouldn’t be able to stand it anyway.” My grandma always said, “What will be, will be.”...
Élodie Chebat sent us Yo te daré in Spanish with an mp3 recording. You can hear her sing it below, and read along with the lyrics, followed by an English translation… MP3 of Yo te daré Yo te daré Yo te daré Te daré mi hermosa Te daré una cosa Una cosa que yo sólo sé, café I Will Give You (English...
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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...
Here’s a nice, gently scary song you might like to teach your children or students for Halloween or Day of the Dead. It’s called Los esqueletos or The Skeletons. In Costa Rica it’s used to teach numbers in an exciting way! My husband and I loosely translated the English version so that...
Here’s a nice Peruvian children’s song about the Spring in Spanish followed by an English translation… La primavera La primavera Cantan, cantan por los campos, Primavera llega ya. Por los campos viene riendo jaja Riendo jajajaja Primavera Los campos florecen Las aves aparecen Sale el sol Todo es amor Llegó la primavera Vestida de flores Y yo quisiera Vestirme de mil colores. Springtime Springtime They sing, sing in the fields, Spring arrives at last! In...
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...
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