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Contents
Posts
Mama Lisa Now Has a Facebook Group
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009We’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 Music…
Click on the icon below to access the group. If you have a Facebook account already, you just need to click on “Join the Group” to join. If you’re not a member, you simply have to sign up for free to become a member and then you can join the Mama Lisa Group…
Looking forward to seeing you in Facebook!
Mama Lisa
Can Anyone Help Us Find a Welsh Children’s Song?
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009Beth wrote looking for a Welsh song…
Hiya
When I was in primary school in the 90’s we used to sing a song that went something like:
‘tedi twp, doli glwt, mary mel a mwnci’
have you any idea what it is?!
Thanks
Beth
If anyone can help with this song, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Can Anyone Help with a Song about a Frog with the Line, “Ring tong bell a dilla coy me”?
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008I recently received this question:
My welsh gran use to sing a song to my sisters and myself close to the following: “A little green frog hopped down to the brook singing ‘ring tong bell a dilla coy me’. A lily white duck came and gobbled him up singing ‘ring tong bell a dilla coy me’…”
I don’t remember the rest but would like to find out how it went so that I could sing it to my grandson. Thanks!
If anyone can help with the lyrics, please comment below.
Thanks in advance!
Mama Lisa
The Symbolism of the Egg
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008As 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 of fertility, rebirth and the cycle of life. These latter symbols are so close to what Springtime is all about that it’s no wonder it’s been an important part of Spring celebrations since pre-Christian times.
As Europe became Christian, eggs became a symbol of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. In the past, Christians gave up eggs for Lent (the 40 days before Easter when it’s customary to give up different types of food). But even though people didn’t eat them, the hens kept laying them! So people would hard boil and decorate them. This would help preserve them longer and serve as part of the holiday festivities.
The egg is also part of the Jewish Passover holiday that takes place in the Spring. The egg is placed on the Seder plate and is a symbol of sacrifice and loss. Yet to some it also symbolizes the full cycle of life, and therefore hope and rebirth. (The egg is a more recent addition to the Seder plate compared to the other symbolic items that are found there and its symbolic meaning seems to be more open to interpretation.)
In China, red eggs are given out at the one month birthday of a new baby. It’s customary to hold a Red Egg and Ginger Party at this time. Once again, the source seems to be the egg’s role as a symbol of fertility and the beginning of life.
So here we come full circle (or oval) with the egg as a wonderful symbol of birth, renewal and rebirth. This is something wonderful to consider as Springtime approaches in the northern hemisphere, where the Earth will soon come back to life!
Feel free to let us know about any special symbolism of the egg in your culture in the comments below.
Valentine’s Day Around the World
Thursday, February 7th, 2008GUEST BLOGGER
Lisa Smith of Regionz Kidz has graciously shared this interesting post about international Valentine’s Day traditions.February 14th has come to mean red and pink hearts, flowers, chocolates and Hallmark cards here in the US. But, how did Valentine’s Day become a day that we celebrate with our loved ones? Valentine’s Day began as a saint’s day commemorating Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr. The day became associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
The day is most closely associated with the exchange of love notes in the form of “valentines.” Modern Valentine symbols include the winged Cupid and the heart. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.
We are all familiar with the US version of the Valentine’s Celebration – but how do other cultures celebrate the Holiday?
In the UK a character called ‘Jack’ Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children.
In Wales many people celebrate St Dwynwen’s Day on 25 January instead of, or as well as, St Valentine’s Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers.
In Finland, Valentine’s Day is called Ystävänpäivä which translates into “Friend’s day”. As the name says, this day is more about remembering your friends than your loved ones.
In Slovenia, a proverb says that “St Valentine brings the keys of roots,” so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow. Another proverb says “Valentin – prvi spomladin” (”Valentine – first saint of spring”), as in some places, Saint Valentine marks the beginning of spring.
In Chinese culture, there is a counterpart to Valentine’s Day, called “The Night of Sevens”; according to legend the Cowherd and the Weaver Maid meet in Heaven on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar.
To put a unique spin on Valentine’s Day try incorporating some of the other special traditions practiced by cultures around the world.
1. Leave a present for your child on the doorstep from Jack Valentine
2. Spend time with your friends and encourage your children to do the same. Focus on fellowship more than the feelings of love.
3. Plant flowers, trees or bushes in celebration of the coming of Spring
4. Read the story of the Night of Sevens and discuss it with your children.
Please take a minute and consider that Valentine’s can be a fun and memorable day for children, families, parents and singles alike if we look at the Holiday through a different pair of eyes.
Lisa Smith has a BA in psychology, & is the Owner of Regionz Kidz a multi-cultural infant and toddler clothing line with ethnically diverse characters and designs. She publishes a blog on the Regionz Kidz website that features articles about cultural diversity and children & she is a guest blogger on several other websites and blogs relating to parenting and children’s issues. She is also a monthly contributor to Educated Mommy Magazine. You can contact Lisa directly at: lisa@regionzkidz.com
Spanish Translations of English Children’s Songs
Thursday, February 22nd, 2007Jackie wrote us looking for some Spanish versions of English songs.
Online, at Mama Lisa’s World, we already have Itzi, bitzi araña, which is the Spanish version of Itsy Bitsy Spider. There’s also Estrellita, which is Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in Spanish. You can click on the links for the lyrics in Spanish with English translations.
Monique, at Mama Lisa’s World en français, and I will be working on a Spanish version of Mama Lisa’s World this year. It will feature children’s songs from around the world in the original languages with Spanish translations. Monique’s already translating some of the songs into Spanish.
Since Jackie was also looking for a Spanish version of Lavender’s Blue, Monique translated it for her. So, as a preview of Mama Lisa’s World en español, here’s Lavender’s Blue, the old English song, with an mp3 of the tune and a Spanish translation (it’s a literal translation of the English version)…
MP3 of Lavender’s Blue – Piano Recording of the Tune
(Performed by Susan Pomerantz)Lavender’s Blue
(English)Lavender’s blue,
Diddle diddle,
Lavender’s green,
When I am king,
Diddle diddle,
You shall be queen.Call up your men,
Diddle diddle,
Set them to work,
Some to the plow,
Diddle diddle,
Some to the cart.Some to make hay,
Diddle diddle,
Some to cut corn,
While you and I,
Diddle diddle,
Keep ourselves warm.Lavender’s green,
Diddle diddle,
Lavender’s blue,
If you love me,
Diddle diddle,
I will love you.La lavanda es azul
(Spanish)La lavanda es azul
Diddle diddle
La lavanda es verde
Cuando sea rey
Diddle diddle
Serás reina.Llama a tus hombres
Diddle diddle
Mándalos a trabajar
Algunos al arado
Diddle diddle
Algunos a la carreta.Algunos a hacer heno
Diddle diddle
Algunos a cosechar trigo
Mientras tú y yo
Diddle diddle
Nos mantenemos al calor.La lavanda es verde
Diddle diddle
La lavanda es azul
Si me quieres
Diddle diddle
Yo te querré.¡Aprovechen! (Enjoy!)
-Lisa
Many thanks to Susan Pomerantz for the piano recording and to Monique Palomares for translating Lavender’s Blue ahead of schedule.
How to Find Sheet Music, Tunes and MP3’s on Mama Lisa’s World
Saturday, January 6th, 2007In 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. It’s been exciting to watch it grow. My only frustration is not being able to find either written (preferably) or audio music to accompany the lyrics. How do I find the tunes for all these great lyrics?
Matt
Music Teacher, Rhode Island, USAHere’s what I wrote back, I’m sharing it with you, in case it helps you too…
Hey Matt,
Thanks for writing!
We’ve just added basic sheet music to a lot of songs on the Germany, France, Hungary, Spain and Mexico pages – plus many others.
We’re now in the process of converting the whole site to a database. We’re halfway through. Hopefully by the summer we’ll have a feature that will let you do a search on songs that have sheet music, midis or mp3’s. Midis play the tune of a song. MP3’s are recordings – usually of someone singing the song.
But for now, the songs on the countries that are in the database are working on a simple system. On the country pages they have symbols next to the song if they have special features. Here’s the key…
KEY TO SYMBOLS
– this song has sheet music
Midi – this song has a Midi tune
MP3 – this song has an MP3 recording
– this song has a Video recording
If there’s anything in particular you’re looking for, you’re welcome to ask – in case I know if we have it or not – I may be able to guide you to the right place to find what you’re looking for.
And, of course, we’re always looking for more sheet music, midi’s and mp3’s, so if you’d like to contribute any from your culture, we’d be thrilled!
I hope this helps!
Mama Lisa
Can Anyone Please Help with an English Translation of the Welsh Word “Dime”?
Friday, December 1st, 2006Someone sent us a Welsh song called “Heno, heno”. We received the song in Welsh, without an English translation. The lyrics to the song in Welsh are…
Heno, heno, hen blant bach,
Heno, heno, hen blant bach,
Dime, dime, dime, hen blant bach,
Dime, dime, dime, hen blant bach.Gwely, gwely, hen blant bach,
Gwely, gwely, hen blant bach,
Dime, dime, dime, hen blant bach,
Dime, dime, dime, hen blant bach.Fory, fory, hen blant bach,
Fory, fory, hen blant bach,
Dime, dime, dime, hen blant bach,
Dime, dime, dime, hen blant bach.Here’s the English translation we have so far, with a question mark standing in for the part we couldn’t translate…
Tonight, tonight, dear children,
Tonight, tonight, dear children,
? dear children,
? dear children.Bed, bed, dear children,
Bed, bed, dear children,
? dear children,
? dear children.Tomorrow, tomorrow, dear children,
Tomorrow, tomorrow, dear children,
? dear children,
? dear children.We know that “heno” is “tonight”, “gwely” is “bed”, and “fory” is tomorrow. So the question is, what does “dime” mean? We couldn’t find it in online Welsh dictionaries.
If anyone can help with a translation, please comment below or email me.
Thanks!
Lisa
UPDATE: Thank you everyone for helping! We’ve gotten many answers in the comments below.
Here’s the answer, as told by Gwilym Evans, “Dime is the spoken word for dimau which is a half-penny.”
Mama Lisa’s World News and Multimedia Features
Thursday, November 30th, 2006A 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 it easier to access all of the songs, we are in the process of converting the sites to a database. The database allow our visitors to search for songs on the site by language, by songs with sheet music, recordings, etc.
While we’re putting the songs into the database, we’re trying to obtain as much information as possible about each song. So if we can find the tune, we’ll include a midi tune and sheet music. If we find a recording of the song on the internet, we’ll provide a link to the recording. Sometimes we’ll make a recording ourselves. Anything we can do to help you know everything possible about that song.
If you happen to see any songs on the site that are missing a tune or recording and you know it, we’d be very pleased if you could help us get the tune. We’re able to make midis from sheet music, if that’s what you can send. We’re also happy to post recordings if you’d like to sing the song, play it on an instrument, or even hum it. Really, anything to help others get an idea how to sing or play the song.
Once the database is complete Mama Lisa’s World will have 98 countries and cultures and over 850 songs. How great is that!
-Lisa
UPDATE: The Database is now complete! We have 100 countries and cultures. We’re now working on a Spanish version of Mama Lisa’s World which will feature children’s songs, folks songs and nursery rhymes from around the world with Spanish translations.
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