Mrs. Enkhorn recently shared part of a Spanish kids’ dance song that’s possibly from Mexico or Nicaragua. We’d love to add it to Mama Lisa’s World but need help with some missing lyrics. Here’s her note:
“I am a TK & K public school teacher from Norwalk, California. My teaching partner recently died from complications brought on by Covid 19.
My partner was a proud “Nicolla”. We often taught the children to partner dance, especially to songs in Spanish like Naranja Dulce. Two years
ago we were learning that song.
After a while, my partner decided to share her childhood memory of a song that was sung while children stood facing each other in a circle. One girl was chosen to stand in the middle of the circle. The children serenade this girl with a special song, while she skips around the inside of the circle looking for a dance partner. When the song ends, she chooses her partner, then dances in the middle of the circle with her partner as the rest of the children sing Naranja Dulce.
An old children’s dancing song from Nicaragua or Mexico is called La Niña Manola:
Es la niña se llama Manola, solita sola, solita sola,
Ella quiere ver bailar, cantar y jugar,
Salta por los aires…
Listen to recording of La Niña Manola
Hoping Mama Lisa’s World can locate this song and share it.
Sincerely,
Randi Enkhorn
If anyone can help with this song, please comment below.
Thanks in advance! -Mama Lisa
UPDATE: Monique Palomares, who works with me on the Spanish and French versions of Mama Lisa’s World wrote:
“La niña Manola is from Spain and ‘Manola’ is only one name among many others, since the name changes with each child who enters the dance.
We have La niña María (without the name “Manola”). We also have the ‘cousin’ song called Baila sola on Mama Lisa’s World.
If anyone knows a version closer to the one Randi Enkhorn sent us in her email above, please comment below…
This article was posted on Friday, April 29th, 2022 at 6:55 pm and is filed under Circle Dance, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Mama Lisa, Mexico, Nicaragua, Questions, Readers Questions, Songs by Theme, Spain, Spanish, Spanish Kids Songs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
April 20th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
Here is also an old Spanish dancing song common in Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries similar to the German song “Bruederchen komm tanz mit mir” or “Liebe Schwester tanz mit mir” It may also be an adaptation of that song
It goes like this “Amiguito baila conmigo”
Amiguito baila conmigo,
Ponemos las manos juntas,
Izquierda y derecha arriba, abajo, y vuelta entera
Izquierda y derecha arriba, abajo, y vuelta entera
Con las manos clip clip clap,
Con los pies tip tip tap,
Izquierda y derecha arriba, abajo, y vuelta entera
Izquierda y derecha arriba, abajo, y vuelta entera
Con la cabeza ki ki kan,
Con los dedos di di dan
Izquierda y derecha arriba, abajo, y vuelta entera
Izquierda y derecha arriba, abajo, y vuelta entera
The translation: “Little friend come dance with me”
Little friend come dance with me,
Both my hands I give to thee
One step left, one step right up and down and round again
One step left, one step right up and down and round again
With your hands clip clip clap,
With your feet tip tip tap,
One step left, one step right up and down and round again
One step left, one step right up and down and round again
With your head go ki ki kan
With your fingers di di dan
One step left, one step right up and down and round again
One step left, one step right up and down and round again
Dance instructions
Amiguito baila conmigo– Stand up and face partner
Ponemos las manos juntas — Hold hands together with partner
Izquierda y derecha– Move a step to the left and then to the right
Arriba abajo– Bring hands up and then down while still holding
Y vuelta entera– Let your partner spin you around
Con las manos clip clip clap– Clap hands with your partner
Con los pies tip tip tap– Tap your feet in place together
Con la cabeza ki ki kan– Nod your head
Con los dedos di di dan — Snap or touch your fingers with your partner