Author Archives: Daria

Here’s How To Stream The Earth Day Song!

Earth Day Song CD Cover-01

There’s so many ways to listen to your favorite music these days.

I’ve heard from many fans who wanted to get the links to stream the Earth Day song as part of their playlist on Apple Music or Spotify, so here are the links. I’ve added Deezer as well, but if I’ve missed your favorite service, let me know so I can add it here!

Below you’ll also find links for freebie lyrics sheets, posters and plus other great activities like “Turn Plastic Into Music!” or instructions on writing your own Earth Day song.  If you are a teacher on a limited budget and need these resources, please reach out to me and I’ll see if I can get you a free educator’s copy.

Thanks – and Happy Earth Day Every Day!

Links And Resources

The Earth Day Song on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/1pylnHLsDCRBtdFis5vzQr

The Earth Day Song on Apple Music https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/daria-sings-for-earth-day-ep/428500463

The Earth Day Song on Deezer https://www.deezer.com/album/1324155

Free Song Lyric Sheet here: http://www.dariamusic.com/wholeworld.php

Free 5 R’s Mini-Poster
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/5-Rs-RESPECT-THE-EARTH-Earth-Day-Poster-Freebie-3743747

small hands change the worldWrite Your Own Earth Day Song
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Write-Your-Own-Earth-Day-Song-Activity-Sheet-Music-Karaoke-Version-3695772

Turn Plastic Into Music E-Book
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Recycling-Projects-TURN-PLASTIC-INTO-MUSIC-5-Multicultural-Music-Activities-3747012

Reduce, Reuse Recycle and Rock Out E-Book
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EARTH-DAY-CD-PLUS-E-BOOK-OF-10-RECYCLED-MUSICAL-ACTIVITIES-658096

And here’s the Official Youtube Video!

 

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Where To Buy World Music Instruments – For Your Kids or Classroom!

sunita playing quijadaI’ve traveled the world to perform and I love to share really amazing world music instruments with my audiences when I play live.   The three most frequent questions I get are: “What is that?” “Where does it come from” and “Where can I find it for my child or my classroom?”.

These questions are not surprising. People around the world make music in some really beautiful and unique ways. It’s a great way to celebrate diversity or teach about world cultures.  And folk instruments are fascinating.  They generally come from natural or recycled materials,  like turning bamboo into Hawaiian rhythm sticks called pu’ili or using seed pods from the “ice cream tree” to make pacay rattles.  Bushel gourds turn into water drums and smaller gourds learn to dance as shekeres.  This is not just a fun sensory experience for a child but also a way to share creativity and encourage music-making as awesome tingsha, limberjack, kalimbaplay!

But if you haven’t just gotten off a plane from some remote location, how do you find these great instruments for your kids? Here are my best tips with an emphasis on places you can buy things that are fair trade.

SAFETY FIRST

Before we begin, I encourage any parent or teacher to think of safety first. Any

Rattles made from gourds, seeds, feathers and a donkey's jawbone

Rattles made from gourds, seeds, feathers and a donkey’s jawbone

toy or instrument may have small parts – such as beads that might break off – so keep that in mind. I also encourage parents and teachers to play with their child musically, then keep the instruments in a special place. This usually keeps things from breaking and keeps smaller children safe from choking hazards.

WHAT ABOUT FAIR TRADE?

When you go to work, don’t you want to be paid a fair or a great wage? Would you like to work all day then receive .24 for your labor? Heck, no!

I am a huge fan of fair trade.  Having lived in many third world countries I’ve seen awful working and living conditions and am thrilled to see many companies now that only offer fair trade products. I heartily encourage you to make that choice, whenever possible.

TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES

zamponas front and backTen Thousand Villages began as a fair trade endeavor, started by a Mennonite woman in the 1950’s. It’s now blossomed to a company with many retail stores across the USA and a brisk online business. Although Ten Thousand Villages does not exclusively sell musical instruments, they work with artisans in over 35 countries and have a beautiful selection of instruments from Asia, the Caribbean and Africa. My favorite items from their store are their panpipes (pictured here), kalimbas, African percussion, handbells, small gongs and beautiful singing bowls.

You can find their online store and list of locations, here: https://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

JAMTOWN

Exclusively a music retailer and wholesaler, Jam Town is based in Seattle and mini shekere for storeoffers a wide variety of hand drums, box drums (cajón) as well as diverse hand percussion. What they offer varies so stop by their online site and see what is available or locate a store that offers their products near by.
Although their customer service really could use improvement, I wholeheartedly recommend the quality and sourcing of their instruments. Buying from Jam Town means offering meaningful support to an artisan in a third world country where few opportunities exist. Plus, their website has a great clearance page, too.

https://jamtownlive.com/

The Didj Shop

Although not certified fair trade, this online store and website promotes all didg by treeIndigenous Aboriginal artists and their creations. The website is filled with great info from various Aboriginal cultures. The website is set up so it allows a person who wishes to buy a didgeridoo, the chance to hear it as an mp3 and often see an image and profile of the artisan who created it.
https://www.didjshop.com

The Didgeridoo Store

Although not certified fair trade, this store has some great low-priced didgeridoos and sells packages where a beginner can get a didg plus an instruction video.  They also sell Australian clapsticks that are beautifully decorated and other percussion items such as Indian ankle bells.  You can see those here: https://www.didgeridoo.store/percussion

ChapchasBOLIVIA MALL

This is a store that’s not certified fair trade, but they have been very helpful to me.  I’ve purchased large drums, panpipes, tinya drums and goat toe nail rattles from them. Their customer service is outstanding and it is my hope that they have the same care for the artisans who create their instruments.

https://www.boliviamall.com/en/musical-instruments.html
puili sticks on a leafHAWAIIAN INSTRUMENTS

Here’s an excellent site for learning about Hawaiian, Hula and South Pacific instruments. You can buy many of the basics such as these pu’ili rhythm sticks in their shop, here:  https://www.nakaniohula.com/

Is That Everything?

No way!  I’ll keep adding to this article but I encourage you to subscribe to this blog to see what’s new. And let me know if there’s a shop or a vendor you’ve found that create beautiful instruments. I’d love to list them here or even do a special post on what they do.

Wishing you a happy, musical day!

Win a Chinese New Year Music Mini Lesson!

CNY mini-lesson coverWant some hands-on fun for Chinese New Year?  This is our latest music mini-lesson created  to take kids, teachers and parents around the world through music, crafting and coloring fun.

Here’s what you’ll find inside the Chinese New Year mini-lesson.  You’ll find instructions to make a personal or class sized gong. You can decorate the gong with the animal symbol for this year or pick the symbol of the birth year for anyone you know. How do you find the animal associated with a birth year? We’ve got a handy chart so you can see if you are a dog, a snake an ox or a dragon. You might also be a horse or a sheep or goat or this year’s animal – the pig!

What would Chinese New Year be without a monkey drum (pellet drum) also Bolang Gu creft + real oneknown as a bolang gu. Did you know that bolang gu were originally used for special ceremonies but now are seen more as toys for young children? And what do you sing for Chinese New Year? You have to sing “Gong Xi Gong Xi”! We’ve included a page of lyrics for Gong Xi plus a translation and explanation so you can both sing and understand the Chinese New Year song.

Win a copy of the Chinese New Year Mini Lesson

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Screen shot 2018-11-15 at 7.25.00 PMMusic Mini Lessons

In addition to the Chinese New Year music mini lesson, we’ve created one to explore Australian Aboriginal music (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Australian-Aboriginal-Instruments-Music-Mini-Course-2816723), Instruments of India (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Instruments-of-India-Mini-Course-2682389), Ancient Instruments of the Middle East (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ancient-Instruments-From-The-Middle-East-Mini-Lesson-2127995) and even a complete E-book about growing up as a child in the Andes (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Childs-Life-In-The-Andes-E-Book-Plus-Music-CD-639838).

Chinese New Year Freebies

If you love this type of materials you might want to follow me on TPT, where they are all posted. Here’s direct links to just a few freebies you may like.

Follow me on TPT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Sellers-Im-Following/Add/World-Music-With-Daria
year of the pigYear Of The Pig Coloring Page: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chinese-New-Year-Year-Of-The-Pig-Coloring-Page-4303192
Chart Of Years And Chinese Zodiac Signs: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chinese-Astrology-Birth-Year-Chart-4306472
Gong Xi Gong Xi Lyric Page: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gong-Xi-Gong-Xi-Free-Lyric-Sheet-3629553

May Peace Prevail On Earth – A Peace Song For Kids

May Peace Prevail - Cover

Who doesn’t crave more peace in the world?

This is my latest song inspired by the Peace Pole movement. As I’ve visited various countries around the world to play music, I’ve often seen “peace poles” planted in the ground. Most often, they share a special message in four or six languages spoken in the surrounding area.  That message is “May Peace Prevail On Earth”.

As I learned more, I discovered that there are Peace Poles on every continent – even Antarctica.  The total number is now known, but estimated to be in the tens of thousands!  In many places, I’ve been moved and delighted to see the indigenous language being included on these peace poles, so peace truly becomes a message for all peoples.

Where To Stream This Song

Want to hear the song?  It’s easy to stream on Apple Music:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/may-peace-prevail-on-earth-single/1448998310

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/722ZHL5xYMAQ4yUB6iQa8l

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/album/83860382

Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/album/102076845

What Do The Lyrics Say?

Raise Your Banners To The Sky
May Peace Prevail on Earth
Let These Glorious Words Arise…
May Peace Prevail on Earth

Let it rain down upon us
Let it herald each new birth
Let it open the doors
We’ve been waiting for ….
May Peace Prevail on Earth

Place The Peace Poles In The Ground
(May Peace Prevail on Earth)
In Every City and Every Town
(May Peace Prevail on Earth)

Bring Peace to All You Say and Do
(May Peace Prevail on Earth)
And the Blessings Will Rain Down On You
(May Peace Prevail on Earth)

Raise Your Banners To The Sky
May Peace Prevail on Earth
Let These Glorious Words Arise…
May Peace Prevail on Earth

c 2010 Words and Music Daria A. Marmaluk-Hajioannou

many peace polesLinks And Resources

Free Lyric Sheet For “May Peace Prevail On Earth”
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/May-Peace-Prevail-On-Earth-Free-Lyric-Sheet-For-The-Song-4279243

Karaoke Version for Schools And Choirs (Coming Soon)

The Peace Pole Project https://peacepoleproject.org

Four Fun Activities For Chinese New Year!

I’m part of the Multicultural Kids Blog Hop for Chinese or Lunar New Year! I hope you enjoy these activities and also get a chance to check out all the other great posts below! There’s lots to do, read, create and explore at this exciting time of year.

Here are four fun and easy ways to introduce or celebrate Chinese New Year with your child.

Explore The Chinese Zodiac

Chinese Astrology screensnapEvery year at the Lunar New Year we enter a different sign of the Chinese Zodiac. In February of this year, we leave the year of the dog and enter the Year of the Pig. People born this year known as “Pigs” or belonging to the pig and have certain special traits, lucky numbers, unlucky number and lucky colors. In fact, if you were born in 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959, 1947 or 1935 – you’re a pig, too. The next year of the pig will occur in 2031.

But wait – there’s more. We’re not just going into the year of the pig, we’ve left the year of the brown Earth Dog and are heading into the year of the Earth Pig. Each year’s zodiac sign is not only one of the 12 animals, but also possesses the trait of one of  the five elements – Wood, Water, Fire, Earth and Gold (Metal). Because there are 12 signs and 5 elements, each specific year’s animal such as a water dragon or a Fire Rooster will only come along once every 60 years.

In case you were wondering, the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

If you’re exploring the Chinese Zodiac, here are some fun activities:

Discover this years animal symbol from the Chinese Zodiac.

Discover your birth year’s symbolic animal from the Chinese Zodiac.

Discover which element is attached to your birth year’s symbolic animal.

Look at the special traits associated with your birth year’s symbolic animal. Do they describe you?

Look up the lucky colors from your birth year’s symbolic animal.

Look up the lucky numbers from your birth year’s symbolic animal.

Look up the unlucky numbers from your birth year’s symbolic animal.

Try any of the steps above with a friend or family member.

Make a chart or drawing of your family’s symbolic animals. Is mom a dragon? Is your baby brother a snake?

Color The Earth Pig!

year of the pigUp for some coloring? Below under “resources” is a link to this freebie coloring page of a pig created in the style of Chinese paper cutting. This is a fun design or decoration you can use in your Lunar New Year celebration.

Make Your Own Gong!

You can use your colorful pig artwork to make your own gong from a pie plate or disposable pan. It isn’t hard to Daria's homemade gongfind materials to recycle in any home that can be used for the gong, the striker and a support for a homemade gong. Make is as simple or elaborate as you like. We went all-out and managed to hang ours between two chairs. It sounded amazing!

Fireworks In The House Or The Classroom!

Last year I visited a preschool in Philadelphia’s Chinatown section and loved an idea that one of the teachers used. She distributed bubble wrap to each of her students and then played a video of fireworks with the sound turned   off. As the students saw the fireworks, they were able to create their own fireworks or firecracker sound effects and they giggled, laughed and cheered as if they were at a real fireworks display during Chinese New Year. It was a creative and safe way to experience the fun, noise and activity of this holiday in the safety of a classroom environment.

Visit These Other Great Posts!

新年快乐

Chinese New Year | Multicultural Kid Blogs

Welcome to our fifth annual Chinese New Year blog hop! Lunar New Year, more commonly known as Chinese New Year, starts on February 5. It is the beginning of the Year of the Pig, and we have lots of great ideas for celebrating it with kids! Don’t miss our series from last year, 2017, 2016 and 2015, and you can find even more on our Chinese New Year Pinterest board:

 

Participating Blogs

Miss Panda Chinese on Multicultural Kid Blogs

Bicultural Mama

Creative World of Varya

All Done Monkey

Tiny Tapping Toes

Links And Resources

Free Birth Year Chart from TPT https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chinese-Astrology-Birth-Year-Chart-4306472

Free Year of The Pig Coloring Page  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chinese-New-Year-Year-Of-The-Pig-Coloring-Page-4303192

Free MYO Gong Activity from TPT https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-Your-Own-Chinese-Gong-From-Recycled-Materials-486935

Here’s How To Stream The “I HAVE A DREAM” Kids Song For MLK Day

3 panel MLK Image

Start the new year off with some music that will inspire your whole family to remember and honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Here are the direct links to add the “I Have A Dream” song to any of your favorite playlists plus a list of MLK Day freebies for you.

Haven’t heard the song yet? You can click on the Youtube video below!

Listening Links

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7GYI8toFRxTZmRl2dgIuoD

Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-have-a-dream/49532398

Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/artist/daria-childrens/i-have-a-dream/i-have-a-dream/TRfl2t9kqjJf4dZ

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/album/7609092

MLK Day Freebies

“MLK Rainbow” Coloring Page for Younger Children
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MLK-Rainbow-Coloring-Page-for-Younger-Children-475121

MLK “Rainbow And Popular Quotes” Coloring Page for Older Children
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MLK-Rainbow-And-Popular-Quotes-Coloring-Page-for-Older-Children-475123

MLK Day Mini-Poster – “Everyone Can Be Great Because Everyone Can Serve”
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MLK-Day-Mini-Poster-Everyone-Can-Be-Great-Because-Everyone-Can-Serve-1616862

MLK Day Song – “I Have A Dream” Free Lyric Sheet  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MLK-Day-Song-I-Have-A-Dream-Free-Lyric-Sheet-2292068

Follow daria on TeachersPayTeachers here for more like these at: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Sellers-Im-Following/Add/World-Music-With-Daria

Tips For Learning Christmas Songs in Other Languages

Screen shot 2018-12-13 at 7.36.20 PMThe winter holidays are a fun time to explore celebrations and traditions from around the world. When you do, why not learn a favorite Christmas carol in another language? You might want to choose a language from your family’s heritage or maybe one from the community around you. Maybe you’re living as an expat in another country and want to embrace one of their favorite songs, or just reach out and expand your linguistic abilities.

Check out these helpful tips on learning a song in another language with your kids or dive right into our version of Jingle Bells in Russian below! Beneath that, we’ve included links to past posts on Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer in Japanese and Jingle Bells in Mandarin, plus a fun cheat sheet that shares holiday greetings in 18 different world languages

LANGUAGE LEARNING TIPS

Pick a song that’s fun to sing and has a catchy tune!

Pick a language from your family heritage or one you’d like to learn.

Pick a language where someone you know can help you with the lyrics or pronunciation. Will Grandma help with that song in Italian or Papou help with a carol in Greece?

If learning the whole song is too daunting (language is difficult or your kids are very young), just learn the chorus – that’s usually very easy to master.

Write out the lyrics phonetically. Break them down into easy-to-pronounce syllables.

Praise you kids (or yourself) for exploring a new language. Learning a new language is not easy but encouragement and praise help a new speaker gain both confidence and capacity!

A video of a new song or a live “singing Christmas card” makes a great gift for a grandparent or loved one abroad.

Enjoy the process as you make happy holiday memories.

Now, here’s a version of Jingle bells for anyone wishing to learn a bit of Russian this year!

Links And Resources

Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer in Japanese http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/favorite-holiday-songs-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-in-japanese

Jingle Bells In Chinese – http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/uncategorized/favorite-holiday-songs-from-around-the-world-jingle-bells-in-chinese/

Happy Holidays in 18 Languages – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Happy-Holidays-in-18-Languages-2230358

Learn About Kente Cloth – And Get A Free Kente Cloth Coloring Book!

Screen shot 2018-12-13 at 3.52.24 PMI’ve always wanted to learn more about kente cloth – the amazing woven textile from West Africa. This week, I’ve been lucky enough to talk with William (Kodzo) the founder and owner of KenteCloth.net.  Please, read on and check out his site.  I’m sure  you’ll want to bookmark his amazing free coloring book of kente patterns for kids!

DARIA: What started your interest in kente cloth?  Is it true you traveled all the way to Ghana to learn more?

KODZO: I’ve always admired how beautiful the cloths looked and the rich history behind it. Each cloth has patterns and the patterns have names and meanings behind them that pass down morals and tell stories. I traveled to the Volta Region of Ghana and actually learned how to weave the kente. I was also Kodzo weavingable to visit the kente museum there where I saw a wide variety of Kente throughout the history of Ghana. It was interesting to learn that Kente was originally black and white! The meanings of each design is primarily based on the geometric patterns. Color was later added when dying techniques were introduced. It is all very fascinating.

DARIA: What is kentecloth.net - Can people actually buy authentic kente cloth there?

Screen shot 2018-12-13 at 3.52.34 PMKODZO: KenteCloth.net started of as a site to educate people about Kente. As the site got more and more visitors and there were requests to purchase kente I started selling kente cloth on the site. This was 10 years ago and there is now a dedicated site to purchase the cloths called Sankofa Edition (https://www.SankofaEdition.com).

DARIA: I heard you created a free kente cloth coloring book?  Can you tell us about it? Where can teachers or parents get it?

KODZO: Yes, I created a free kente cloth coloring book  to help young kids learn Screen shot 2018-12-13 at 3.51.27 PMabout the cloth and apply it to their own lives. The coloring book is based on real authentic kente cloth patterns and the children can make their very own beautiful kente cloths. I’ve had teachers report back that their children loved the activity and the “cloths” were used to decorate the classroom. The printable coloring book can be downloaded at: https://www.kentecloth.net/kente-cloth-printable-coloring-book/

DARIA: Is there anything else you’d like to say about your journey?  Why is it important to learn about our ancestors and traditional peoples?

KODZO: In Ghana, there is a proverb/symbol called Sankofa (which sankofaedition.com inspired) and it features a bird looking back with an egg in its beak. The egg in the beak symbolizes the future and the bird flies forward while looking back. This symbol translates to “there is nothing wrong with going Screen shot 2018-12-13 at 4.14.41 PMback to what you forgot”. A lot of African history may be forgotten however we must remember that African history did not begin with slavery. Africa has a rich and beautiful culture going back to before the times of slavery. The beautiful kente cloth is a great example of beauty and culture in Africa prior to colonization. By looking back and digging deep in our history we can remember the legacy of our ancestors, embrace our past, and look forward to our future potential!

Please visit Kodzo’s site. You’ll learn a lot and maybe even decide to purchase a special item for yourself or someone you love!

Happy Holidays!

A Kwanzaa Book And Drum Craft

kente clothg drum project

The winter holidays are such a beautiful and festive season.  Will you be celebrating Kwanzaa this year?  Is Kwanzaa part of your family or community? If this holiday is new to you, here is a beautiful book and a fun craft to introduce children to the spirit and the history of this holiday and let them create their own kente cloth drum!

Seven Spools CoverSeven Spools Of Thread

Seven Spools of Thread is a book that was written for Kwanzaa about kente cloth, a beautiful traditional fabric woven in Uganda.  Written by an amazing author, educator and chef, Angela Shelf Medearis, the book begins with a brief history of Kwanzaa and it’s Seven Principles.  Next comes the story of seven brothers who cannot get along and you probably guessed what happens.  Solving their problems requires using the important values of the seven principles of Kwanzaa such as purpose, creativity and faith.

seven spools 2Aside from a wonderfully told story, the book has gorgeous woodcut-style illustrations by artist, Daniel Minter.  This is a story you’ll want to read over and over again, not just at the winter holiday times, but throughout the year.

A Kente Cloth Craft

When you’ve finished the story, perhaps you’d like to color your own kente cloth and make a small drum.  You can find complete instructions in the freebies listed here.  Recycle a coffee can or an oatmeal container and you can make your own kente cloth-style drum.

And please stay tuned to this blog as our next post is from an expert on kente cloth and his story is just amazing.

Links And Resources

RPL - making kente cloth drumsMake Your Won African Drum Craft – Freebie From DARIA’s TPT store https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-Your-Own-African-Drum-Craft-3507618

Color A Kente Cloth Pattern – Freebie From DARIA’s TPT store – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kente-Cloth-For-A-Drum-Craft-Coloring-Page-4248662

Angela Shelf Medearis Website – She’s a Chef, Author and Cultural Historian! http://www.medearis.com/

Sing A Hanukkah Song From Spain!

Have you noticed the hastag #ChristmasAroundTheWorld? I love seeing how very special holidays, like Christmas and Hanukkah, are celebrated from culture to culture, with beautiful and diverse traditions. Want to celebrate #HanukkahAroundTheWorld with me?

Here’s a lovely little counting song from Spain in the Ladino language for you!

Is this Song In Spanish?

No. If you speak Spanish many of the words will sound very familiar, but the language is Ladino, a mixture of Hebrew and Spanish. Many people may not know that Jewish people traveled throughout the world bringing their meaningful customs with them. Jewish people who established communities in Spain and Portugal were often known as Sephartic Jews and many of their traditions melded with their new homeland.  Sadly, they were cruelly expelled from Spain in the late 1400’s and traveled to find new homes around the world in places such as Mexico, North Africa and even the United States.

Is The Ladino Language Still Alive?

Languages and mother tongues are so important to their speakers. A while back I shared a story about a marvelous musical mom named Sarah Aroeste who is proud to be raising her children bilingually in Ladino and English!  She even created a children’s music CD to share her Ladino language with the world.  You can check it out at the link below.

What Do The Lyrics Say?

You probably already guessed that the 1- 8 part of the song counts the candles on the menorah. I’ve added a new first verse in English because so many of my friends and fans speak English. The lyrics to the song are below with translations from the Ladino next to them.

Whether you are Jewish or not, I wish you a very beautiful holiday of lights!

OCHO KANDELIKAS – LYRICS

The holiday of lights is here
Good friends and happiness to share
Sweets with honey for us to eat
Candles to light and friends to greet

One little candle . . . (etc.)  8 little candles . . . For me

Hanukah lindo sta aki (beautiful Hanukkah is here)
ocho candelas para mi (eight candles for me)
Una kandelika, dos kandelikas,
tres kandelikas, kuatro kandelikas,
sintju kandelikas, sysh kandelikas,
sieto kandelikas, ocho kandelikas para mi

Muchas fiestas vo fazar, (There will be lots of celebrations)
con alergrias i plazar (With happiness and pleasure)
Una kandelika (etc.)

Los pastelikas vo kumer, (We will eat the sweets)
con almendrikas i la miel (With almonds and honey)
Una kandelika (etc.)

Links and Resources

Add this song to your Spotify Playlist:  https://open.spotify.com/album/7Jl8awV8rWHIZzJbcudDaa

Add this song to your Apple Music Playlist: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/celebrate-season-multicultural/id344193347

Free Lyric Pagehttps://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ocho-Kandelikas-Hanukkah-Song-Lyric-Sheet-2239295

Sing a Song In The Ladino Language With Sarah Aroeste http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/babies-and-music/sing-a-song-in-the-ladino-language/