Songs A Mother Sings

It wasn’t until I had my first daughter that I became painfully aware that my arsenal of Spanish lullabies was rather poorly stocked. All I had at hand from my own childhood was “Tengo Una Muñeca” and “El Patio De Mi Casa.” For whatever reason, those are the only ones that I had been taught. And I held on to them pretty tightly too, as I could still sing them word for word, note for note more than twenty years later at that point. But after a while, I began to sound like a desperate, broken record, adding new notes and verses of my own to try and keep it fresh.

Finally, I did a quick search on the internet and found some books and CDs and made a sizable purchase. When they finally arrived, I put them in and played them for my daughter and me to listen and learn together. What a revelation it was to hear those wonderful songs, so full of innocence and joy. Additionally, I was surprised to hear some in there that had been buried in my own memories, but came back to me with the fresh feelings of childhood love. There was “San Severino” and “Naranja Dulce”, which I have vague memories of my Abuela singing to me when I was a girl.

Soon, I had two more children and I found myself singing them to sleep at night. “Caballito Blanco”, “Los Elefantes”, and “El Burrito Enfermo” were the songs I sang from the rocking chair in the corner of their room as they dozed. And to be honest, I really didn’t know how that could be. It seemed like a fairy tale, a myth, a lie that people tell to make the story of motherhood seem more appealing. But it was true for me. Now I sing for my littlest one as well, and she is just as mesmerized as the others, quieting down from the loudest rumble and wail to listen to my voice and tune of the songs I sing to her. My children love for me to sing them to sleep, and I love to sing to them as well. The thought of my voice being that which lulls them to a peaceful slumber, or brings them back from the brink of toddler rage, seems like almost too much of a blessing for me to deserve. But I’ll take it.

What songs do you sing to your children? What are your favorite from your childhood?


Note: I highly recommend the books and CDs of José-Luis Orozco. I have a few of them and they are superbly produced. His collections of songs are from all over different Hispanic countries so I found songs on there from both my Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian side. His music is simple and the children engage quickly. It’s great stuff! Check it out here