Speaking of Japanese children’s songs, music teachers and parents who want to have some multicultural fun with their kids should check out Mama Lisa’s great website of international children’s songs at http://www.mamalisa.com/world/ . Here you’ll find songs in many languages, with English translations and audio. Actually, that’s me you’ll hear singing the “Rainy Day” song in the Japan section.
Recently Mama Lisa met a young Amish girl who wrote down a beautiful and old Amish song in the Pennyslvania Dutch (related to German) language, set to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” I can’t pronounce all the German words, but the translation is a lovely little poem about God. And somehow that reminds me of the fun Japanese “Moshi Moshi” Telephone Song that is sung to “London Bridges.” So take a look at Mama Lisa’s World and see if you can find a song whose words you can pronounce so that you might introduce your child to a part of their heritage. Besides, singing songs in a different language is fun… and that reminds me of the drinking song I learned in France during a high school French trip… “Chevalier, de la table rondi, gouton voir si le vin est bon…” (Don’t tell my parents.)
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