Hello friends! I am SO excited to be back after a nice little winter break. I’m here to share a happy little folk song for the best day of the week–Folk Song Friday!
Today’s selection was chosen for two different reasons: I love thrifting and I recently found a great folk song anthology for a DOLLAR at my local thrift store, and while thumbing through the pages I found this folk song. And the second reason is that my three year old has been OBSESSED with tree frogs lately. So when I found this song in the anthology, it just seemed right to choose it for this week’s folk song!
This folk song comes to us from Puerto Rico, where there is a tree frog endemic to just that area, called “Coqui”. They are named after the little sound they make at night–“Co-qui! Co-qui!”
Here’s a video I found of some Coqui singing their special nocturnal lullaby:
I also found this video where a man from Puerto Rico goes on a quest to understand his heritage as well as find some Coqui in the wild to listen to. It’s about an 8-minute watch and kid-approved.
I think it’s so important to give children cultural context when sharing a folk song. A song in isolation comes across as, “hey, cool song. Tree frogs are cool. Anyway, What’s for lunch?”. Sharing the context transforms the experience into a true learning moment, not just for the music but for the culture and history the song exists in. Songs do not exist in isolation! In sharing the cultural context, hopefully the child comes away learning where the song comes from (Puerto Rico–find it on a map!), what language they speak and sing in (Spanish. Have you ever heard someone speak spanish? Or maybe your student speaks spanish, this can be a moment for them to shine!), What it is about (Coqui! A little tree frog only found in Puerto Rico), and any cultural artifacts or details that make the song special and have given it its lasting power (The coqui make a special noise at night that sounds like a lullaby, and this song was inspired by the music they make.) Wow! What a rich learning moment that comes from a simple folk song!
I would strongly encourage you to not only listen with your children to a recording of the tree frogs singing, but also watch the video of the man from Puerto Rico who essentially gives a tour of the gorgeous island, talks about important things from his heritage, and finally finds the coqui singing their special song.
The activity for this folk song is simple but powerful. Turn on the first youtube video of the coqui singing, and then sing the folk song as you listen to the coqui. Listen especially closely as you sing the last two lines–it’s almost as if the coqui are singing along!
Click here to download the free 4x6 song card
Happy Singing! -Lauren