12 November 2008

Songs 001 Cri-Crí - El Grillo Cantor

It would be impossible to have a good working knowledge of Mexican Spanish without knowing something about the songs. In case you haven't noticed, Mexican people like music and especially singing. I would like to include music in these blog lessons in the form of old time favorite popular songs and I could think of no better way than to start out with the songs created by a wonderful man named Francisco Gabilondo Soler who is better known as Cri-Crí (cree-CREE). In 1934 while broadcasting his own radio show on Mexico's most popular station XEW he created a character named “Cri-Crí, El Grillo Cantor”. In English, “El Grillo Cantor” means “the singing cricket”. He was created by Francisco Gabilondo Soler when he was a child and Cri-Crí remained his lifelong imaginary companion. Eventually Cri-Crí became so famous that people began calling Señor Gabilondo himself “Cri-Crí” and in the 1930's, 40's, and 50's he became the most famous singer of childrens' songs in Español.

A nice man named Gabriel Orozco has created a very nice website where you can download and play the songs of Cri-Crí, El Grillo Cantor.

I have some particular suggestions for songs to start out with. You can sing right along because the words are provided and the songs are clear and simple and are a nice way to practice your Spanish.

The fist song is “Campanita-Juan Pestañas”. It is a song about the Mexican version of Mr. Sandman. The word “pestaña” means “eyelash”. The word “campanita” means “little bell”. I guarantee that you will like this song, especially the way that Francisco Gabilondo sings it.

The second song is “La Patita” which is about a mother duck and her ducklings. Very cute.

The third song is “Negrito Sandía” which is a bit saucy.

There are over a hundred songs with both words and MP3 music recordings so I'm sure that you will find something that you like. The main thing is that you are introduced to the songs of Cri-Crí so that when this name comes up in conversation you will not only know what the people are talking about but you will be able to show how smart you are and rattle off the names of your own favorite Cri-Crí songs.

And now, I will end this post in the same manner that Francisco Gabilondo Soler ended each program:

¿Quién es el que anduvo aquí?
Who is it that was just here?
¡Fue Cri-Crí! ¡Fue Cri-Crí!
It was Cri-Crí! It was Cri-Crí!
¿Y quién es ese señor?
And who is that gentleman?
¡El Grillo Cantor!
The Singing Cricket!



8 comments:

GlorV1 said...

Very interesting. How do you know all this? Who told you? How come you are so smart? I know songs too, like Cielito Lindo, ahhh....lets see...hmmm, Paloma Negra. I forget or forgot. Very interesting post. Bob, have a great day and be well.

Anonymous said...

Bob.. my kids grew up listening to CriCri..now it's all rap & trash...poor kids, they don't know what they're missing.
Walt Disney said Francisco was a genious & knew what was going on in kids minds. I believe it, "Abuelito, show me your closet", Negrito Kukurumbe and so many other songs. Fantastic songwriter.

GlorV1 said...

Bob I fixed that link to paintedskywoman. It works now. Take care. Glad you also learned something new.

Bob Mrotek said...

Gloria,
I have to run very fast to keep up with you...

Bob Cox,
I'm with you. I think Francisco Gobilando Soler was a genius and a great man!

GlorV1 said...

Yay Bob, you posted a YouTube with a duck on your blog. How very cute and what a darling song. Very sweet. Take care.

GlorV1 said...

Bob, it wasn't you who got hacked was it? Deb in Merida says Mexico Bob's site was hacked.

Bob Mrotek said...

No Gloria, I'm still hack free. That must be another Mexico Bob. In Spanish we would say that he is my "tocayo" or "namesake". I think that Mexico is big enough for two of us. In any case, I sure hope that he recovers from the hack attack. That kind of thing is terrible for all of us.

Anonymous said...

Regrading the "other Mexicobob".... that site (called meridainsider) which helped many expats moving to Merida, Mexico is no longer on the map. Its author (the aforementioned other Mexicobob) decided it wasn't worth bringing it back after suffering the attacks and let the site die. It was most unfortunate for many of us meridainsider daily goers, but that is life, everything has a start and everything has and end.

Anyway, the other Mexicobob site wasn't a blog like this one is but it was as enjoyable as this site is.

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I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. I have been living in Mexico since January 6th, 1999. I am continually studying to improve my knowledge of the Spanish language and Mexican history and culture. I am also a student of Mandarin Chinese.