¡Canta Conmigo!: Songs and Singing Games from Guatemala and Nicaragua

By: Rachel Gibson

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Synopsis: ¡Canta Conmigo! is a practical guide for music educators looking to teach music from Central America. Suitable for use in families, schools, or community centers, this resource contains a playful collection of 90 songs, singing games, chants, and games author Rachel Gibson learned from teachers, children, and families while living in several communities in both countries. While the majority of the songs are in Spanish, the book also includes a few in a Mayan language, Kaqchikel. A comprehensive companion website offers field video, audio recordings, and select song histories to help readers witness the music in authentic contexts. Ethnographic descriptions of locations where songs were learned and personal biographies written by the singers in Kaqchikel or Spanish and translated to English allow the reader to develop a connection to the land and the musicians. Culturally responsive and sustaining teaching pedagogies are discussed alongside strategies to responsibly include the music into school curriculums. A brief history of Central America and an overview of music genres in the region are included to frame this song collection within historic, cultural, and musical contexts. ¡Ven a cantar y jugar! Come sing and play!