Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song

Subject: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 10 Apr 10 - 02:57 PM

Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song

My wife is a music teacher in an elementary school. She wants to find an Argentinean cowboy song, suitable for singing by fourth-graders. (She already promised the fourth-grade teacher she would look for one, thinking it would be easy. Well, it hasn't been easy, even after I tried helping her.)

She has one good Argentinean song, VIVA JUJUY (lyrics here, recording here), in one of her songbooks, but it has nothing to do with cowboys. Plan B is to use that one, but she still hopes to find a cowboy song.

Our problem is that neither of us is fluent in Spanish, and we know nothing about Argentinean music. There don't seem to be any English-language web sites that supply what we want. I've found some likely Spanish-language sites (see below), with lots of songs, but the songs aren't organized by topic, and they mostly don't have tunes, only lyrics.

Once I identify a suitable song, I might be able to find the tune somewhere else, especially if it's a very popular one.

Can anyone help?

Confederacion Gaucha Argentina
http://www.confederaciongaucha.com.ar/musica/index.php

Folklore del Norte Argentino
http://www.folkloredelnorte.com.ar/cancionero/
This site claims to have over 4000 songs.

La pagina del Folklore Argentino
http://inter2.unsl.edu.ar/~mmorales/folk/

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 10 Apr 10 - 03:12 PM

You might try the Hank Wangford site for Argentine gaucho songs.

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Apr 10 - 03:35 PM

Send Escamillo a PM, he might be able to help you. Last I knew he was still in Buenas Aires. I have a current email , I think. If you don't get a PM reply, please let me know and I will email him.

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Apr 10 - 03:42 PM

"Gaucho" (cowboy) in Spanish at the Norte Argentino site, but, as you say, no English.
I will look through some books that I have with international songs for children.

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Apr 10 - 03:49 PM

No luck, all mine are Mexican.

Echo katlaughing, Escamillo could translate "Gaucho" and others at that Norte site.

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 10 Apr 10 - 04:12 PM

This isn't much help, but I'm sure the kids would like it - Gaucho Dancing and Music

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Monique
Date: 10 Apr 10 - 04:39 PM

I asked an Argentina group who sing kids' stuff. I'll post whatever they answer back.

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: ClaireBear
Date: 11 Apr 10 - 04:29 PM

I remember an Argentinean song in my fourth or fifth grade Silver Burdett music book. (Usually the international songs used traditional tunes, at least, from the regions with content that, if not actually a translation of the original, was at least appropriet to the area.)

It started something like this:

"From afar across the pampas
Comes a homeward bound turero;
Let's all clap hand for the gaucho."

It sounds kind of corny, I know, but the tune was good.

If you are interested, I can post the lyrics here tonight and give you a page citation. Not sure how I'd get you a tune, but I suppose I could scan it tomorrow and fax it from work...let me know.

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: ClaireBear
Date: 11 Apr 10 - 06:29 PM

How I could have misspelled appropriate is beyond me -- and of course it's hands, not hand. I plead fatigue, and beg your mercy.

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Monique
Date: 11 Apr 10 - 07:08 PM

You have Adiós pampa mía (original lyrics, sheet music and music played).
You have an accurate translation here

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Maryrrf
Date: 11 Apr 10 - 09:19 PM

You could try this one Las Dos Puntas . Here's a version on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP_XDvvvAqk . Technically it was written by a Chilean but it's about a gaucho who travels between Chile and Argentina, and has a girlfriend on each side of the road. When I have time I'll translate. It's a great song!

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Apr 10 - 11:36 PM

Following Maryrff's lead, there is a nice guitar version with a little bit of trad dancing to the same song http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=Uwi1CTNzgDg&feature=related. Fantastic guitar player!

If you put "traditional music of Argentina" in teh search at youtube there are a bunch of things that come up including this neat Dance One. There was also one of a couple of "gauchos" singing on a sidewalk in BsArs.

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Monique
Date: 12 Apr 10 - 04:21 AM

Here are the lyrics and translation to the song Maryffr linked to

LAS DOS PUNTAS
Letra: Osvaldo Rocha
Música: Carlos Ocampo


Cuando pa' Chile me voy,
When I go to Chile

cruzando la cordillera,
crossing the cordillera –mountain range

late el corazón contento,
my heart beats happily

una chilena me espera,
a Chilian girl is waiting for me

late el corazón contento,
my heart beats happily

una chilena me espera.
a Chilian girl is waiting for me.


Y cuando vuelvo de Chile,
When I go back from Chile

entre cerros y quebradas,
between hills and ravines

late el corazón contento
my heart beats happily

pues me espera una cuyana.
for a Cuyo girl is waiting for me

Viva la chicha y el vino,
Long live the chicha and the wine

viva la cueca y la zamba,
long live the cueca and the zamba,

dos puntas tiene el camino
the way (road) has two ends

y en las dos alguien me aguarda,
and on both someone is waiting for me

dos puntas tiene el camino
the way (road) has two ends

y en las dos alguien me aguarda
and on both someone is waiting for me

Yo bailo la cueca en Chile
I dance the cueca in Chile

y en Cuyo bailo la zamba,
and in Cuyo I dance the zamba

And in Chile, con la chilena,
In Chile with the Chilean girl

y con la otra en Calingasta
and with the other one in Calingasta.

Vida triste, vida alegre,
Sad life, joyful life

ésa es la vida de arriero,
that is a muleteer's life

penitas en el camino
little sorrows on the road

y risa al fin del sendero.
and laughter at the end of the path


Viva la chicha y el vino ...
Long live the chicha and the wine…

I wouldn't want to sound like a mean-spirited teacher, I agree about the song being great but I wouldn't teach that to 4th graders unless I'd be looking for trouble

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Maryrrf
Date: 12 Apr 10 - 10:36 AM

Thanks for the translation, Monique. I guess it is a little on the risque side for fourth graders!

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Monique
Date: 12 Apr 10 - 10:56 AM

It's why I said I wouldn't teach it to 4th graders, nor any grade in grade school or junior high either even if I'm sure they know worse than that but teachers aren't supposed to teach such things.

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Escamillo
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 05:33 AM

Sorry, sorry ! It´s a long time without visiting Mudcat. I´m ok, I always remember many of you and will try to find something nice for 4th graders.

At first instance, I would recommend something easy but not childish, for example some pieces for piano and four voices from Carlos Guastavino (fine composer, author of many Argentinean songs), in this site:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=f4124d0b53dad1dd2fb2ca15d7ea42d9d0a8d683ab27a56b5621d66e282a0ee8
You can listen to them in MP3 and download the score sheets for 7 songs grouped under the name "Indianas".

These are not typical cowboy songs. They are classical pieces inspired in the popular rythms and simple melodies. They will delight the children and the audience because they are beautiful and the arrangement for choir is great.

I´ll find out something from Atahualpa Yupanqui and come back.

Hugs / Andrés
In Buenos Aires, working, singing in www.lagunonak.com.ar , escaping sometimes to Brazilian beaches..

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 10:24 AM

Andres!! So good to see you here, again. You've been missed, but I know how those Brazilian beaches call to you.:-) Beautiful choral work, thanks for the link! Hope we *see* more of you around these parts.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 11:56 AM

Thanks to everyone who has submitted information. Unfortunately, my wife's deadline came too soon after I posted my original request, so she had to go ahead and use VIVA JUJUY, even though it's not about cowboys.

No great loss. VIVA JUJUY is a fine song.

Maybe she will be able to use some of these suggestions next year.

Subject: RE: Needed: an Argentinean cowboy song
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 18 Jun 10 - 11:11 AM

We visited Jujuy (pronounced hoohooey!) in 1998 stayed here -http://www.scottdunn.com/accommodation/los-lapachos.html then drove on the mountain road to Salta, where we stayed at an excellent hotel called Eaton Place in San Lorenzo - http://www.eatonplace.com.ar.

There are many opportunities to watch Argentine Folklore in Salta - in fact in would appear to be big business there.