Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Make Learning The Language Easier With Spanish Song Lyrics

By Ida Dorsey


If you want to learn a new language, one of your best choices will be learning Spanish. It's spoken by as many people in the world as there are English speakers. It will make traveling in Latin America a breeze and a more enriching experience. To help you practice, be sure to study some Spanish song lyrics.

Using songs as a tool for learning a new language is a great idea. They expose you to a variety of accents and to tune your ear to the sounds of that particular language. Moreover, they help you to learn new words and understand the grammar and songs are normally much easier to remember too.

Music from Mexico is perfect when you're still a beginner. This is because the Mexican accent is generally easy to understand and you'll find plenty of songs that are slow enough so you can follow the words. The ranchera songs of Jose Alfredo Jimenez and Chavela Vargas are good choices, as are traditional songs such as 'La Cucuracha' and 'Cielito Lindo'. You can also try popular contemporary singers like Lila Downs or Marco Antonio Solis.

Another country with easy songs to learn or to listen to is Cuba. 'Guantanamera' is this country's most famous song and is a very easy one to understand. However, the slower styles made famous by the Buena Vista Social Club's musicians are an excellent choice too.

The Spanish spoken in Spain is a little more complicated to understand. However, as you progress, you may want to try songs from the country where the language originated. A good choice is the music of Manu Chao, since his songs are generally very simple.

Among the most difficult Spanish accents are those from Argentina and neighboring Chile. Some people who have been speaking the language as their mother tongue even have trouble understanding Argentinians and Chileans. However, these countries have produced some excellent songs and you may want to try those from the Nueva Cancion folk movement. Mercedes Sosa, who was from Argentina, was a superstar of this genre and for a great source of new words, try her hit 'Gracias A La Vida', which was composed by the Chilean poet and singer Violeta Parra.

Over time you may want to explore other, faster styles of music. You'll find every kind of genre, from rock to hip hop and reggae, in Spanish. If you prefer Latin rhythms, try listening to the music of artists that play merengue or cumbia. You can also try artists from different countries, including the Guatemalan Ricardo Arjona, the Nicaraguan Perrozompopo or the Colombian Juanes, as well as the Spanish-language songs of mainstream stars such as Ricky Martin, Shakira and Enrique Iglesias.

CDs of Spanish music are available at good record stores, most notably where there is a large Hispanic community. The CD sleeves often contain the lyrics to the songs. Another option is to find songs online and go to a lyrics website for the words. Some sites will also provide translations of the words.




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