MULTILINGUAL AND MULTICULTURAL MUSIC
by Andrea Ramos
El Señor Nos Invita, Volume 3: Cantos para Cuaresma, Pascua y Pentecostés. Various composers. Songbook OCP 30141575, $22.00. Recordings and assembly editions available.
Tis comprehensive catechetical resource for children is a very valuable resource for parents, catechists, and music directors who serve in Spanish speaking or multicultural communities. OCP delivers once again with the third volume of their popular series El Señor Nos Invita, this time with songs for Lent, Easter and Pentecost. From the contemplative “Con Estas Cenizas, Señor/With Ashes and Sorrow, O Lord” by Lourdes Montgomery to the joyful “Cristo Resucitó/Christ Is Risen” by Luis Bojos, El Señor Nos Invita, Vol. 3 contains songs in a variety of styles and rhythms providing options for use in the classroom or the liturgy. All selections have melodies with simple harmonies that are easy to sing, making the music very accessible to children and assemblies. Tis compilation of 15 songs comes in a variety of formats including a keyboard/guitar songbook (with scores for C instrument), assembly edition, children’s activity book, and a CD featuring performances by contributing artists like Rodolfo and Estela Garcia- Lopez, Koren and Jessica Ruiz, Ivan Díaz, Damaris Tillet, Jaime Cortez, and Santiago Fernández, to name a few. El Señor Nos Invita is a welcome addition to your classroom, choral library, or personal music collection.
Caminemos con Jesús. Tony Alonso. Music collection GIA G-10075, $24.00.
Latin Grammy nominee Tony Alonso brings a new and exciting music collection, perfect for bilingual celebrations.
Caminemos con Jesús honors Alonso’s Cuban heritage by providing liturgical songs that are rooted in the form and style of the Son Cubano, a genre of music and dance that originated in the highlands of eastern Cuba. Blending elements of Spanish and African origin, it had had a strong influence on various Cuban musical genres including Salsa. Son is characterized by a call and response structure, beautifully used by Alonso for liturgical purposes, allowing the assembly to fully participate. Te repetition and short length of the responses make them accessible and easy to follow for both English and Spanish speakers. A perfect example of this can be found on the “Letanía a la Madre de las Americas/Litany to the Mother of the Americas,” or songs like “Caminemos con Jesús/Let Us Walk with Jesus.” All songs include a sung refrain with optional harmonies, giving choirs or ensembles flexibility to play with the musical texture. Are you afraid your congregation might struggle with Latin rhythms and syncopations? Don’t worry, this resource has alternative accompaniments that highlight the melody and provide more support to the assembly.
Tis collection comes in multiple formats and editions, ideal for various needs. I would particularly note the attention to details on the edition for piano, guitar, and voice, containing liturgical and musical comments for each song, as well as helpful
48
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
