Informant: The following is a song my grandmother used to sing to me when I was little. Her mother, so my great grandmother, used to sing it to her and then she started singing it to me when I was born. The song in Spanish goes like this: 

Caminando por un caminito 

Me canse de andar 

Debajo de una sombra me puse a descansar 

Estando descansando por ahí paso 

Una niña muy bella de ella enamoré

In English, it basically translates to “While I was resting on the road, I saw a very beautiful girl and fell in love with her.” The song then goes on to describe the appearance of the girl, saying she was thin and blond. 

Analysis: 

Malak went on to explain how the song used to be sung to her as a nursery rhyme, almost like a lullaby. It is interesting because even though she is Moroccan, the song is not originally from Morocco but has instead been passed done through generations. While the song first begun being sung by her great grandmother, who was from Spain, Malak does not remember any one else who knew the song or where it originated from. She claimed that the only person who ever sung it to her was her grandmother.

This demonstrates how folklore passes down from generation to generation. Furthermore, it demonstrates how folk music is different from other forms of music; Malak was insistent on how the rhythm and beat of the song are the a crucial factor in allowing her to remember how it went.

I think it is very interesting that it is a song about love that is used as a lullaby. Even more interesting is the fact that the narrator of the song, presumably a guy, falls in love with the girl solely based on her looks. The song literally tells the story of how he saw a beautiful girl and was instantly captured by her beauty. In my opinion, this shows a very shallow and physical type of love. There is no emotional connection between the lovers, it is just physical attraction. Maybe this speaks to a generational issue? Malak mentioned how both her great grandmother and grandmother got married extremely young and without knowing very well their future husbands. Therefore, this might have been a song in which they found solace and felt related too, which would explain why they have kept on singing it for years. Nevertheless, I still think that it is a catchy and simple song. It is heartwarming to see how it has been passed down from generation to generation.

Informant: There’s this song me and my childhood friends used to sing in order to get a snail to come out of its shell. It went something like “snail snail bring your bull horns out, and go to the puddle and drink warm water and then go to the river and drink cloudy water.” We used it as kind of a game. Like we would go to the garden and find snails and then sing to them. Whoever could get their snail to come out first would win. It was very entertaining and fun. I remember doing this since I was a child and I think I learned the song at the playground in school. 

Analysis: 

I thought this piece of folklore was really cute and relatable. It demonstrates how folk music is often used as a way of entertainment and as a way to create games. It also delineates the social power of folk music. In the informant’s case, it was a way to make friends at school during the playground. Therefore, there is definitely a social factor involved in folk music that creates a sense of community. Furthermore, folk music can also help establish relationships. It it a shared experience, and this example proves that by demonstrating how music transcends and becomes an activity.

I also think it is interesting how the lyrics of the song is coherent with the activity. The point is to get a snail to come out of its shell, and the lyrics reflect such a goal. This would explain why the informant was so specific when explaining when she would sing the song. There is a specific purpose to the song that encourages kids to participate in the ensuing activity.