Hola,
¡Feliz verano! Hace muchísimo calor.
Today I would like to share one of the most famous songs in Spanish language popular music in the last 20 years... ¿Dónde jugarán los niños?
First, let's talk about the band. Maná is a group of 4 Mexican musicians who started playing music about 25 years ago. Fher, Alex, Sergio, and Juan are an iconic band in Latin America and Spain, they have had a very successful career with many albums, awards, hit songs, and fans. Their music is a combination of rock, pop, Caribbean rhythms like bachata, reggae, cumbia, and calypso, among others. Their songs have lyrics covering many topics including love, social issues, and environmental topics.
Maná is involved in supporting many different causes that interest them. They have participated in fundraisers for communities affected by natural disasters. They have contributed to multiple organizations like Alas, who's main goal is promoting and supporting the well-being of infants and young children in Latin America.
One of their biggest concerns is the protection of the environment. They created the "Selva Negra" foundation 20 years ago, with the idea of not only sponsoring the efforts of community organizations to protect habitats and endangered species along the Mexican coast, but also investing in the education of those communities, so by understanding the importance of their sources, they can strive to protect them.
This song gives us the opportunity to introduce the topic of environmental challenges around the Spanish-speaking world. It is very important, especially for those students interested in the AP route to start being familiar with the vocabulary related to the environment and to get exposure to materials that discuss the global challenges affecting it. Besides, it's also part of the cultural framework in which we teach the language. An awareness of the perceptions of communities affected by deforestation, pollution, drought, and climate change in general, is an important part of understanding the daily lives and struggles of people in Latin America and Spain.
The song is telling the story of a Grandfather describing his life and the area he grew up in, how much it had changed in his life time, and how different it is now. It also presents us with the quandary of what kind of world we will be leaving to the next generations... ¿Dónde jugarán los niños? is a wake-up call that the band, Maná, has continuously emphasized to at least two generations. This song brings clearly into focus a major concern for many people in Latin America and Spain.
I am sharing with you the lyrics and translation.
¿Dónde jugarán los niños?
Where will the kids play?
Cuenta el abuelo que de niño el jugó
Grandpa says that when he was a boy he played
Entre árboles y risas
Happily among the trees
Y alcatraces de color
And multicolored cala lilly flowers
Recuerda un río, transparente y sin olor
He remembers a clear and pristine river
Dónde abundaban peces
Where fish abounded
No sufría ni un dolor
Pain was unknown to him
Cuenta el abuelo de un cielo muy azul
Grandpa tell about a cerulean sky
En donde voló papalotes
Where he would fly kites
Que el mismo construyó
That he built himself
El tiempo pasó y nuestro viejo ya murió
Time passed on and our old man died
Y hoy me pregunté
And today I asked myself
Después de tanta destrucción
After so much destruction
En dónde diablos jugarán
Where on earth will they play?
Los pobres niños
The poor kids
Ay ay ay ay
Ay ay ay ay
En dónde jugarán…
Where will they play?
Se está pudriendo el mundo, ya no hay lugar
The entire world is rotting, and there is nowhere
La tierra está a punto de partirse en dos
The Earth is about to fall apart.
El cielo ya se ha roto
The skies are already destroyed
Ya se ha roto el llanto gris
Polluted rain falls from the skies
La mar vomita ríos de aceite sin cesar
The sea vomits oil polluted rivers without ceasing
Y hoy me pregunté: después de tanta destrucción
And today I asked myself: After so much destruction
En dónde diablos jugarán
Where on earth will they play?
Los pobres niños
The poor kids
Ay ay ay ay
Ay ay ay ay
En dónde jugarán…
Where will they play?
Se está pudriendo el mundo, ya no hay lugar
The entire world is rotting, and there is nowhere
Dónde diablos jugarán
Where will they play?
Los pobres nenes
Poor babys
Ay ay ay ay
Ay ay ay ay
En dónde jugarán…
Where will they play?
Se está pudriendo el mundo, ya no hay lugar
The entire world is rotting, and there is nowhere.
Video here: ¿Dónde jugarán los niños?
And Maná's Website and their Selva Negra Foundation.
Feel free to write to me if you have any questions or comments.
I hope this comments will prove useful to you, and will inspire you to create materials for your students.
¡Hasta pronto!
