¿Cuál Es Tu Animal Favorito?
by Mike Wilson
Time for a little more Spanish! Here is a song that gives you the names, translations, and pronunciations of several animals. "¿Cuál es tu animal favorito?" translates to "What is your favorite animal?" And there you have the lyrics to the chorus. This is supposed to be a very happy and energetic song so make sure to sing with lots of excitement. (Con entusiasmo... with enthusiasm!) The dynamics are easy. It's forte from top to bottom.
You have some choices when it comes to the verses. We used a soloist to say their favorite animal in Spanish, then the choir shouts back the English translation. You can reverse that or use small groups. Any way you create the antiphonal effect is okay. You are also welcome to use other animal names as well, but these fit the syntax of the rhythm. Another idea is to have an individual (or you) shout out the names randomly and see if the ones responding can answer correctly.
Though it's probably a good thing to teach Spanish to all your age groups, this song obviously lends itself to younger choirs considering the subject matter. As usual, the author has recorded a pronunciation guide which you can access on our web site. However, it is always encouraged to defer to any students you may have who speak the language fluently.
Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.