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Border CrosSing
De Colores
arr. Natalia Romero Arbeláez
A beloved piece of music in the Latinx community, perfect for performing with children or adults.
3-part mixed choir (opt. guitar)
This piece can be performed a cappella, but is best performed with guitar accompaniment.
Many people know “De Colores” as a children’s song about the beauty of nature and color, but the song goes beyond that. De Colores became the anthem of the United Farm Workers Movement, led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta in California during the 1960’s and 1970’s. This Canción de la Causa, or song for the cause, took on new meaning in light of the migrant workers who worked harsh conditions to grow and harvest crops in the United States. De Colores was the anthem sung to close out union meetings of the UFWM. People stood with arms crossed in front, reaching to the right and to the left to hold hands with someone else, and shouted “¡Sí Se Puede!” (Yes, we can!) at the end.
Originally from Colombia, Natalia Romero Arbeláez is an experienced performer, educator and musician. Natalia works as a high school choir director and can be found singing with the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, and Border CrosSing, where she also directs a bilingual community choir called Heritage Choir. Natalia holds a Bachelor of Music from Saint Olaf College and a Master of Music Education from the University of Saint Thomas.
Composer’s Notes
I can’t remember when I first heard this piece, but it’s one that I’ve loved for years. As a teacher, I’ve taught this piece to singers in Kindergarten to adults in Heritage Choir, Border CrosSing’s community choir, and there’s something in it that I find deeply moving. If you teach or work in a community with large groups of Latine families, this is a piece students and families will know well. I’ve often performed this piece with the audience by teaching them the chorus (“Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mí”) and having them join us.
– Natalia Romero Arbeláez
Text
De colores, de colores
[de ko.ˈlo.ɾes de ko.ˈlo.ɾes]
se visten los campos en la primavera.
[se ˈβis.ten los ˈkam.pos en la pɾi.ma.ˈβe.ɾa]
De colores, de colores
[de ko.ˈlo.ɾes de ko.ˈlo.ɾes]
son los pajaritos que vienen de afuera.
[son los pa.xa.ˈɾi.tos ke ˈβje.nen de a.ˈfwe.ɾa]
De colores, ¡de colores
[de ko.ˈlo.ɾes de ko.ˈlo.ɾes]
es el arco iris que vemos lucir!
[es el ˈar.ko ˈi.ɾis ke ˈβe.mos lu.ˈsir]
¡Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores
[i por ˈe.so los ˈɡɾan.des a.ˈmo.ɾes ðe ˈmu.t͡ʃos ko.ˈlo.ɾes]
me gustan a mí!
[me ˈɡus.tan a mi]
Canta el gallo, va cantando el gallo con el quiri quiri.
[ˈkan.ta el ˈɡa.ʝo ba kan.ˈtan.do el ˈɡa.ʝo kon el ˈki.ɾi ˈki.ɾi]
La gallina, la gallina con el cara cara.
[la ɡa.ˈʝi.na la ɡa.ˈʝi.na kon el ˈka.ɾa ˈka.ɾa]
Los pollitos, miren a los pollitos con el pío pí.
[los po.ˈʝi.tos ˈmi.ɾen a los po.ˈʝi.tos kon el ˈpi.o pi]
¡Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores
[i por ˈe.so los ˈɡɾan.des a.ˈmo.ɾes ðe ˈmu.t͡ʃos ko.ˈlo.ɾes]
me gustan a mí!
[me ˈɡus.tan a mi]
-Spanish-Language Folk Song
Translation:
In colors, in colors
the fields are dressed for spring.
In colors, in colors
are the little birds who come from outside.
In colors, in colors
is the rainbow that we see shining.
And so the great loves of my life are the many colors
that I like so much!
The rooster is singing, the rooster is singing with his kiri, kiri.*
The hen, the hen with her cara, cara.*
The little chicks, the little chicks with their pio, pi.*
And so the great loves of my life are the many colors
that I like so much!
* Spanish for cockle-a-doodle-doo, clucking, and cheeping.
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