App Detail » Italian Kids Songs and Rhymes

App Description

Italy! A land with a rich tradition of children's songs and rhymes!

In this app we've gathered over eighty Italian songs and rhymes, presented in their original language and with translations into English. Many have commentary sent to us by our correspondents around the world.

Eleven recordings are included, many by ordinary people, so you can hear some of the songs sung. (If you'd like to contribute a recording, let us know and maybe we'll include it in future versions of the app!)

It's an ideal resource for teachers of the Italian language, parents who want to share memories with their children, and anyone who loves the Italian culture.

You'll find nursery rhymes like "Batta le Manine" (Clap Your Hands), songs like "La bella lavanderina" (The Pretty Washerwoman) and Christmas carols like the beloved "Tu scendi dalle stelle" (You Come Down from the Stars).

Italy has been at the center of Western civilization for thousands of years, and we've included representatives from that entire time span. So you'll even find a few songs in Latin, the language of the Roman Empire and the Church, like "Personent hodie" (This Day Resounds), a carol from the 1500's.

We're also very pleased to include several songs in different Italian dialects. Italy has had varied linguistic influences over the ages and this has resulted in many different variants of the language still being spoken there. Many have also been preserved in immigrant communities, particularly in the US, though these are fading as the children and grandchildren of immigrants often speak only English. Yet those same people have treasured memories of the rhymes and songs their grandparents sang to them.

There's not always a sharp distinction between songs sung by children and by adults. So we've included a sampling of popular traditional songs like "Santa Lucia".

"Italian Kids Songs and Rhymes" is produced by Mama Lisa's World, where we work with ordinary people around the globe to build a platform to preserve and exchange traditional culture. Most of the featured songs and rhymes have been provided by our contributors, to whom we're very grateful!

We hope this app will help foster love of the Italian language and culture all over the world!

Grazie!

This app includes:
-Italian songs, rhymes, lullabies, and carols
-Each in the original language and with translations into English
-Commentary from ordinary people about what the songs have meant to their lives
-11 recordings
-Illustrations

App Changes

• June 13, 2014 Initial release