Music and Traditions

 When I think of music and traditions, I immediately think of Christmas. We all play the classic Christmas songs like Jingle Bells, Silent Night, A Holly Jolly Christmas and well you get the idea, but I wanted to share a song that my church and my family play every Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

This song is called "A La Rorro Nino", it's like rock a bye baby. At the end of mass everyone sings this song while a couple rocks a figure of baby Jesus to sleep. After mass, all the family gathers and when it hits 12:00 am we all step outside and sing it once more along with many other songs. It is one of my favorite traditions we do on Christmas because I love how everyone joins together to praise and how the feeling of heartfelt devotion fills our atmosphere. This is a tradition I have done all my life and one I look forward to each year. 

Another tradition that I've grown up with is "El Caballo Dorado", the slow version, and "El Payaso Del Rodeo", the fast version. These two songs are a MUST at any Mexican party, (i'm not too sure if other Latin countries also do this) and if they don't play these songs, the party was not it. Everyone runs to the dance floor once they hear the beginning of these songs start to play.

The two songs have different lyrics but you dance to them with the same steps, just one is slow and  comfortable and the other one is fast and progressively gets faster at the end - it's kind of a workout. 

This is the slower song, El Caballo Dorado. 

And this is the faster song, El Payaso del Rodeo.

Little fun fact: El Caballo Dorado is the Spanish cover of Billy Ray Cyrus' (Miley Cyrus' dad) song, "My Achy Breaky Heart". 

Lastly, a personal music tradition for me is the type of music I listen to while I study. For the past 2-3 years I've been using lofi music to help me get my assignments done and to help me prepare for tests/exams. I specifically listen to this one Youtube channel called Bootleg Boy 2 that plays Lofi HipHop but there is also another channel like it called Bootleg Boy. I've found this so essential to help me concentrate and stay awake during long nights.  

I've found that when I really need to focus and get work done, I can't listen to music with words or with words that I know. If it's a song that I've never listened to, or in a language I can't understand I'll be okay, hence why the song below is also a song I had on repeat while I study. 

It's nice how music forms a part of our special holidays/traditions and everyday lives.