La Raspa & El Jarabe Tapatío / Mexican Hat Dance
Mexican folk dance is an amazing genre. The outfits. The violins. The quick rhythmic steps. The twirling. The outfits. The trumpets. The outfits. (OK, but really those dresses are AMAZING.) Today we are celebrating Mexican folk music and dance with our Song Of The Week, “La Raspa!”
It’s important to expose our kids to many different styles of music from around the world to encourage an appreciation for all of these different musical sounds and cultures. Often we find it hard to enjoy music that sounds foreign to us… because we don’t get it. It’s like trying to interpret a movie in a language that you don't speak. But when you’re exposed to these sounds when you’re little, then they don’t sound so foreign anymore.
“La Raspa” and "The Mexican Hat Dance" are both excellent examples of this because they are so universally loved in American communities… probably because they are so commonly played and enjoyed!
El Jarabe Tapatío AKA The Mexican Hat Dance
In addition to the AMAZING dancing in the above clip, did you hear how the music had so many distinct melodic parts? If you are listening to The Music Class's Dolphin Collection this summer, did you recognize the first part of "El Jarabe Tapatío"?? That’s right, “La Raspa / Mexican Hat Dance” follows in the great folk music tradition of combining multiple folk melodies into one tune. Our version combines parts of the traditional "La Raspa" melody and parts of the traditional “El Jarabe Tapatío” melody. “El Jarabe Tapatío” is also known as “The Mexican Hat Dance” - and so “La Raspa / Mexican Hat Dance” was born. I highly recommend watching this video before dancing to our TMC version with your kids for the best inspiration.
La Raspa
“La Raspa” is the kicking part of our TMC melody! LOOK AT HOW FREAKING CUTE THESE BABIES ARE! Now that you have watched these videos, you’re ready to do some dancing yourselves. Find your twirliest dress and clickiest shoes, and maybe a hat. (You’ll see in our class video we all wore hats to celebrate the Mexican “hat” dance.) Enjoy celebrating this amazing music, dance, and culture!