AQUARELA
NEWS & REVIEWS
Learning Language Through Music
Brazilian musician Paulinho Garcia combines the pleasure of listening to great music with the teaching of language and accessible poetry. His album Aquarela – Traditional Songs for Children in Brazilian Portuguese features Brazilian music-flavored songs for children including clear pronunciation, with the intention of teaching Brazilian Portuguese. It’s a fabulous way to introduce children to music from other parts of the world and language as well.
“I reflected on my youth and thought about what I liked,” says Paunlinho Garcia about the project. “I went beyond children’s songs and picked out songs I thought children would like, that I would have liked. Most people in Brazil have some similar experiences and there are some common songs that reflect them, some dating back a century.”
- World Music Central
The World in a Song: How Global Language Project Turns Tunes to Language Learning Gateways
Music is often the first inkling we have of another culture, of another world of words and sound. It’s a gateway to new places and people, suggesting whole realms of experience outside of our own.
For language learners, and particularly young ones, it can turn a new language from a daunting task of memorization or yet another quiz to study for, into a lively, engaging experience, a lifelong fascination. This insight powers GLP Music, a small label dedicated to fostering excitement about and proficiency in languages via music for young listeners.
GLP Music was launched by the Global Language Project (GLP), a New York-based non-profit, as part of a larger initiative to expand early language learning opportunities. GLP Music pairs catchy, high-caliber recordings from engaging artists with fun activities and songbooks. The combination won the fledgling label a Latin Grammy for its first release, Coloreando, featuring the Colombian singer Marta Gomez, a collection of traditional Latin American children’s songs which had Spanish tripping from the lips of many young learners. GLP is hoping their next release, Aquarela, by highly respected, generous-hearted Brazilian musician Paulinho Garcia, will be similarly embraced.
- Rock Paper Scissors
Paulinho Garcia - Aquarela
Learn Portuguese with the beautiful songs for children by the Brazilian Master-Paulinho Garcia, and the singer Silvia Manriques.
Working together with his younger brother Heitor, Garcia crafts light, bright songs that span Brazil’s striking musical culture, from classical pieces by Heitor Villa-Lobos and Vincent Moraes (the composer behind Black Orpheus and the album’s title track), to traditional song-games and folk ditties. Throughout, Garcia focuses on the sounds and shapes of his native language, making Portuguese come alive for listeners.
- Culture and Cuisine