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.
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“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.”
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- World Music Central
The World in a Song: How Global Language Project Turns Tunes to Language Learning Gateways
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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.
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- Rock Paper Scissors
Paulinho Garcia - Aquarela
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Learn Portuguese with the beautiful songs for children by the Brazilian Master-Paulinho Garcia, and the singer Silvia Manriques.
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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.
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- Culture and Cuisine