Tingalayo

This fun-loving old folk song probably had its origins in the Caribbean, though versions of it have found their way all over the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking worlds. The song sings the praises of the singer's talented, quirky little donkey, named "Tingalayo." There are many interesting recorded arrangements of the song out there, ranging from island reggae settings to simple "boom-chuck" children's settings. Always wanting to create a unique version for you and your students, we have set this tune in a Latin-rock style, with some nice jazz voicings. We had the choice between putting it in 4/4 or in 2/2 (cut-time) and decided to go with cut-time, making the rhythms look simpler.

Options... we've got options! We give you two verses, adapted from the most common parts of the tale we've seen. We've also included a simple part for Boomwhackers® which works great with either regular or bass instruments... or both. On the recording, you can hear full performances with (track 6) and without these (track 36) so you can choose which to use.

One other option you might consider is to have your students invent new verses. What else can the donkey do? Or maybe you want to change the animal from a donkey to a hippo... or a wombat... or your school mascot.

And more stuff online. As we often do, we have extra resources for you to download online. In the case of this tune, we have one special add-on: an optional classroom percussion part.