La Vida es un Carnaval by Celia Cruz

One of my favorite tunes to teach during the month of February is Celia Cruz's classic song "La Vida es un Carnaval". In teaching Celia's tune during the month of February, teachers in immersive classrooms are able to integrate the storied tradition of "Carnaval" festivals, which are an important part of Cuban culture, and also were a large part of the traditions of southern Spain when I was living in that region.

 Teaching students about "La Reina de Salsa" (The Queen of Salsa) through one of her most iconic tunes is also a great way to teach students about Afro-Latino heritage, and the rich and wonderful contributions that inspiring stars such as Celia have brought to the Latino community. 

Not to mention, US-Cuban relations are a hot topic right now, and students will appreciate getting to hear more about this fabled island that Americans have had limited access to over the last fifty years.

If you're interested in teaching Celia Cruz's tune "La Vida es un Carnaval" to your students, please click here for the song warm-up lesson plan!

If you'd like to give students the summative song exam, which I recommend after teaching the song warm-up for seven days, click here.

If you're curious about how to teach songs as warm-ups in your immersive classroom, click here. 

Enjoy!