Love Is Te Quiero

Love Is Te Quiero. Performed by Alina Celeste. CD. Approx. 35 min. Label: Lion Mice Productions. 2019. CD: $11.99; Download: $9.99.

PreS-Grade 4

Cuban-American Alina Celeste, performs 11 songs, some bright and lively, some sweet and gentle on her third album. The backup musicians give excellent performances on guitar, bass, ukulele, piano, celeste, upright bass, flute, drums, tiny drums, percussion, washboard, whistle, glockenspiel, and accordion; in folk, pop, bluegrass, Caribbean, and Latin musical styles. “Love Is” buying a loved one a gift, kissing a scraped knee, and keeping a child safe when they are afraid of the dark. Sung in Spanish, “Vaca Lechera” is about a magical cow that gives milkshakes instead of milk. “Clap Hands” encourages listeners to clap hands, rock heads, bounce, jump, and knock their knees. Another song with movement, “Baila Conmigo” encourages listeners to dance, move their feet, jump and move their arms. “Chito and Abu” love to play all kinds of games together. “Kitty Catchie,” an adaptation of the American folk song “King Kong Kitchie,” tells of a frog that catches cold and a dog that is scared of the dark. We are all just a little piece of “Stardust.” Celeste includes two traditional Spanish folk songs, “Debajo De Un Botón ,” and “Los Pollitos.” The final two songs are also in Spanish: “Coquinas” (about seashells in the shape of butterflies) and “Te Quiero.” Celeste’s album celebrates bilingual life but is also for those who speak only Spanish or English.
Website: www.alinaceleste.com