Traditional songs

"Father used to sing rhymes made of a combination of English and words we didn't understand" Joanne Tapiolas.

For years and years, mothers and grandparents sat their babes on their laps and started singing waiting for a smile. These songs kept their children distracted, but also established communication with them. With these songs we all have all learned our first words and they became part of our consciousness. These harmless and melodic songs are signs of our cultural identity, a treasure that should be kept alive for another thousand years.

For the Catalan community in Australia, far away from home and with a natural tendency to loose their Catalan roots, the use of these traditional songs was a strategy to reaffirm their cultural identity and pass it to the next generations. Mr Garriga was well known for his happy mood and constant singing of Catalan traditional songs. Do you remember any songs from your childhood? What memories come to your mind when you hear them again?