Argentinian singer and songwriter Laura Dayan has taken kids and parents of Brooklyn by storm as “Rock ‘N’ Lolo.” She teaches Spanish through music in a loving, energetic and personalized atmosphere. She plays parties, private events, and holds classes. What a great addition to your get-togethers! Dayan says that,“During my journey building this project, I realized I want to give kids a little bit more. I want to give each child the most powerful tool for their future: the facility to connect and express themselves with the world in another way, educating them not only in a new language, but also with values and good manners.” Laura believes that respect and love are possible when people communicate. “Music is the universal language, so why not use my passion as a tool to teach Spanish? My lyrics are all composed especially to encourage kids to make relations between concepts and words, and to connect ideas in Spanish with those in English. Kids can do this so easily. They are so smart! Their capacity to learn and create is infinite, and they are ready to capture it all. Why not take advantage of it?”
She creates simple melodies that are easy to remember, with lyrics that are not only linked with everyday objects and events, but that simultaneously teach values and good manners; things that Laura feels they will use in their future to connect with people from all around the world. So it’s not only about colors, numbers, animals, night time, etc.- it’s also about gracias, por favor, ayuda, lo siento, and te quiero. We asked her a few questions to learn more about her process…
I think that my connection with kids and my love to work with them exists because we both share the love for play. I love to play. I like to be on the floor, I love to dance, I enjoy making funny and silly things all day. I love to create, and I love witnessing their ability to imagine. Working with them gives me the excuse I need to keep being creative and feeling young. There is a famous sentence I always use: “you didn’t stop playing because you got old, you got old because you stopped playing.”
I am not a real fan of kids’ music, that’s why I started with this project. Kids are so much smarter and faster than we sometimes realize. They manage iPhones better than we do in many instances! So they are more than ready to listen cool melodies and to smart music. It doesn’t have to be the same traditional songs that they will hear anyway, because are they’re all around (like, Itsy Bitsy Spider or Row Your Boat). Mom and dad will surely sing these songs to them, which is great. But I, as an artist, feel that I have a commitment to challenge, push, and create something new. I used to listen to “Maria Elena Walsh” songs while I was little. They have super smart lyrics, and for that moment in the 80’s were pretty cool melodies for kids in Spanish. For grown ups: Bjork, Mercedes Sosa, Meshelle N’d’ngello, Sade and Depeche, Bowie…
To contact Laura, email her at: DayanLaura@gmail.com
