Spanglish Wrangler: Press/Reviews

This CD just puts me in a good mood. It makes me want to sing-a-long, if only my daughter would let me, and to relax with a tall bubbly drink. Oh, yes, it’s also totally entertaining for your bilingual or Spanish-learning child as well. Thomas, AKA the Spanglish Wrangler, knows his music. The birth of his two children, coupled with his love of Spanish, led him on a journey to compose 12 enchanting songs where Spanish and English effortlessly flow to the beat of blues, acoustic rock, and overall good-vibe music.

Amongst my favorite tracks is the acoustic”Emociones” where he grooves about basic emotions: “When I’m triste I’ll cry” or “My head is high when I’m orgulloso.” The first time we heard it my daughter proclaimed: “Me no cry. Me feliz!” And me feliz, too.

You won’t be able to stop yourself from singing along with his translation of the classic “You Are My Sunshine” which he titled “Eres Mi Vida.” I know, this song has been done and redone so many times, but the Spanglish Wrangler hit the mark here converting it into a soft, yet rhythmic, acoustic melody in Spanish you’ll want to sing while in a lovely embrace. Ok, again, if my daughter will let me!

I’m thankful Thomas sent us a copy of this CD to review so we can honestly let you know about this treasure of indie, original bilingual music for our niños. We have two copies to give away, but you can also go to his site to listen to all the tracks and to find out where it’s sold.

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Children get a toe-tappin' lesson in español with this bilingual acoustic rock album. The tunes are so irresistible, kids will gladly join in on the ode to "cucarachas," even (maybe especially!) after they figure out what those are.

I know less Spanish than the average eighth grader, so I was a tad skeptical about my ability to review a CD called Spanglish Sing-Along! (Exclamation point theirs.)

I shouldn't have worried.

Miami's Spanglish Wrangler, aka Will Thomas, moves between English and Spanish effortlessly, making it possible for even this gringa and her ninos to follow along with the lyrics.

Accompanied by his acoustic guitar, the Spanglish Wrangler's lyrics take center stage. Unlike a typical "learn Spanish" CD, Spanglish Sing-Along! helps kids (and adults) remember Spanish words and phrases through music, something I totally understand as someone who grew up singing Schoolhouse Rock in math class. My favorite lyrics are "Broccoli" about a little girl who will not get out of a tree until her parents agree to her terms: more broccoli, less toys and an earlier bedtime. We need to listen to that song extra.

Even if you have absolutely no interest in picking up any Spanish, the nimble guitar work and folksy/bluesy, storytelling style of Will Thomas make this a great family CD in any language. -Christina

Grab a copy of Spanglish Sing-Along! kids' music CD at CD Baby.

EXTRA COOL: WIN IT! Win your own copy of Spanglish Sing-Along! Send an email to contests@coolmompicks.com by midnight with SPANGLISH in the subject line and the answer to this question: Other than Florida, in what state did Will grow up?

Spanglish Wrangler: Spanglish Sing-Along. CD. 35 min. Prod. by Stone Lumber Music. Dist. by CDBaby.com. 2008. $25.

PreS-Gr 3—The 12 songs on this low-key bilingual album effortlessly mingle Spanish and English lyrics. Whether dealing with breakfast, fear of bugs, birthdays, or the days of the week, the tunes are catchy and the concerns are absolutely spot-on for the early elementary grades. The Spanish words vary from song to song, from constituting only the chorus (or part of the chorus) to comprising nearly half the lyrics, but in all cases the meaning is clear. Such consistent repetition helps in language acquisition, whether English to Spanish or Spanish to English. Singer Will Thomas employs a laid back, bluesy style that melds with his humorous lyrics to create appealing songs such as "Broccoli," "Cucaracha," and "Gator & Bee." Spanglish Wrangler also provides a contrast musically to more traditional Latin CDs, such as Jose Anaya's A bailar! Lets Dance (Nov. 2008, p. 70). A worthwhile addition to classroom collections where Hispanic students are served or second language instruction is a priority.—Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA

Miami father brings Spanish to children through song

By Dina Weinstein
SouthFlorida.com

Will Thomas enjoyed playing his guitar so much in a one-time visit to his children's preschool classroom that he asked the school director if he could come in on a weekly basis to lead sing-alongs.
All the while, Thomas was developing songs in the style of his native Decatur, Ala., near the Mississippi Delta and Appalachia. What started as a rendition of Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land developed into a new CD called The Spanglish Wranger: Spanglish Singalong.
Now every Thursday afternoon, students at Montessori Academy of St. John in Miami Beach, including Thomas' 6-year-old daughter, Mary Grace, and his 4-year-old son, Gardner, sit cross-legged on a blue rug singing the chorus of Thomas' cucaracha song set to the music of Earth Wind and Fire's September.
"The classroom playing has helped me develop my live performance," Thomas said. "My goal with this CD is to get kids and families learning a little bit of Spanish by singing together."
Deanna Costa, director of education at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, hired Thomas to perform at the December 2008 Arsht Center's Family Fun Day because she liked his style and the clever combination of topics, lyrics and tunes.
"So much children's music these days is dumbed down," Costa said. "Will Thomas has a folk singer vibe that really puts his audience at ease. He got the kids singing along on the choruses. It was great. Even the stage hands were enjoying it."
Thomas learned guitar as a 20-something transplant to Miami who was pulled here by the proximity to Latin America and the rich polyglot of Spanish-speaking cultures. He mastered guitar enough to form the Tall Boys Blues Band. His day job is in sales for a metal fabrication shop in Cali, Colombia.
He wants his children to accept, love and learn Spanish as he did. But because Thomas and his wife, Mary Margaret, primarily speak English to their children, he admits to receiving resistance to Spanish.
"The other day I tried to read to an entire book in Spanish to my daughter, and she just wasn't having it," Thomas said. "She made me stop."
Thomas thinks his songs are stronger than other Spanish instructional material available to children, including TV shows like Dora the Explorer and Handy Manny.
"Songs are a more effective way to learn a language because kids like to listen to them repeatedly, and they like mastering them," Thomas said. "They don't do that with television shows."
Thomas acknowledges there is a wealth of other Spanish language children's music out there. But he thinks his compositions make Spanish more palatable to English speakers, and he hopes that will have a commercial appeal to audiences outside of South Florida.
"My songs are 50 to 25 to 10 percent Spanish so people have the opportunity to learn what the words mean," Thomas said. "When I insert a word in Spanish or repeat it in English, they can figure out what it means by deduction."
Montessori Academy of St. John School Director Cindy Rodriguez said Thomas' approach works in introducing Spanish to her students.
"Music makes learning fun," she said.
Thomas' CD is available at www.spanglishwrangler.com, www.cdbaby.com and iTunes.
Thomas will perform at 11 a.m. March 14 at Genius Jones in Mizner Park, 417 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. For more information, call 866-436-4875.

The Spanish Wrangler sings really fun music for kids! The songs are mainly in English, but they’re peppered with Spanish words and phrases. Most of the songs tell a story - which children love. What a great way to expose kids to the Spanish language!

The Wrangler’s music is cool. You feel like you’re sauntering in a Western town. I thought it had a bit of a bluesy feel to it. So I asked the Spanish Wrangler how he would classify his music. He said, “a word I’ve seen used (and sometimes use myself) to describe my stuff is ‘roots-based.’ I think that signals that the songs are blues & country with some folk thrown in…” The folk is where the stories come from.

Check out the Wrangler singing in the song below (he’s great with the children!). You can see how he teaches Spanish words…

You can hear the whole song, plus others, on his site at Spanish Wrangler.

Here’s a link to buy the Spanish Wrangler’s CD’s.

Thanks to Wil Thomas aka the Spanish Wrangler for sharing his music with us!

Mama Lisa

Voted #2 in 2008 WRIU Rhode Island Kids Radio Listener's Choice!

If you have read my blog much, you probably have noticed that I LOVE MUSIC , not to mention my passion for dancing around the house with my kids. So it makes me a very happy mommy when I am asked to review children's music. I tell my 4 year old, "You have Music!" when a new cd arrives, and he and his two year old counterpart start doing some moves closely resembling the Chicken Dance (before we put on the music, mind you!)

Thus, when the "Spanish Wrangler" (just the CD, not the singer himself, though mommy would have been very happy to see him at the door!) arrived at our house, the boys and I were delighted to review this latest cd!

There are songs such as "Broccoli", "Desayuno Boogie", "I Love My Dog", and "Cucaracha." I will let you in on a secret--I pretty much swooned as I listened to Will Thomas sing a beautiful version of "Eres Mi Vida" (Think--"You are my sunshine"). I lobbied for my boys to play this song a few times over, hehe.

Every song is not only adorable, they each relate to everyday scenarios in a very fun, and witty (a little girl who loves her broccoli!) way. But the best part of the cd is that all the songs have Spanish and English parts to them. So in "Desayuno Boogie" for example, my boys were learning the Spanish words for everyday food items that they eat. And they had a blast as they repeated the Spanish words they were learning. I loved listening to my kids practicing the days of the week, and learning them in Spanish as well as they listened to "They Call It Spanish Monday."

I am so impressed with this cd, that I will be giving a copy to my son's Kindergarten teacher when he starts in a few months. It is a perfect combination of fun and learning for the pre-K and Kindergarten set.

Will Thomas' style of country and blues, and his soothing voice that clearly pronounces the words, make singing along a fun thing to do, and has certainly made this cd an all-time favorite of this mommy and most definitely of her kids.

Will Thomas is the Spanglish Wrangler and a father of two. His CD, Spanglish Sing-Along!, is a great mix of bluesy performance & silly songwriting that appeals to the whole family. The songs are all very playful and the CD is full lof surprises like “Desayuno Boogie” which is a celebration of breakfast and “Broccoli” in which a girl’s love of the green tree leaves her begging for more. Spanglish Sing-Along is available from CD Baby. With so many families intermixing two languages, the Spanglish Wrangler is a welcome addition to the kids music scene.

Music is one of the best Teachers…

It is a momentous occasion in our house tonight! We received our first free product to review! I LOVE getting free things but I am mostly excited about WHAT we got. It is a CD of the Spanglish Wrangler (Will Thomas). I already fell in love with his songs on Jitterbugtv.com and now with the CD we can rock out anytime anywhere.
Well we popped in the CD and were immediately tapping our toes and dancing around to the first song on the play list, “Baila Pollito”. Thankfully the CD includes a lyrics sheet so we were soon singing along as well.
My favorite song of his, which we listened to before on Jitterbug , is “Emociones”. He goes through all of the different emotions in Spanish. Triste (sad), Feliz (happy), Miedo (afraid), Hambre (hungry), and Cansado (tired). One of the things that is important to me as a parent is to teach little E about emotions so this perfecto.
The sixth song on the list “Eres mi Vida” is a very sweet little lullaby which is the translated version of “You are my Sunshine”. I am always looking for simple and easy to remember lullaby’s to sing my little one and this one is very easy for me even with my limited Spanish.
The songs are all positive and upbeat and the lyrics are perfect for teaching important Spanish words which is why love it. Will Thomas has been compared to Jack Johnson and G Love which is probably why I like his music so much!
Teaching my daughter her native language is important to me and his songs make it fun! Educators know that if you want to teach your child a second language it is best to start as young as possible. Hearing that language at a very young age makes the necessary brain connections so that it is easier to continue speaking and learning it later on in life. I know how hard it is to learn a second language and I want to make sure my daughter has an advantage.
So, THANK YOU Spanglish Wrangler!!! Hope to see a second CD out soon and maybe even a sing-along DVD!
You can buy the CD here or you can go to jitterbugtv.com and listen to some of the songs there before you buy it.

In Spanglish, Por Favor
I grew up in Hawaii but I moved to Texas right before my junior year of high school. It was a culture shock, to say the least, but thankfully I had taken a couple of years of Spanish already so I was somewhat prepared for the tex-mex bastardization of the English language. "Spanglish" is a kind of netherworld of language (like Pidgin in Hawaii), sort of English, sort of Spanish. If you know bits of both, you can get by in either, or at least order off a menu at your local taqueria. Nowadays, Spanish is more common. I know Roo learns some Spanish phrases in school and, of course, from her pals Dora and Diego. But there must be a better way to teach your child some Spanish without having to listen to the grating call and repeat-three-times over and over again, right?

Will Thomas, a.k.a. the Spanish Wrangler, has released a CD that will have your kids dancing and singing without even realizing they're picking up bilingual vocabulary. And, even better, it doesn't suck. Spanglish Sing-Along has a lazy, downbeat groove that will appeal to kids and parents alike. It doesn't clobber you over the head with vocabulary lessons, but uses a catchy melody and witty narrative style to get the point across. Perhaps the most literal line-by-line vocabulary practice occurs in "Feliz Cumpleanos" and "Bear's Picnic" but Thomas is so mellow that it never seems like a drill. He has a gentle style similar to acoustic compatriots like Jack Johnson or G. Love that somehow put me in a Gulf Coast state of mind. Who doesn't like to be reminded of crawfish boils, Moon Pies and tamale carts? And, seriously, how awesome is it that the Spanish Wrangler wrote a song about cockroaches ("Cucaracha") and set it to Earth, Wind and Fire's "September"? Really awesome, indeed.

Buy The Spanish Wrangler's "Spanglish Sing-Along" at super cool indie music retailer CD Baby.

Servings from the Cereal Bowl
http://smcb.blogspot.com/

Spanglish Wrangler
Spanglish Sing-Along!

© 2008 Will Thomas/Stone Lumber Music (ASCAP)

Have you ever wanted to get your kids to learn a foreign language, but thought it might be a little too hard to get them to learn? Enter the Spanglish Wrangler (aka Will Thomas). Thomas’ bluesy, funky multilingual tunes will not only plant some Spanish phrases in your kids’ heads, but they also reflect what many kids live with: English and Spanish being spoken together in their home. My favorite tune from Spanglish Sing-Along! is “Cucaracha,” about a boy in his room hoping the cockroach he saw goes away. Oh yeah—the song is sung to the tune of “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire. Kids can also learn how to count days in Spanish with the song “Feliz Cumpleaños.” From start to finish, Spanglish Sing-Along! will help get kids interested in learning more Spanish words and phrases. Plus, it’s a great collection of tunes for any occasion.

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About the reviewer: Warren Truitt is the Children's Librarian at the Donnell Central Children's Room at the New York Public Library.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
***Will Thomas***

Usually I'll wait until an artist can send me a finished CD or at least a burned CDR of premixed tracks before I post a review of their work, but I'm gonna go ahead and review demos from this performer's website because 1) his songs are that good and 2) his material fills a need.

Will Thomas will release his collection of bilingual kids' tunes in August, 2008, on an album called The Spanglish Wrangler Sings Bilingual Songs for the Whole Family. The songs are fun and funny and witty, and, most importantly to adults, stand up to repeated listenings. While Thomas has recorded grownup albums at Birdland Recording Studios in Town Creek, Alabama (very close to my hometown), he laid down the basic tracks for Spanglish Wrangler at his home studio in Miami Beach.

You can practice your Spanish vocabulary by inference in the song "Emociones"; while "(They Call It) Spanish Monday", based on T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday Blues", helps you brush up on the days of the week. "Desayuno Boogie" is a celebration of breakfast, while the swampy funk of "Broccoli" describes a girl's love of that vegetable.

"Eres Mi Vida" is a Spanish-language version of "You Are My Sunshine", and the story of "Cucaracha" is set to the music of Earth Wind and Fire's "September". "Bailla Pollito" is a funny little tale about a reluctant dancer, while "I Love My Dog" is a little reminiscent of the old classic "Down By the Bay". Additional vocab practice is provided by "Gator and Bee" and "Bear's Picnic", directions en Espanol on the former and present tense verbs on the latter ("I sing, canto, y'all sing, cantais", etc.).

Thomas' intimate, downhome, bluesy performance and playful songwriting style make this collection a perfect teaching tool in both the classroom and at home. You're not smacked in the head with ridiculously bombastic production, and the lyrics don't make kids (or adults) feel like dunces. This is a great project from an artist who is a welcome addition to the kids' music world.

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Now Miami-based Will Thomas performs relaxed alt-country with a blues touch, more or less, with lyrics in, as the title suggests, some Spanish, some English - Spanglish - in every song. The arrangements and production have a bit of a G. Love/Jack Johnson/Ben Taylor vibe, with a couple of songs based on classics ("Cucaracha" based on Earth Wind & Fire's "September," and "They Call It Spanish Monday" on T. Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday"). If you're looking for some Spanish language in your kids' environment, this is a great, accessible, non-cheesy record, with some gentle humor ("Broccoli," for instance, involves a kid's bargaining for more - yes, more! - broccoli). While there are a handful of songs out there with both English and Spanish (the Jimmies' terrific "Spanimals" comes to mind), this is the first kids' record I can remember that reflects the reality in many households of both languages intermingling. It sounds effortless but hits the spot.

Bill Childs is a law professor in western Massachusetts. He and his kids produce a kids' music radio show, "Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child," weekly; check it out at www.sparetherock.com. Contact him at show@sparetherock.com and tell him other artists he should know about.