Tune of the Day: Cielito Lindo
If you think you don't know this tune, wait till you hear the refrain. You will instantly recognize it:
Ay, ay, ay, ay,
Canta y no llores,
Porque cantando se alegran,
Cielito lindo, los corazones.
Which roughly means: Sing and don't cry, heavenly one, for singing gladdens the heart. “Cielo” literally means “sky” or “heaven”, but it is also a term of endearment comparable to “sweetheart”. Thus “Cielito” would be "sweetie". “Lindo” means “beautiful”.
This popular Mexican song was written in 1882 by Quirino Mendoza y Cortés. Commonly played by mariachi bands, it has been recorded by many famous artists, that range from Pavarotti to Pedro Infante (in the famous film Los Tres García).
The melody was also used as the basis for a popular English-language song, "You, Me, and Us," which became a hit for Alma Cogan in the UK in 1957.