I’m planning to use this in a class soon and thought I’d give a shout-out…there are a lot of versions of “La Bamba” out there, but Daria’s is my go-to version to use with young children.

First, it’s the most authentically Latin-sounding, in rhythm and in instrumentation.

Daria’s vocal performance is lovely and has an improvisational feel to it.

Best of all, it goes at a nice pace, dancy but not too fast and overstimulating. And you can hear the words clearly, so Spanish-speaking children will understand them and you can explain phrases to non-Spanish speakers.

“La Bamba” is a classic, and children deserve a high-quality, accessible version to dance to or accompany on maracas or other rhythm instruments. Listen to it here.