‘The fish in the river’ is one of the traditional carols of the Christmas season. Surely you heard it in the market, in your building or in some pastorela. But what do we know about its origin? Here we tell you.
Christmas carols are Christmas songs that over time forged part of the Mexican idiosyncrasy in the December festivities. It is a song accompanied by a happy melody, which expresses a religious message.
These pieces of music also became the playlist perfect for traditional inns. However, they did not originate in Mexico.
The Christmas carols came to our country from the hand of the Spanish and the Catholic Church, who were in charge of spreading it in Latin America. ‘Campana sobre Campana’, El burrito sabanero’ and ‘Los peces en el río’ are some of the most popular.
Origin of the Christmas carol ‘The fish in the river’
The Christmas carol also known as ‘But look how they drink’ is popular in our country for telling the story about the virgin mary and the care he gave to the God child.
Unfortunately there are no records of the origin of its stanzas or of the author. This situation makes it difficult to establish the precise date on which it was composed.
However, it is said that the Christmas song began to become popular during the second half of the 20th century. In this way, experts point out that the diffusion of the carol responds to a transmission of popular culture in Mexico.
Secondly, some researchers point out that ‘Los peces en el río’ could have some Arab influences, due to the tonality and its musical structure.
interpretations
The interpretations of this popular Christmas carol tend to vary, but one of the most famous is the one made by the Spanish singer, Manolo Escoban, in the year 1940.
On her own, the interpretation of the Spanish singer, Shaila Durcal, is also one of the most common.
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In fact, it was this last version that inspired the Mexican group Pandora to cover the famous Christmas carol. They were the ones who promoted the listening of this piece in our country.
Which version of this popular Christmas is your favorite? You can share your opinion in the comments.