This is a heart-wrenching song written by Rubén Blades and performed by Maná that poignantly expresses the confusion and sense of loss and helplessness felt by those Argentinians whose family members disappeared in the 70s and 80s. Many songs have been written about this moment in Argentina's history, but I think that this is one of the best for Spanish students. The lyrics are concrete (as opposed to abstract), and even beginning Spanish students can understand what is being communicated in the song (family members describing their missing loved ones). To me, the chorus is haunting and perfectly conveys the inner turmoil that I imagine that I would experience if I were in this situation. I plan to dissect it with my students using the Scaffolded Literacy method that Michele has been working with for over a year now. But that will come later...
I created this lyrics sheet with several reading comprehension questions. The first page contains questions in Spanish that could be used for upper-level classes, and the second page contains questions in English that could be used for beginners.
