Cinco De Mayo 2017: 5 'La Cucaracha' Covers To Sing On Mexican Holiday

Cinco De Mayo is one of the most popular holidays in the United States as it is an excuse to eat Mexican food, drink tequila and party listening to good music. This holiday is much more popular in the U.S. than in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo is commonly and mistakenly believed to be a celebration of Mexican Independence, is commemorated on September 15. In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo remembers the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when the Mexican army defeated the invading French. According to David E. Hayes-Bautista, Cinco de Mayo, was first celebrated by Mexicans living in the U.S. who heard of the exciting victory and used celebrations as a way of honoring their homeland.

"Far away in California, Mexicans and other Hispanos read in the Spanish-language newspapers the details of the fortification of Puebla, and were aware that the French would return," Hayes-Bautista stated. However, it took a hundred years before the holiday really began to take off across the U.S. "Cinco de Mayo started to come into vogue in 1940s America during the rise of the Chicano movement," TIME magazine reported.

When we think of celebrating Mexico the first song that comes to mind is "La Cucaracha." This "corrido" came into popularity during the Mexican Revolution. "La cucaracha, la cucaracha, ya no puede caminar, porque no tiene, porque le falta, las dos patitas de atras." There are different versions of this song but the previously cited lyrics are the most common. The refrain talks about a cockroach that is missing two legs and is limping. This reminds us that after a night of celebration and tequila shots, we all can't walk. Take a listen to some of the best "La Cucaracha" song covers and tell us which one is your favorite!

1. Lila Downs