Duerme Negrito

Duerme Negrito is a popular Latin American folkloric lullaby, originally an area near the Venezuelan and Colombian border. The song was compiled by Atahualpa Yupanqui when visiting this region and popularized by himself and other musicians, such as Victor Jara, Mercedes Sosa, Jayme Amatnecks, Alfredo Zitarrosa and Daniel Viglietti, when touring around the world.

The song tells the story of a mother who leaves her child in the care of a friend or neighbor while she goes out to work hard in the fields for no pay. It is sung by a black lady to the child who has been left under her care. This lady tells the child to fall asleep because his mother is working in the fields. The lady promises that the child's mother will bring him treats if he falls asleep. The mother is a slave as she works for free. the care-taker tells the boy, if doesn't fall asleep the white devil, meaning the slave driver, will come to eat his little feet. His mother continues to work; with coughing.