Starting in 2020, Spanish teacher Crystal Shellenberger began participating in Locotubre, a world-wide bracket competition that strives to grow appreciation for and celebrate popular music and culture of Spanish-speaking countries, which was started by Señor Ashby in Michigan.

Locotubre runs from the middle of October to November 9. This year’s theme was “Battle of the Decades.” Classic songs from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s competed against each other. Students and teachers, primarily in the US but also other countries around the world, listened to the music, learned about the artists and music styles during the time period, and then voted to determine the favorites that would advance. 

Shellenberger also participated in Locotubre activities with her Spanish classes.

“Students in periods 4 and 5 created the colorful, giant bracket in the hall outside my room. I used it as a visual as I talked in Spanish to classes about the competition. Each day we listened to songs, used Spanish to talk and write about them, and then voted. We discussed the results of voting each day, reading and writing 5-digit numbers in Spanish, and then expressed how we felt about the outcomes,” said Shellenberger.

The overall winner of this years Locotubre was “Bamboleo” by the Gipsy Kings with 43,188 votes.

For more information about Locotubre, contact Crystal Shellenberger.