Fieldwork Archive
This is a traditional son guatemalteco often sung as a children's circle song or lullaby.
The word mishito is a diminutive of misho, an affectionate, indigenous term derived from both K'iche' and Spanish, used in Guatemala to refer to cats.
The composition, originally for marimba, is attributed to maestro José María Muñoz (1881–1933), a native of Sumpango, Sacatepéquez.
Today, some musicians from Sumpango question whether the son was truly composed by Muñoz, suggesting instead that it originated with a local musician named Sulá, who sold the piece to Muñoz.
The original lyrics began as a romantic verse or copla.
In it, a suitor expresses his desire to turn into a stealthy little cat so he can slip past the house's security and win the heart of a young woman.
The lyrics have varied through being passed down orally.
