These reviews by Fred Koch appeared in the October, 1999 issue of “Chicago Parent Magazine.” Reviewed in this column:
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"World music," as it's known in the recording industry, is gaining in popularity, and evolved from the efforts of hard-working anthropologists and ethnomusicologists who collected field recordings of the music of indigenous cultures. Not surprisingly, given the growth of the children's and family music market, more and more world music CDs are being produced with kids in mind.
World Playground: A Musical Adventure For Kids (Putumayo World Music, 1999) is brand new. Putumayo is a premiere world music record label, known for its compilations of upbeat, melodic music from around the world. World Playground is the label's first release for children and families, and it demonstrates the same commitment to quality that can be seen in Putumayo's adult recordings. "By utilizing world music as a passport to learning, we can bring people of all ages together through a shared, positive experience," says label chief Dan Storper, acknowledging the power of music as an educational tool. "Music has the ability to transport people to places far beyond their local community [where they can] discover the treasures that lie beneath the sounds." A CD can have a great publicity plan and great distribution (30 countries in this case), but if the songs don't engage children, it's just another weird world music CD. And there's a fine line between introducing something to children that is truly representative of an indigenous culture, and going so far out of their frame of reference that they can't relate at all. World Playground is successful because of the strength of the musical selections. The CD includes a diverse collection of kids' songs from 12 countries and six continents, spotlighting a range of styles including reggae, salsa, Afro-pop, zydeco and blues. Some of the artists may be familiar: Cedella Marley Booker and Taj Mahal, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Teresa Boyle (an artist I featured in my January review, who contributes one of her wonderful Celtic/Canadian gems). Other music comes from Senegal, Bolivia, Greece, France, Congo and Brazil. The U.S. is well represented by Buckwheat Zydeco's Louisiana favorite, "Mardi Gras Mambo," and Eric Bibb's blues/gospel number, "Just Keep Goin' On." It was also nice to hear the traditional Australian folk song "Nyanpi Matilda" (Waltzing Matilda). "Zichronot M'Africa (Memories of Africa) is a particularly powerful song. It's sung in Hebrew by a group of children and tells of the traumatic night of "Operation Solomon" in 1991, when Ethiopian Jews were airlifted in great numbers to Israel to escape war and famine in Ethiopia. The liner notes, which accompany the lyrics of each song, offer some very helpful background information and give each song's geographical and historical context. Putumayo is also in the process of developing a multicultural education program for elementary school students which incorporates World Playground's collection of music and cultural facts. Great idea! Go Back to Top Elsewhere in the world, classical music is the music of choice. And A Child's Celebration of Classical Music (Music For Little People, 1999) is a fine new compilation of recorded classics. Kids and parents are sure to enjoy this eclectic mix, which starts out boldly with "In The Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt: Suite No. 1, performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra, followed by the gentle story of "Sleeping Beauty" told by Meryl Streep. Danny Kaye sings his "Tubby The Tuba" and Bobby McFerrin displays his vocal prowess on "Music Box." There is also a version of Handel's "Water Music" humorously performed by the Symfunny Orchestra. All of these are nice, short (under 4 minutes) selections. Also included are the full length stories of "Peter & The Wolf," with David Bowie serving as narrator, and Carol Channing's rendition of the charming story, "Gerald McBoing Boing." Go Back to Top Yet another part of the world is represented in Jump On It (Kid Rhino, 1999), a hip-hop album for kids, released by the pioneers of rap, The Sugar Hill Gang. This is pretty tame stuff, for the most part, created to convey positive messages while helping kids learn their "ABC's," "The Vowels" and how to "Kick A Rhyme With Dr. Seuss." This CD also includes a children's version of the band's hit, "Rapper's Delight," as well as a reworking of the seminal Grandmaster Flash single, "The Message" (heard here as "It's Like A Dream Sometimes"). You can actually understand most of the words but be forewarned, there is still a somewhat macho, sexist flavor to the lyrics and performance as they attempt to "bring hip-hop's greatest strengths together with songs that are both fun and educational." But I thought I detected the "sh" word in the first song--I can't be completely sure. With this warning, you should be able to decide if your older children (I'd say ages 7 and up) would enjoy this, or if it's something you'd rather stay away from. All of these recordings are major label releases and should be available where quality children's music is sold. Internet surfers can visit Putumayo at www.putumayo.com, Music For Little People at www.mflp.com and Kid Rhino at www.kidrhino.com. Enjoy the music and keep in touch. My e-mail address is fred@bestchildrensmusic.com, or you write to me in care of Chicago Parent. Fred Koch is an award-winning music educator and a nationally recognized children's musician. He lives in Lake Bluff with his wife and young son. Go Back to Top |
