Sesame Street Goes Global, Musically

Yes, Putumayo Kids has a very full release schedule, with African Dreamland the next CD scheduled for release in March. But it's their next CD that really has me jazzed. In a recent interview Putumayo Kids director Mona Kayhan reveals what's to come: "It's our first collaboration with Sesame Street — we're calling it Sesame Street Playground, and it has all their songs from all around the world. For example, you've got the "Rubber Ducky" song in Chinese or the opening song in Dutch." Sound unheard, I wonder whether this is a better idea in concept than as an actual album, but if done properly, I think it'd be a pretty great global introduction for a lot of families. Update: Apparently the Sesame Street CD's been pushed back to September. Just so you know... Y'know, the obvious YouTube clip here is the Sesame Street theme song (seeing as Sesame Workshop's new video player doesn't have a clip available), but given the international flavor of this post, I thought I'd post Ozomatli's energetic reworking of the melody and the 2007 South by Southwest Festival. Ozomatli - "Sesame Street Theme Song"

A Small, Self-Serving Reference

I don't note every last reference to this website from other reaches of the web, but when an article nails a particular album so much more succinctly than I ever could, I feel the need to share (even beyond the kind words the author saves for this site). Discussing Buck Howdy's Chickens, author Sarah Bardeen writes: "We're still lamenting the lack of fart jokes (a mainstay of previous albums) but Buck Howdy did so well with this album of chicken-fried kiddie country that we're prepared to forgive him." Yes, I've now used the word "fart" on this website for the, er, second time. Read the whole list here and listen to a playlist of about 2 dozen tracks from a whole bunch of CDs here.

Kids' Musician, Oscar Nominee

It's been awhile since I checked in with Toronto's Jerry Levitan, who's put out a couple kids music CDs as Sir Jerry (read my review of his latest CD here). So I was a bit surprised to see him resurface... as an Oscar nominee. That's right -- Levitan produced I Met The Walrus, which animates a 5-minute excerpt of his 40-minute interview with John Lennon. I mean, I knew he was developing a movie on the experience, but it's not everyday that films based on 40 minutes of one's life get made, let alone nominated for Best Animated Short Film. So good for him. (Hat tip: The Daily Swarm)

Video: "Animal Alphabet Song" - The Hollow Trees

Kids' music videos don't have to be complicated or produced on a "Thriller"-like budget. In fact, this video, the first from The Hollow Trees' excellent new album Welcome to Nelsonville, is a little better because of the cut-and-paste nature of the video. It's not the best song from the album, but it's a cute little 2-minute video. The Hollow Trees - "Animal Alphabet Song"

Review in Brief: Hawaiian Playground - Various Artists (Putumayo)

HawaiianPlayground.jpgAnother month, another breezy mix CD from Putumayo Kids. This time it's Hawaiian Playground, which will be released tomorrow, January 22nd. As with other Putumayo Kids collections, the strength of this CD lies in its well-considered blend of modern and traditional sounds, silly and serious songs. I'm not sure too many other collections of Hawaiian music would have the nerve to kick things off with a song from a New York City band, but the Moonlighters play expert Hawaiian steel guitar music, and their jazzy cover of Sam Koki's "Right On" is lots of fun. Joe McDermott's well-produced Hawaiian pastiche "Come to Hawaii" is the most accessible song for kids here, all about using one's imagination about visiting the far-off state. The other artists here are from the islands, and the songs show how diverse the state's musical culture has become. With a number of traditional-sounding albums in my own collection, I preferred the more traditional sounds of Raiatea's "Po La'ila'i" or Keali'i Reichel's "Toad Song." But Hawaiian music today also includes styles such as "Jawaiian" (a mixture of traditional Hawaiian music and Jamaican reggae, as heard on Robi Kahakalau's "Pi'i Mai Ka Nalu"). The collection is typically all-ages, but I think kids ages 3 through 7 might enjoy talking about Hawaii via these songs (and liner notes) the most. You can hear samples of the half-hour disk at most internet shops. Hawaiian Playground isn't an introduction to the history of Hawaiian music; it is, for the most part, a sampling of what Hawaiian kids and families might listen to today. For those families looking for a brief audio vacation to the islands, this album will be the ticket. Recommended.