Putumayo: World Playground
A Family-friendly Multicultural Music Collection
World Playground: A Musical Adventure for Kids is a joyful world music collection guaranteed to get the whole family dancing and singing.
World Playground: A Musical Adventure for Kids is the first in the line of Putumayo’s CDs geared towards kids. The Putumayo collection is well-known for promoting quality folk music and the kids’ CDs are no exception. World Playground is a rollicking collection of family friendly songs from 11 countries including Bolivia, France, Greece, Brazil and Senegal. It is sure to entertain the littlest listeners, while keeping adults from the mind-numbing boredom they may associate with children’s music.
Dancing
From reggae to the bomba to zydeco, World Playground will have kids and parents alike on their feet, clapping their hands and singing along. Unlike many music collections geared towards children, there are no lullabies to slow down the party. In fact, families may even find they want to learn a new dance. Try out the morenada from Bolivia or the carimbo from Brazil.
Singing
One possible challenge with multi-cultural music collections is the fact that the diversity of languages can make it less accessible for those who enjoy singing along. Although World Playground does have songs in 8 different languages, lyrics are provided for all of them, both in the native language and translated into English. Kids can learn to sing along and understand the meaning of the lyrics and some of the cultural context under which they were written.
Familiarity
The CD contains a few songs that may already be familiar to families. The first is the reggae song “Three Little Birds,” written by Bob Marley and performed by his mother, Cedella Marley Booker. The second is “Nyanpi Matilda,” a version of the Australian favorite “Waltzing Mathilda” sung in the Aboriginal language, Pitjantjatjara. Kids can use the liner notes to learn the Aboriginal lyrics, or sing along with the accompanying English lyrics.
Educational Value
The educational value of the liner notes doesn’t end with lyric translations. The notes contain historic and geographic reference information, where appropriate, as well as descriptions of some of the instruments featured in each track. The liner notes alone provide a springboard for additional learning about each of the countries, instruments and music styles represented throughout the CD.
Global Responsibility
Most parents choose music for their children based on their preferences and family values. For parents seeking out ways to introduce global music to their children, World Playground is a sure way to satisfy. In addition to obtaining a quality music CD, parents can know that Putumayo donates a portion of sales from their kids’ music line to relevant non-profit organizations around the world.
Where to Find World Playground
World Playground has a suggested retail price of $14.98 and is available through the Putumayo website as well as at various other brick-and-mortar and internet retailers.
With quality, joyful music and substantial liner notes, this CD is a wonderful addition to any family music library.
