Baby Baluga From a Singer by the Name of Raffi
To kids around the world, Raffi needs no introduction across his memorable get-go proper noun. A surviving — and yet thriving — veteran of the children's music industry, the singer-songwriter made his outset large splash in 1980 with "Infant Beluga," the sweet tale of a "little white whale on the become" that happened to have the kind of hook his listeners wouldn't forget four decades later. (He calls his older fans, many now parents themselves, "Beluga Grads.")
Raffi's repertoire and discography only grew from there: Since Billboard instated a Kid Albums chart in 1995, Raffi has notched 10 albums on the list, one of only 12 artists to do so — and, different commercial juggernaut contemporaries like Veggie Tales and Kidz Bop Kidz, he did so while remaining independent and refusing to e'er market to children. He'due south sold more than than xv million albums worldwide, according to his team'southward sales reports, and his songs have earned 332.9 million on-demand U.S. streams, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Information.
But Raffi Cavoukian — the homo behind the hits, now 71 — appears to have changed very little since the days in the mid-1970s when, thanks to a few risk performances for children, he set up bated a career equally a folk vocalizer to focus on a much younger audience. (Cavoukian himself does not accept children and is divorced.) Today, he still writes and performs his own music — typically he'll write using guitar, though lately he's taken to the ukulele, and in lieu of a domicile studio he uses the Sound Studio app and vocalism memos for demoing. He withal devotes significant time to the causes he has long held beloved, including climate change and the rights of children (a mission he has named "child honouring"). And he still speaks with the gentle, warm tone that has made his voice so approachable to kids for decades — and, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic, a comfort to young people and parents alike. On the phone from his home on an island in Canada recently, his message sounded a lot like one of his lyrics: "Hang in there, everybody. And I'll hang in there with yous — how about that?"
Tell me virtually your current situation. Where are you lot? Are yous working on music?
Most days I don't know who I am, but apart from that everything's normal. (Laughs.) I'm on Canada's west declension — I alive on an island called Salt Bound Island. Canada has taken this very seriously; nosotros practice physical distancing to the nth caste, and I call back that's what's helping usa go over this hump. For the last four to five weeks, I'k just breathing deeply and staying informed but besides wanting some time when I'1000 not thinking about negativity.
Last fall I had a really strong sense that I shouldn't practice concerts this yr — I wanted a break — and how interesting that this is the year I got the suspension in. In the kickoff couple months of the year, I did something I've never done ever: I produced somebody else'southward children's album. I simply never thought nearly it [before] — I guess I was decorated with my own projects! It's chosen I Am Kind: Songs for Unique Kids, past Lindsay Munroe, a wonderful vocalizer who's a female parent of three and lives in Massachusetts. She recorded her voice and the rhythm instruments in her hometown, sent tracks to my recording engineer, and nosotros went to piece of work dressing up the tracks. I did overdubs and played instruments and sang harmonies on many songs. Information technology's really a gem of an album [out now on Troubadour Music Inc.].
It's an oddly fortuitous time for new kids' music to come out — the genre is ane of the few doing really well amid this crisis.
I think during this time especially, music gives comfort to kids and their families. I take one album chosen Quiet Time, a drove of my quiet songs, and parents tell me it works wonders at bedtime. I mention that in case kids are having problem right now nodding off at nighttime.
It's now been 40 years since your famed "Baby Beluga" came out. What were your original ambitions in music? Would you have e'er imagined this kind of career?
No, I could never take imagined any of this. I was a folk vocaliser before I was a children's entertainer. In those days I dreamed of a career like 1 a James Taylor vocaliser-songwriter would have. On my offset album [for kids], Singable Songs for the Very Young, I was but trying to break even. Merely word got out that this album was irresistible, and through that word-of-mouth information technology became very popular in a very short time. And within a couple years, I knew my talents were best used in this surprising new genre for me. I think it was the get-go gold album that Daniel Lanois [the legendary producer of U2'southward The Joshua Tree] was the engineer of. He engineered my start four albums.
Once I devoted myself to understanding children every bit an of import audience, that was a window to a lifetime of learning virtually social club from the kid upwards, as it were. Xx-2 years agone, I was awakened from a audio slumber early in the morning time with a two-discussion vision: "child honouring," and that's a philosophy I've developed with the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring. Our early years are our well-nigh impressionable years. It behooves us to respect the kid as a whole person. They acquire the almost sophisticated human being tasks during their playful early mode of being. That'due south a marvel in itself.
When you started writing for children, did you have to shift your thinking about what a vocal needed? Or did you write for kids much every bit you would for adults?
I had to change my thinking — it's a different audience. Their life experience is limited in years, so [you lot call up about] vocabulary, what children are intrigued by, what captures their imagination. Information technology's certainly unlike from writing for adults. But the focus on children is natural and reasonable. You sing nigh six fiddling ducks or about bananas. You sing with humour and rhyming — the things y'all know will entreatment to the young kid.
What are those basic elements a song has to have, to you, to accept a chance of reaching a wide young audience?
Information technology depends on the subject matter. If it'due south a nature song, or a song about an animal, or about foods that are fun to eat, that shapes the song. Only at the same time you tin can use rhyme and repetition — that's why a chorus, a refrain, is skilful to have in a children's song. That works well in pop music too, but we'll exit that alone. (Laughs.) Humor is also a wonderful chemical element, where advisable. And the tone with which yous're singing is also important. One would hope information technology's a tone that is loving and caring and respectful, coming together the child halfway. Being a children's entertainer is a service in a way. If your compass is gear up on respect, you tin can't go wrong.
Thinking almost "Infant Beluga" now makes me realize how many of your songs are near a harmonious relationship with nature — and I wonder if my generation of Raffi fans subconsciously absorbed a concern well-nigh the environment from you. You've always married your art and activism in a very organic mode, which can be difficult for famous artists.
That'south kind of you lot to say. "Babe Beluga" and "All I Really Need" were amid my commencement environmental songs. I evolved in my appreciation for songs of that kind. I've actually just released, for the 50th anniversary of Earth 24-hour interval, a retrospective spanning xl years — a compilation of snippets of some xv songs in a video. Intellectually I think it'll quite please my fans to hear this — it'southward non for young children, information technology's for Beluga Grads like you. In 1990 I actually put out an ecology anthology called Evergreen Everblue — information technology wasn't one of my more than popular albums, but educators used it a lot. There's a lot of teachable, shareable, hopefully huggable moments.
I'k a fierce defender of democracy, a passionate ecology advocate and a climate activist since 1990, when I first heard about global warming. And now the pandemic has forced us to change our ways in a way we couldn't have imagined 6 weeks ago — we can imagine improve the unprecedented actions we must take on behalf of our collective future. For immature children, all you tin can do is hopefully write songs like "All I Actually Need" or "Green Dream" or "Infant Beluga" — singable songs that are accessible. You don't want to affright immature children.
Decades agone, you founded your own company, Troubadour Music Inc., to release your music. What spurred you to practice then? And did yous ever entertain major-characterization offers?
I formed Troubadour Music Inc., or a version of it, outset back in 1975. So in 1976 when my anthology came along, it was on my own label, which was wonderful because it allowed me to protect my artistic integrity. I wasn't answering to someone else. Right from the start it was wonderful to be an indie label, making the best music I could. When I went to do the sequel to Singable Songs, I recall a large characterization called me and offered some money to tape it, and I said, "Give thanks you, just no, I've got this." Information technology was an easy decision. The first album was selling very well, so it allowed me to make the 2nd album no problem. I'm actually glad I stayed with my decision.
Every bit a children'southward entertainer, have you faced the same quandaries over buying of your piece of work that whatever artist would?
Yeah. But if you get really adept communication, the advice is the same. You lot don't sell your songs, you retain ownership, and you lot charter them — that gets you the best royalty situation with the very popular streaming [platforms] these days. I certainly recollect near [how to release my music] a lot — it'southward no longer automatic but to produce an anthology and think that's how it will exist listened to. People but have different choices at present, and that's OK. The digital world has certainly changed things, generally for the better.
I'd imagine streaming has been nifty for you, introducing your music to even more generations of new fans. Do you pay attention to those numbers?
It's been actually adept for me, and I'm sure we go that kind of info, simply I don't think about it also much. I'm just grateful I still have so many fans.
You've e'er shunned commercial endorsement or marketing to children in whatever way. Was that a hard decision to make, and take people tried to convince you to do otherwise?
The decisions have been piece of cake when information technology comes to respecting my audience. The producers of the movie Shrek approached me a few years back to do a "Babe Beluga"-themed film, and as thrilled every bit I was to get the call, it took me and my people v minutes to say no. We asked, "Are you going to market this straight to children?" "Yes." "Oh, well, that'southward unethical, to market directly to children who are not one-time enough to know the merits of what they're beingness sold." All through my career I've had endorsement offers from all kinds of companies, and I've turned them downwards. Recently a digital communications company wanted to utilize the actual recording of "The More We Become Together," and I immediately said no. The amount of coin was irrelevant. If the government came along and wanted to use ane of my songs in a public service announcement, and I liked the bulletin and idea information technology was worthwhile, I'd consider that.
Well, speaking of commercialism and kids' music, I take to ask: What do you call back of "Baby Shark"? Certainly information technology'southward difficult not to see "Baby Beluga" as a precursor to information technology.
You may not believe this, simply I don't know what "Baby Shark" is. I've heard the 2 words, merely I don't know what it is, and I'thou not sure I need to know. (Laughs.) I can get out some things alone. Merely my song "Bananaphone" keeps being enjoyed. I often remind people that the B-telephone predated the iPhone for many years. Oh, yes, I do have banana jokes I tell. What's the outset thing you hear on a bananaphone? Yellooooow!
Has quarantine inspired you to write any new music?
Well, I do a [Bob] Dylan faux, did y'all know that? I wrote a song called "Dylan Sings Quarantine." Estimate who sings harmony on information technology? Lindsay [Munroe]! Some people actually thought information technology was Dylan singing with me. (Laughs.) And I did a follow-up called "Dylanesque: In the Wind." I recorded them on my iPhone, and Lindsay harmonizes. It'due south physical-distancing duets!
Have you heard Dylan's new 17-infinitesimal-long vocal?
I haven't made it through the offset minute yet. I heard information technology and thought, "Really, JFK?" I'1000 told it's good, then I guess I should try to finish it. Peradventure I should sing along with that!
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Source: https://www.billboard.com/pro/raffi-interview-childrens-music-baby-beluga/
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