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Reggae Playground
Reggae Playground
Reggae Playground
by Various Artists

Introduce your little one to the feel good sounds of reggae! This album has many fun features, including a Bob Marley song performed by his wife Rita, a reggae cover of the Beatles' Here Comes the Sun, and many cultural classics like Rootsman Dread. Listeners are treated to the reggae mixes of trumpet, trombone, hand drums, bass guitar, and a vast variety of percussion instruments.

Age: 5 Year-olds | Title: Reggae Playground  |  Artist: Various Artists  |  Label: Putumayo

Introduce your little one to the feel good sounds of reggae! This album has many fun features, including a Bob Marley song performed by his wife Rita, a reggae cover of the Beatles' Here Comes the Sun, and many cultural classics like Rootsman Dread. Listeners are treated to the reggae mixes of trumpet, trombone, hand drums, bass guitar, and a vast variety of percussion instruments.

Reggae may not be your musical genre of choice when considering music for children, but it just might become so after you witness how kids connect with the unique beats and sound of Reggae Playground.  Reggae originated when Jamaicans blended American R&B with native rhythms to create ska, and then slowed it down. Although Reggae is most commonly associated with Jamaica, there are other island sounds that blended with Reggae form new musical styles. For example, the song Ying Yang is a blend of reggae and sega, the traditional music of Reunion, a tropical island in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa. The songs on Reggae Playground also showcase many different languages. Harambe, sung by Bob Marley's wife, Rita, is a Swahili word meaning, "Let's all come together as one"; As Meninas dos Meus Olhos is Portugese for "The Girls of My Eyes"; Pat Gulipat is sung in Bahasa Indonesia, the official language of Indonesia; and  Mon Petit Bonhomme is French for "My little fellow," and includes an impressive saxophone solo.

Parents and grandparents will also have fun with the songs, as they will recognize some of the reggae covers of classic American songs. For instance, the John Denver song Country Roads still features the catchy chorus of "Country roads, take me home," but the famous reggae and ska singer Toots puts it to an island beat and changes one line from referencing the roads of West Virginia to referencing Jamaica.  Toots also adds hand claps to the beat at the end, which listeners can join in on. The Beatles classic Here Comes the Sun easily lends itself to the attitude and message of most reggae songs with its positive message that no matter how bad things seem at one time, there are better times on the horizon. This is a great message for discussion with your child. The story of the song Rootsman Dread is explained within the cover booklet and would be fun to share with your little one; the song opens with children calling out the magical Rootsman Dread, who brings positive vibrations to people with his reggae music. The music has a very magical quality and sound to it. Turning World also includes a child's voice singing the first verse, as well as a positive message about spending your time having fun and loving your family instead of worrying too much.

My five-year-old friend Hanna says her favorite song on this album is Mouse in the House. This song is about a little boy who is afraid of a mouse in the attic and wants to get rid of it, but he eventually changes his mind and decides it is cute and can stay. Hanna has a pet hamster and said she was afraid of it at first too, but now she loves him very much. I talked with her about the deeper message of the song - facing your fears and realizing they aren't as scary when you understand them better. She thought about what I said for a minute and then asked, "My little brother is afraid of me, but I don't want him to get over it because then he won't pick up my toys….I better not let him listen to this song."
 
--Audra

Putumayo Kids is the children's and educational division of Putumayo World Music. As one of the leading children's record labels, Putumayo Kids is committed to introducing children to other cultures through music from around the world.

With its growing collection of CDs featuring multilingual liner notes, Putumayo Kids produces music that entertains, educates and inspires cultural curiosity. More than three million Putumayo Kids CDs have been sold around the world. At least one percent of the CD sales benefit non-profit groups that support children, families, schools and other charities.

The Putumayo Kids music team chooses songs with child-friendly lyrics and rhythms by both renowned and undiscovered international artists. The collection of songs are tested in schools and with families. An international music selection contributes to the education of future global citizens while holding true to Putumayo's mission of sharing music that is "guaranteed to make you feel good".

Putumayo Kids has won numerous awards and is parent and teacher approved. Some organizations that have awarded honors to Putumayo Kids include Parents' Choice, National Parenting Publication Awards, Teachers' Choice and the American Library Association.

1.    Johnny Dread, Rootsman Dread (USA/Cuba) - 2:42

2.    Eric Bibb, Turning World (USA) - 4:11

3.    Alain Schneider, Le Vieil Elephant (France) - 3:52

4.    Judy Mowatt, Let's Dance (Jamaica) - 3:18

5.    Mousta Largo, Mon Petit Bonhomme (Morocco) - 3:10

6.    Tony Q Rastafara, Pat Gulipat (Indonesia) - 3:50

7.    The Burning Souls, Here Comes the Sun (Jamaica) - 3:26

8.    Marty Dread, Mouse in the House (Hawaii) - 2:46

9.    Jessica, Ying Yang (Reunion) - 3:15

10.    Kal dos Santos, As Meninas dos Meus Olhos (Brazil) - 3:05

11.    Asheba, Reggae Lullaby (Trinidad) - 2:39

12.    Rita Marley, Harambe (Jamaica) - 3:34

13.    Totts and the Maytals, Take Me Home Country Road (Jamaica) - 3:19

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