Music News & Reviews

Raffi breaks down the anatomy of a children's song, from baby whales to banana phones

By Joshua Tehee
Children's musician Raffi released a best-of album and is doing a round of concert dates including Saturday, May 5 at the Tower Theatre in Fresno, Ca.
Children's musician Raffi released a best-of album and is doing a round of concert dates including Saturday, May 5 at the Tower Theatre in Fresno, Ca. Carrie Nuttall SUBMITTED

Raffi might not admit it, but the 69-year-old musician helped define, if not wholly create, children's music as a genre.

There has always been music for children, to be sure. When Raffi started, it was called "family audience" music. But there were few albums being released at the time and artists didn't understand how important the music could be.

Raffi sings folk songs for children.
Raffi sings folk songs for children. FRESNO BEE ARCHIVES

Raffi did, and sought to let the world know. He put it right in the title of his first album, "Singable Songs for the Very Young."

"There was something about making an album that said, on its cover, 'for the very young,' " says Raffii, reflecting on the album, which turns 40 this year and is being celebrated with a series of concert dates, including Saturday night at Fresno's Tower Theatre and Sunday at Modesto's Gallo Theater for the Arts.

Raffi Concert Fresno May 5th 2018 from Burkeville Productions on Vimeo.

Raffi has produced a number of children's classics; songs like "Baby Beluga,” “Down By The Bay,” and “Bananaphone!”

He did it without pandering.

"I didn’t think in terms of marketing to an audience," he says.

The Bee asked Raffi what goes into writing a great children's song. Here are his thoughts:

Keep it simple

This seems obvious., but children have limited vocabularies. Simplicity and repetition are important, Raffi says. Think, "Wheels on the Bus," or "If You're Happy and You Know It.."

Animals are big

There's a reason Raffi's next album (out this summer) is called "Dog On The Floor."

Three of the songs on the album were inspired by Luna, a border collie-poodle mix that Raffi describes as "lovely."

Of course, the musician's catalog is chock full of animal tunes. He call his adults fans (the ones who grew up listening and are now bringing their kids to concerts) "Belugagrads," a nod to his 1980 song "Baby Beluga."

Or, "bel-ooooo-ga," as Raffi sings it.

"Kids love to love. They love animals, and they love animals sounds," he says.

A song like "Six Little Ducks," hits the mark, big time, with its "quack, quack, quack" refrain.

It also has plenty of repetition, which makes for easy singalongs.

Be playful

This might be the most important aspect for creating music for children; indulging their imaginations and respecting their sense of playfulness. So, a song like "Bananaphone" may seem silly on lyrics alone.

For instance, lines like "Ping pong ping pong ping pong ping panana phone. It's no Bologna, it ain't a phony. My cellular bananular phone."

But silly is also kind of the point.

"Play is the magic that connects with the young audience," Raffi says. "That's where they live."

Joshua Tehee: 559-441-6479, @joshuatehee

Raffi

Meanwhile …

Six other noteworthy events happening this week:

This story was originally published May 2, 2018 at 10:41 AM with the headline "Raffi breaks down the anatomy of a children's song, from baby whales to banana phones."

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