Great Day: Back to the Future With Lori Henriques

"Well kids, here's a new CD that I'm going to review – HOW GREAT CAN THIS DAY BE."

"This doesn't sound like a CD for kids."

"It's jazzy."

My wife interjects, "It sounds like something from the '60s."

Leave it to Seattle's Lori Henriques to throw a curveball into the genre of children's music. I've lost count of the number of "rockin'" kids groups. I've forgotten some of the "message-y" concept CDs. But I can count on one hand the syncopated albums that sound like they were recently transferred from period vinyl from the MAD MEN era – and that speaks to the intelligence and ingenuity of Henriques.

The CD works on many levels, from the basic premise of "kids music" ("Monkey Monkey Monkey") to language lessons ("Beau Paris") to a frisky frug ("I Say Woo"). Henriques praises the efforts of Jane Goodall ("Dream Jane Dream") and Fred Rogers ("I Am Your Friend"):

I'm so glad that you befriended me
We'll be friends 'til we're 103.
I love the feeling that's inside of me
I smile so big when I remember we
Are really friends
It's not pretend
I am your friend.

You could slip HOW GREAT CAN THIS DAY BE to kindie-haters and see if they could even discern that it's aimed at their kids. Henriques is serious about making not-so-serious music that appeals to children and those who are still kids at heart. For those of us who sometimes feel old just watching our kids run around, the title track bustles and sonically brays the way we feel – being around the impetuousness of youth. For any children's music CD, that's a pretty keen goal and many miss the mark.

HOW GREAT CAN THIS DAY BE works as both a soundtrack for your child's playdate and as an educational aid to alternative music stylings – a blessing for those of us who cringe at "world music." Who ever thought that adults could learn something by spending 30 minutes with a piano teacher (That's one of Henriques' day jobs). And gee, he added sarcastically, there's nary an appearance from a hip-hop guest artist. Go back in time and bring the family. It's a short DAY but it's worth the trip.

HOW GREAT CAN THIS DAY BE is available from Henriques' website, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is the video to the title track, HOW GREAT CAN THIS DAY BE:

LOVE BUG Brings Everyone Back to Raffi

"Children's champion" is not a title that people hold lightly. Fred Rogers was so fiercely protective of the positive impact of public television that he testified before Congress and shut down a pack of professional hack politicians. Bob McAllister so detested the station managers at WNEW in Manhattan that he bought space in New York newspapers blasting them when they "accidentally" scheduled violent ads for a Charles Bronson movie during the weekly kids show Wonderama that he hosted.

Then there is Raffi Cavoukian. Arguably the most influential children's recording artist of the 1980s-1990s, Raffi set a high standard that many others attempted to follow. So many, in fact, that much of children's music dissolved into self-parody and embarrassment. There's a book somewhere about the kindie subculture of the early 2000s when Dan Zanes inadvertently birthed the "next wave" (i.e., kindie music).

An Egyptian-born, Canadian-raised former coffee shop owner turned troubadour, Raffi has spent the past 20 years in raising awareness for multiple children's issues. "Child Honouring" is his legacy, a unique social change movement, with the child at its heart, focusing on the importance of helping youngsters develop an awareness of the world around them. He also wrote a book, "LIghtweb Darkweb," about the negative impact of the Internet and social media on children and the critical need to reform social media, especially for young users.

Raffi has remained ubiquitous and omnipresent in children's music. He is the yardstick compared to all others. Are you folkie? Do you have universal appeal? How do YOU stack up to Raffi? Yet the artist stayed on the scene predominantly through repackaged greatest hits, until the upcoming LOVE BUG, Raffi's first completely new recording in 12 years.

It all comes down to the music, really. Raffi's sound is gentle acoustic guitar, with harmonies, accordian, string instruments, and occasional orchestration. There's no sudden "rocking out" or double entendre material. There's an emphasis on health and home ("Mama Loves It" and "Free to Play"), a shout out to world music ("Cool Down Reggae"), and even contemplative instrumentals ("Wind Chimes" and "Pete's Banjo"). Raffi pays tribute to Canada with "On Hockey Days" and a modified version of "This Land Is Your Land" where Canadian landmarks replace the original American ones.

Raffi gets down to serious stuff on LOVE BUG's final three tracks, starting with "This Land..." The anthemic "Blue White Planet" delivers the strong message that we have but one home for all of us:

If we keep her in our care
If we all give back our share
There'll be music everywhere on our blue white planet

The last song, "Turn This World Around," continues the theme and quietly nudges listeners where Raffi would like them to go:

Dreams of young ones born into this world
Need respect and love to come alive
Honoring the children is what we're here to do
Now is the hour and we've got the power to
Turn, turn, turn, turn this world around for the children.

Hey it ain't a bad thought. And it shames the satirists who painted children's music as untenable pablum with Raffi as its spokesman. It's a new day and there's a greater appreciation of the genre. Who better to be at the forefront of kindie music than the man who pre-dated it? Raffi watched the movement he started grow and now rejoins it; in fine voice, confident, and spiritually healthy. We're not exactly sure of LOVE BUG's ultimate destination but Raffi encourages families to bring your kids along on the journey.

LOVE BUG is available on Tuesday, July 15 from Raffi's website, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is a video of one of Raffi's most beloved songs, "Baby Beluga":