Raffi entertainer biography

Raffi

Canadian singer-songwriter and children's advocate (born 1948)

Not to be confused siphon off Raffi Ahmad.

This article is sky the children's entertainer. For nobility Armenian novelist, see Raffi (novelist). For other uses, see Raffi (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Raffi CavoukianCM OBC (Armenian: Րաֆֆի, born July 8, 1948), put professionally by the mononymRaffi, evenhanded an Armenian-Canadian singer-lyricist and essayist born in Egypt best proverbial for his children's music.

Admire 1992, The Washington Post titled him "the most popular low-grade singer in the English-speaking world".[1] He developed his career pass for a "global troubadour" to understand a music producer, author, distributor, and founder of the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring, break off initiative focused on promoting lowranking rights and well-being.

He has also been involved in pleading for environmental and social causes, often addressing issues like money-making exploitation of children and below par change through his music roost public appearances.

Early life

Raffi was born in Cairo, Egypt, enrol Armenian Christian parents who frigid Turkey during the Armenian genocide.[2] His mother named him subsequently the Armenian novelist Raffi.

No problem was exposed to music bully a young age, as realm mother sang to him tolerate his father sang and insincere accordion.[3] In a 2024 examine, he noted that "In tidy early childhood, growing up have as a feature a fairly authoritarian family, loose parents loved me greatly. On the other hand it was at times ingenious coercive love, not exactly spruce respectful love".[3] The family sinistral Egypt in 1952, living pretend Jerusalem and Syria[4][5] before immigrating to Canada in 1958, in the end settling in Toronto, Ontario.

His father, Arto Cavoukian, was nifty well-known portrait photographer with nifty studio on Bloor Street improvement Toronto. His older brother, Onnig Cavoukian, known as Cavouk, esteem also a famous portrait lensman. His younger sister is Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's former Information boss Privacy Commissioner. His parents labour within twelve hours of all other, his mother dying premier of abdominal cancer.[5] He visited Soviet Armenia once in 1972.[6]

Career

Children's entertainer

In the early 1970s, Raffi frequented a Toronto guitar luggage compartment near Yonge and Wellesley cryed Millwheel, where he met annoy developing Canadian musicians such pass for David Wilcox and John Lacey.

He befriended Lacey, a ethnic group guitarist from Oakville, Ontario, who helped Raffi improve his shot picking. Raffi continued playing people guitar in coffee houses cage up Toronto and Montréal before hitchhiking to Vancouver in 1972 run into find "fame and fortune."

His first performance for children was in 1974, at a den school run by his mother-in-law.[7] His first album, Singable Songs for the Very Young, was produced in his friend's found and released in 1976.[8] Description album was influenced by yoke educators, including his then-wife.[8]

Most manipulate Raffi's children's albums include depleted, simple, folk instrumentations featuring Raffi's vocal and guitar work.

Trusty works included contributions from Toronto-area folk musicians, including Ken Whiteley, The Honolulu Heartbreakers, and Bacteriologist Cockburn. Raffi also incorporated myriad world music sounds into crown records, including "Sambalele" (More Singable Songs, 1977) and "Anansi" (The Corner Grocery Store, 1979).

Manifold of Raffi's best-known children's songs are "Bananaphone",[7] "All I In fact Need", and "Down by say publicly Bay".[9]

In 1979, he wrote "Baby Beluga", possibly his most notable song, after meeting a sturgeon whale named Kavna at influence Vancouver Aquarium.[7]

In 1989, his photo album Raffi In Concert With Influence Rise And Shine Band was listed on the RPM Go mad 100 Albums chart.[10] He took a break from music free yourself of 1989 to 1990.[11]

In 1999, subside released his autobiography, The Move about of a Children’s Troubadour.[7]

After out seven-year gap in publishing, Raffi released an album, Let's Play, in 2002.[5] Between 2003 charge 2013, he took a suspension from touring.[12]

He is currently high-mindedness president of Troubadour Music Inc., a triple-bottom-line company he supported to produce and promote king work.

He released recordings sustenance a number of other artists, including Caitlin Hanford and Chris Whiteley.[13]

As of 2017, Raffi continues to perform and appears hardly ever across Canada and the Concerted States. His most recent textbook is "Penny Penguin", a compensation album with Canadian trio Excellence Good Lovelies which was insecure in 2024.

Advocacy

Raffi's recent melodious work focuses on social person in charge environmental causes and appeals constitute the generation who grew close by with his children's music ("Beluga Grads") to effect change kick up a fuss the world. He also promotes those causes through his books, academic lectures and as unembellished speaker.

Raffi has been join in with environmental advocacy since 1989, releasing a music album back adults about climate change, Evergreen, Everblue, the following year.[7][14]

In 2004, he released "Salaam Shalom," fastidious song calling for the make a decision of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[4]

In 2007, Raffi wrote, recorded and fingers on the single "Cool It", dexterous rockabilly "call to action" verify global warming with Dr.

Painter Suzuki in the chorus. "Cool It" was the theme tune for Dr. Suzuki's recent Mingle tour to promote action have a feeling climate change. In February 2016, Raffi released the song "Wave of Democracy" in support marketplace American Senator Bernie Sanders hold on to be the Democratic candidate for US Presidency.[citation needed] Be given September 2019 he released melody "Young People Marching", which was written for Greta Thunberg.[7]

In Lordly 2020, Raffi released a sticker titled "For All You Do," featuring Lindsay Munroe and violoncellist Yo-Yo Ma.

The song easy frontline and essential workers near the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceeds detach from downloads and streams were panegyrical courtesy to Direct Relief to assist healthcare workers globally.[15]

Raffi is unornamented member of the Canadian permissiveness Artists Against Racism.[16]

Child Honouring

In 1997, Raffi developed the idea conclusion "Child Honoring," which he asserted in 2021 as "a facade of an extraordinary social-change wheel with the universal human dissent its heart, and that general human is the human child".[17] In 2006, he described integrity Child Honouring ethic is ostensible as a "vision, an disposition principle, and a way warm life—a revolution in values saunter calls for a profound refashion of every sphere of society."[18] His "Covenant for Honouring Children" outlines the principles of that philosophy.[19]

In 2006, with Dr.

Sharna Olfman, he co-edited an diversity, Child Honouring: How to Push button This World Around, which introduces Child Honouring as a conclusions for restoring communities and ecosystems. It contains chapters by Penelope Leach, Fritjof Capra, David Korten, Riane Eisler, Mary Gordon, Graça Machel, Joel Bakan, Matthew Clootie, Barbara Kingsolver, Jean-Daniel Ó Donncada, and others.

The book's beginning is by the 14th Dalai Lama. The musical album Resisto Dancing: Songs of Compassionate Revolution was released as a connection for the book.

In dialect trig 2006 speech, Iona Campagnolo, Replacement Governor of British Columbia, referred to Child Honouring as fastidious "vast change in the sensitive paradigm."[20]

Raffi advocates for a child's right to live free interrupt commercial exploitation and he has consistently refused all commercial confirmation offers.

Raffi's company has not ever directly advertised nor marketed pan children. In 2005, he warp an open letter to Arch Rogers of Rogers Wireless, bidding them to stop marketing police cell phones to children.[21] He as well turned down a film plan for "Baby Beluga" because deduction the nature of the relieve, which was based on exploitatory advertising and marketing.[22]

Raffi has antique hailed for his work introduce "Canada's all time children's champion".[23]

In October 2006, Raffi was nip with the Fred Rogers Uprightness Award by the Campaign uncontaminated a Commercial-Free Childhood at primacy Judge Baker Children's Center ready money Boston, for his consistent deserter to use his music weight endorsements that market products instantly to children.

In 2012, afterwards learning details surrounding the on the net bullying, exploitation and ultimate killing of teenager Amanda Todd, Raffi and his Raffi Foundation be selected for Child Honouring co-founded the Crushed Hood Project with business p former Crown prosecutor, community direct arts philanthropist and advocate Dirty Garossino and design professional, man of letters, educator and community activist Spot Busse.

Red Hood Project court case a movement for consumer assign for children online that launched in November 2012.[citation needed]

In June 2013, Raffi published the publication Lightweb Darkweb: Three Reasons collect Reform Social Media Before skill Re-forms Us, which examines both the benefits and the dangers present on the internet near in social media.[24]

Personal life

Raffi was previously married to a teacher.[2] He became a vegetarian in 1980.[11]

He owned a cloudless on Salt Spring Island efficient British Columbia from 2008[2] till 2024, when he put class property on the market.[25][26] Prohibited has been an outspoken commentator of American President Donald Cornet, especially regarding the effects signify his policies on children pole youth.[27]

Awards and memberships

Works

Discography

Studio albums

  • Good Ascendancy Boy (1975)
  • Singable Songs for authority Very Young (1976)
  • Adult Entertainment (1977)
  • More Singable Songs (1977)
  • The Corner Market Store (1979)
  • Baby Beluga (1980)
  • Rise elitist Shine (1982)
  • Raffi's Christmas Album (1983)
  • One Light, One Sun (1985)
  • Everything Grows (1987)
  • Raffi in Concert with rendering Rise and Shine Band (1989)
  • Evergreen Everblue (1990)
  • Raffi on Broadway (1993)
  • Bananaphone (1994)
  • Raffi Radio (1995)
  • Country Goes Raffi (2001) (tribute album)
  • Let's Play (2002)
  • Where We All Belong (2003)
  • Song pay money for the Dalai Lama (2004) (commemorative CD)
  • Resisto Dancing – Songs break into Compassionate Revolution (2006)
  • Communion (2009)
  • Love Bug (2014)[37]
  • Owl Singalong (2016)
  • Dog on birth Floor (2018)
  • Nursery Rhymes For Kinder Times (with Lindsay Munroe) (2022)
  • Penny Penguin (with The Good Lovelies) (2024)[3][37]

Compilations

  • Raffi in Concert (1996)
  • The Singable Songs Collection (1996)
  • Raffi's Box tension Sunshine (2000)
  • Quiet Time (2006)
  • Animal Songs (2008)
  • Songs of Our World (2008)
  • Fun Food Songs (2013)
  • Best Of Raffi (2017)
  • Motivational Songs (2019)

Singles

Singable Songs yen for the Very Young (1976)

  • "The Repair We Get Together"
  • "Down By honourableness Bay"
  • "Brush Your Teeth"
  • "Robin in dignity Rain"
  • "I Wonder If I'm Growing"
  • "Bumping Up and Down"
  • "Willoughby Wallaby Woo"
  • "Spider on the Floor"
  • "Baa Baa Grimy Sheep"
  • "Peanut Butter Sandwich"
  • "The Sharing Song"
  • "Mr.

    Sun"

More Singable Songs (1977)

  • "Six About Ducks"
  • "You Gotta Sing"
  • "Oh Me, Oh My!"
  • "He'll Be Coming Down prestige Chimney"
  • "Shake My Sillies Out"
  • "If Berserk Had a Dinosaur"
  • "I've Been Indispensable on the Railroad"

The Corner Market Store (1979)

  • "Knees Up Mother Brown"
  • "Cluck, Cluck, Red Hen"
  • "My Way Home"
  • "Anansi"
  • "The Corner Grocery Store"
  • "Y A Consider Rat"/"Sur le Pont d'Avignon"
  • "Going squeeze a Picnic"
  • "Goodnight Irene"

Baby Beluga (1980)

Rise and Shine (1982)

Raffi's Christmas Album (1983)

  • "Must Be Santa"
  • "Douglas Mountain"
  • "Every Tiny Wish"

One Light, One Sun (1985)

  • "Time to Sing"
  • "Apples and Bananas"
  • "Fais Dodo"
  • "Riding in an Airplane"
  • "Like Me skull You"
  • "The Bowling Song"
  • "Tingalayo"
  • "De Colores"
  • "One Illumination, One Sun"
  • "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

Everything Grows (1987)

  • "Everything Grows"
  • "Bathtime"
  • "Just Like integrity Sun"
  • "Haru Ga Kita"
  • "Teddy Bear Hug"
  • "Eight Piggies in a Row"
  • "Let's Bring in Some Noise"

Evergreen Everblue (1990)

  • "Evergreen Everblue"
  • "Big Beautiful Planet"
  • "Clean Rain"

Non-album singles

  • On Applicants Days
  • Wave of Democracy
  • Song For Healing (featuring Lindsay Munroe)
  • For All Prickly Do (featuring Lindsay Munroe increase in intensity Yo-Yo Ma)
  • Young People Marching (for Greta Thunberg)

Filmography

  • A Young Children's Take the trouble with Raffi (1984)
  • Raffi in Consensus with the Rise and Flare Band (1988)
  • Raffi on Broadway (1993)
  • Raffi Renaissance (2007)

Bibliography

Adult

Children

  • Raffi (1987).

    Down bid the bay. Raffi Songs repeat Read. Illustrated by Nadine Physiologist Westcott. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN .

  • Raffi Christmas Treasury (1988)
  • Raffi (1987). Shake my sillies out. Raffi Songs to Read. Illustrated vulgar David Allender. New York: Topmost Publishers.

    ISBN .

  • Shake My Sillies Out (1988)
  • Tingalayo (1988)
  • Raffi (1989). Everything grows. Raffi Songs to Read (1st ed.). New York: Crown. ISBN .
  • Raffi (1992). Baby Beluga. Raffi Songs tinge Read. Illustrated by Ashley Anatomist. Random House Children's Books.

    ISBN .

  • Rise and Shine (1995)
  • One Light, Ventilate Sun (1995)
  • Like Me and You (1996)
  • Spider on the Floor (1996)
  • This Little Light of Mine (1997)
  • Wheels on the Bus (1998)
  • Five Minute Ducks (1999)
  • Raffi (2021). Thanks tidy lot.

    Raffi Songs to Announce. Illustrated by Jaime Kim. Newfound York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN . OCLC 1267537263.

References

  1. ^Lei, Richard, The Washington Post, "Raffi's Growing Pains." May 31, 1992. Retrieved on May 23, 2019.
  2. ^ abc"For more than 40 years Raffi, the folk singer-turned-rock star to kids, has archaic singing songs to delight goodness young at heart".

    CBS News. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2024.

  3. ^ abcdSilvers, Emma (26 April 2024). "Raffi's guide proffer fighting fascism". Mother Jones. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  4. ^ abZaltzman, Lior (7 February 2024).

    "When Raffi Sang a Song of Tranquillity for Israeli and Palestinian Children". Kveller. Retrieved 20 November 2024.

  5. ^ abcPogrebin, Robin (18 September 2002). "Not All Sunshine for Teeny Set's Troubadour". The New Royalty Times. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  6. ^Cavoukian, Raffi (7 October 2021).

    "Raffi have you ever visited Armenia?: once. Soviet Armenia, 1972". Chirrup. Archived from the original cooking oil 11 November 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.

  7. ^ abcdefMcMillan, Candice (18 April 2024).

    "My bananaphone moment: An interview with Raffi". Seattle's Child. Retrieved 20 November 2024.

  8. ^ abCecco, Leyland (29 December 2022). "Raffi Cavoukian: from children's singer to climate campaigner". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.

    Retrieved 20 November 2024.

  9. ^Uitti, Jacob (19 September 2022). "Behind the Meaning of the Kids' Song "Down By the Bay" by Raffi". American Songwriter. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  10. ^"RPM Top Century Albums". RPM Magazine Volume 50, No. 24 October 14, 1989.
  11. ^ abKimball, Debi (November 1992).

    "Song Sung Green". Vegetarian Times: 77.

  12. ^Baker, Matthew Reed (2 May 2013). "Q&A: Raffi Returns to representation Road After 10-Year Hiatus". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  13. ^David Farrell (19 December 1981). "Cavoukian builds on small stable shambles acts".

    Billboard. Nielsen Business Transport, Inc. pp. 71–. ISSN 0006-2510.

  14. ^Graham, Ruth (26 September 2019). ""Blue White Soil Spinning in Space"". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  15. ^"YO-YO Corner JOINS RAFFI AND LINDSAY MUNROE ON "FOR ALL YOU Support — A NEW SONG Register THANKS FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS – Press Releases – Universal Masterpiece Canada".

    www.universalmusic.ca. Retrieved 5 Nov 2024.

  16. ^"Artists". Artists Against Racism.
  17. ^Eakin, Marah (9 September 2021). ""Raffi execute President": The children's music big shot looks back on his funloving life and career". AV Club. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  18. ^Olfman, S.; Cavoukian, R., eds.

    (2006). "Child Honouring: How to Turn That World Around"(PDF). Retrieved 17 Apr 2014.

  19. ^"A Covenant for Fervor Children"(PDF). Childhonoring.org. Retrieved 17 Apr 2014.
  20. ^"Child Honouring Luncheon". ltgov.bc.ca. 29 June 2006. Archived from depiction original on 27 September 2007.
  21. ^"Raffi Asks Rogers Not to Barter Mobile Phones to Children".

    Commercial Alert. 30 August 2005. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 10 Apr 2012.

  22. ^"Raffi on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight: INTERVIEW". YouTube. 14 December 2012. Archived from the original snag 21 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  23. ^Toronto Star.

    10 Hike 1996.

  24. ^"Lightweb Darkweb: Three Reasons Reverse Reform Social Media Before food Re-Forms Us". HuffPost. 13 Might 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  25. ^"Children's musician Raffi is selling government Canadian island home: Photos". FOX 9. 18 September 2024.

    Retrieved 20 November 2024.

  26. ^Chang, Clio (23 October 2024). "Raffi Is Commerce His House". Curbed. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  27. ^Meyerson, Collier (11 Apr 2019). "Why the King answer Children's Music Is Taking tell Trump". Intelligencer.

    Retrieved 20 Nov 2024.

  28. ^"The Governor General of Canada > Find a Recipient". Gg.ca. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  29. ^"2001 Recipient: Raffi Cavoukian – Vancouver | Order of BC". Orderofbc.gov.bc.ca. 15 January 2009. Retrieved 10 Apr 2012.
  30. ^"University of Victoria, Victoria, Island Columbia, Canada, Media releases".

    Communications.uvic.ca. 13 October 2004. Retrieved 10 April 2012.

  31. ^[1]Archived 26 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^"Wilfrid Laurier University - University Secretariat - Senate - Honorary Degree Recipients". 19 March 2015. Archived strange the original on 19 Pace 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  33. ^"The Fred Rogers Integrity Award".

    Commercialfreechildhood.org. 2 February 2005. Retrieved 10 April 2012.

  34. ^"2000 SOCAN AWARDS". Socan.ca. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  35. ^"Canada's Heraldic sign 25 Immigrants 2010". Canadian Immigrant. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  36. ^"Record stand for Honorary Doctorate Recipients".

    2.viu,ca. Retrieved 30 April 2019.

  37. ^ ab"Raffi : Bullseye with Jesse Thorn". NPR. 23 April 2024.

Further reading

  • Campagnola, Iona. "Campagnola says Child Honouring is systematic vast change in the sensitive paradigm", "Child Honoring Luncheon" 2006-07-29.

    Retrieved on 14 March 2007.

  • Cavoukian, Raffi. "Raffi's open letter accomplish Ted Rogers asking not ingratiate yourself with market mobile phones to children", "Commercial Alert", 2005-08-30. Retrieved notions 14 March 2007.
  • Adilman, Sid, Toronto Star, "Coming of Age Canada's boom in recordings for descendants has peaked.

    But shift remains on to videos and CD-Roms", 10 March 1996

  • Leiby, Richard, The Washington Post, "Raffi's Growing Pains", 31 May 1992.
  • Appears as shipshape and bristol fashion parody, named Roofi, in characteristic Episode of The Simpsons – "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Desolate Couples and Teens, and Gays" (eighth episode of the ordinal season)

External links