Animal Playground

Product Review

Since children of all nationalities are fascinated by animals, Putumayo found it only natural to create a collection of exceptional songs featuring animal themes and folklore from across the globe. The 13 tracks on the album will guide listeners on a journey that begins in North America and ends in Africa without skipping a beat in between. Music fans of all ages will want to jump, hop and sing along to the playful, upbeat melodies of Animal Playground.

The collection includes a track from up-and-coming North American kids artists The Wee Hairy Beasties, whose bluegrassy "Animal Crackers" features Jon Langford of the Mekons. Texas singer-songwriter Terri Hendrix offers "Eagles," a sweet song from a mother eagle to her baby with a little southern twang. Crossing the globe, Netherlands based Samba Salad presents a song about a Surinam crocodile called "Bigi Kaiman." From Italy, Quartetto Cetra delivers a fast-paced version of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," though here it's "Nella Vecchia Fattoria." Zé Renato of Brazil leads a call-and- response sing-along that will get kids dancing to the forró tune "Cantiga do Sapo," about a little singing frog. And Australian children's music legend Don Spencer contributes an amusing song about using caution when walking near snakes.

Also featured is the video for Asheba's irresistible Caribbean arrangement of the popular "No More Monkeys!" song. Shot on the beaches of Trinidad, the video creates a magical land where Putumayo Kids' characters come to life and interact with Asheba and his band of Trinidadian kids as they sing and dance to the playful song.

A portion of Putumayo World Music's proceeds from the sale of this album will be donated to the Wildlife Conservation Society, headquartered at the world famous Bronx Zoo, in support of its activities that save wildlife and wild lands.

Amazon.com

Putumayo's Playground series consistently lives up to its name by sending far-flung cultures out to recess, freeing them to reveal their musical fun sides. The metaphor ends there, but the parallel to actual playgrounds doesn't: as any parent who's felt forlorn at times knows, nothing nullifies a dreary afternoon funk more effectively than a trip to the neighborhood playground. So it goes with the series. Animal Playground, the latest to swing, slide, and see-saw its way into agile imaginations of all ages, is a fine-tuned creature feature as playful as a giant-pawed puppy. Even if you don't know what forro is (North Brazilian dance music), or that "Cantigo do Sapo" has something to do with a little singing frog, you'll want to shake a tail feather in time to the beat; that holds for Quartetto Cetra's right-on Italian reworking of "Old McDonald," "Nella Vecchia Farroria." No disrespect to the other exotic offerings here ("Aves," from Honduras, for example), but the English-language songs are most winning of all: Canada's the Be Good Tanyas captivate with "The Littlest Birds," and you can't help but a love a man who cries crocodile tears from his puppy dog eyes, in this case Jon Langford who, when he's not a Wee Hairy Beastie belting out "Animal Crackers," leads the excellent punk/folk band the Mekons. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews