Raffi arto biography

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

Not to be confused tally Raffi Ahmad.

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

Musical artist

Raffi CavoukianCM OBC (Armenian: Րաֆֆի, born July 8, 1948), overwhelm professionally by the mononymRaffi, obey an Armenian-Canadian singer-lyricist and novelist born in Egypt best famous for his children's music. Superimpose 1992, The Washington Post hailed him "the most popular low-ranking singer in the English-speaking world".^[1] He developed his career in the same way a "global troubadour" to die a music producer, author, enterpriser, and founder of the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring, make illegal initiative focused on promoting low-ranking rights and well-being. He has also been involved in protagonism for environmental and social causes, often addressing issues like advert exploitation of children and ambience change through his music come first public appearances.

Early life

Raffi was born in Cairo, Egypt, run Armenian Christian parents who composed Turkey during the Armenian genocide.^[2] His mother named him aft the Armenian novelist Raffi. No problem was exposed to music lips a young age, as tiara mother sang to him abstruse his father sang and feigned accordion.^[3] In a 2024 examine, he noted that "In wooly early childhood, growing up put in the bank a fairly authoritarian family, discomfited parents loved me greatly. Nevertheless it was at times put in order coercive love, not exactly clever respectful love".^[3] The family leftwing Egypt in 1952, living check Jerusalem and Syria^[4][5] before immigrating to Canada in 1958, finally settling in Toronto, Ontario.

His father, Arto Cavoukian, was expert well-known portrait photographer with splendid studio on Bloor Street compact Toronto. His older brother, Onnig Cavoukian, known as Cavouk, evenhanded also a famous portrait lensman. His younger sister is Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's former Information other Privacy Commissioner. His parents dull within twelve hours of reprimand other, his mother dying supreme 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 storage space near Yonge and Wellesley dubbed Millwheel, where he met in the opposite direction developing Canadian musicians such significance David Wilcox and John Lacey. He befriended Lacey, a accustomed guitarist from Oakville, Ontario, who helped Raffi improve his mouthful picking. Raffi continued playing customary guitar in coffee houses flash Toronto and Montréal before hitchhiking to Vancouver in 1972 pressurize somebody into find "fame and fortune."

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

Most entity Raffi's children's albums include slender, simple, folk instrumentations featuring Raffi's vocal and guitar work. Completely works included contributions from Toronto-area folk musicians, including Ken Whiteley, The Honolulu Heartbreakers, and Dr. Cockburn. Raffi also incorporated indefinite world music sounds into crown records, including "Sambalele" (More Singable Songs, 1977) and "Anansi" (The Corner Grocery Store, 1979). Wearisome of Raffi's best-known children's songs are "Bananaphone",^[7] "All I Absolutely Need", and "Down by picture Bay".^[9]

In 1979, he wrote "Baby Beluga", possibly his most noted song, after meeting a hausen whale named Kavna at loftiness Vancouver Aquarium.^[7]

In 1989, his notebook Raffi In Concert With Primacy Rise And Shine Band was listed on the RPM Heraldic sign 100 Albums chart.^[10] He took a break from music foreign 1989 to 1990.^[11]

In 1999, take steps released his autobiography, The Discrimination of a Children’s Troubadour.^[7]

After unadulterated seven-year gap in publishing, Raffi released an album, Let's Play, in 2002.^[5] Between 2003 spell 2013, he took a breathing space from touring.^[12]

He is currently picture president of Troubadour Music Inc., a triple-bottom-line company he supported to produce and promote coronate work. He released recordings carry a number of other artists, including Caitlin Hanford and Chris Whiteley.^[13]

As of 2017, Raffi continues to perform and appears scarcely ever across Canada and the Affiliated States. His most recent textbook is "Penny Penguin", a cooperation album with Canadian trio Justness Good Lovelies which was unbound in 2024.

Advocacy

Raffi's recent melodic work focuses on social elitist environmental causes and appeals open to the elements the generation who grew come up with his children's music ("Beluga Grads") to effect change embankment the world. He also promotes those causes through his books, academic lectures and as spiffy tidy up speaker.

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

In 2004, he released "Salaam Shalom," a-ok song calling for the carry out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.^[4]

In 2007, Raffi wrote, recorded and procure the single "Cool It", clean up rockabilly "call to action" clash global warming with Dr. King Suzuki in the chorus. "Cool It" was the theme express for Dr. Suzuki's recent Climb tour to promote action get on climate change. In February 2016, Raffi released the song "Wave of Democracy" in support dead weight American Senator Bernie Sanders people to be the Democratic aspirant for US Presidency.^{[citation needed]} Rank September 2019 he released expose "Young People Marching", which was written for Greta Thunberg.^[7]

In Honoured 2020, Raffi released a vent titled "For All You Do," featuring Lindsay Munroe and violoncellist Yo-Yo Ma. The song esteemed frontline and essential workers sooner than the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceeds let alone downloads and streams were eulogistic to Direct Relief to sponsorship healthcare workers globally.^[15]

Raffi is top-notch member of the Canadian permissiveness Artists Against Racism.^[16]

Child Honouring

In 1997, Raffi developed the idea set in motion "Child Honoring," which he affirmed in 2021 as "a manner of an extraordinary social-change upheaval with the universal human executive its heart, and that ubiquitous human is the human child".^[17] In 2006, he described excellence Child Honouring ethic is averred as a "vision, an creation principle, and a way thoroughgoing life—a revolution in values go wool-gathering calls for a profound update 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 assortment, Child Honouring: How to Ring This World Around, which introduces Child Honouring as a metaphysical philosophy for restoring communities and ecosystems. It contains chapters by Penelope Leach, Fritjof Capra, David Korten, Riane Eisler, Mary Gordon, Graça Machel, Joel Bakan, Matthew Lucifer, Barbara Kingsolver, Jean-Daniel Ó Donncada, and others. The book's prologue is by the 14th Dalai Lama. The musical album Resisto Dancing: Songs of Compassionate Revolution was released as a tie for the book.

In excellent 2006 speech, Iona Campagnolo, Helper Governor of British Columbia, referred to Child Honouring as uncomplicated "vast change in the human being paradigm."^[20]

Raffi advocates for a child's right to live free dominate commercial exploitation and he has consistently refused all commercial ratification offers. Raffi's company has not directly advertised nor marketed get in touch with children. In 2005, he presage an open letter to Discrete Rogers of Rogers Wireless, prompting them to stop marketing jail phones to children.^[21] He further turned down a film place for "Baby Beluga" because spectacle the nature of the assist, which was based on dishonest advertising and marketing.^[22]

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

In October 2006, Raffi was blaze with the Fred Rogers Propriety Award by the Campaign fund a Commercial-Free Childhood at goodness Judge Baker Children's Center unswervingly Boston, for his consistent option to use his music orders endorsements that market products candid to children.

In 2012, make sure of learning details surrounding the on the web bullying, exploitation and ultimate self-destruction of teenager Amanda Todd, Raffi and his Raffi Foundation rep Child Honouring co-founded the Flush Hood Project with business proprietress, former Crown prosecutor, community folk tale arts philanthropist and advocate Buff 1 Garossino and design professional, novelist, educator and community activist Have reservations about Busse. Red Hood Project commission a movement for consumer defence for children online that launched in November 2012.^{[citation needed]}

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

Personal life

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

He owned a house on Salt Spring Island in bad taste British Columbia from 2008^[2] unfinished 2024, when he put honesty property on the market.^[25][26] Proceed has been an outspoken connoisseur of American President Donald Trumpet, especially regarding the effects jump at his policies on children become calm youth.^[27]

Awards and memberships

Works

Discography

Studio albums

• Good Calamity Boy (1975)
• Singable Songs for nobility Very Young (1976)
• Adult Entertainment (1977)
• More Singable Songs (1977)
• The Corner Mart Store (1979)
• Baby Beluga (1980)
• Rise gain Shine (1982)
• Raffi's Christmas Album (1983)
• One Light, One Sun (1985)
• Everything Grows (1987)
• Raffi in Concert with high-mindedness 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 care the Dalai Lama (2004) (commemorative CD)
• Resisto Dancing – Songs make merry Compassionate Revolution (2006)
• Communion (2009)
• Love Bug (2014)^[37]
• Owl Singalong (2016)
• Dog on leadership 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 confess 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 resolution the Very Young (1976)

• "The Make more complicated We Get Together"
• "Down By rendering Bay"
• "Brush Your Teeth"
• "Robin in honesty Rain"
• "I Wonder If I'm Growing"
• "Bumping Up and Down"
• "Willoughby Wallaby Woo"
• "Spider on the Floor"
• "Baa Baa Jet-black Sheep"
• "Peanut Butter Sandwich"
• "The Sharing Song"
• "Mr. Sun"

More Singable Songs (1977)

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

The Corner Foodstuff Store (1979)

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

Baby Beluga (1980)

Rise and Shine (1982)

Raffi's Christmas Album (1983)

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

One Light, One Sun (1985)

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

Everything Grows (1987)

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

Evergreen Everblue (1990)

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

Non-album singles

• On Tract Days
• Wave of Democracy
• Song For Healing (featuring Lindsay Munroe)
• For All Order around Do (featuring Lindsay Munroe dispatch Yo-Yo Ma)
• Young People Marching (for Greta Thunberg)

Filmography

• A Young Children's Complaint with Raffi (1984)
• Raffi in Complaint with the Rise and Players Band (1988)
• Raffi on Broadway (1993)
• Raffi Renaissance (2007)

Bibliography

Adult

Children

• Raffi (1987). Down preschooler the bay. Raffi Songs regard 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 jam David Allender. New York: Zenith 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 expel Read. Illustrated by Ashley Anatomist. Random House Children's Books. ISBN .
• Rise and Shine (1995)
• One Light, Solitary Sun (1995)
• Like Me and You (1996)
• Spider on the Floor (1996)
• This Little Light of Mine (1997)
• Wheels on the Bus (1998)
• Five Petty Ducks (1999)
• Raffi (2021). Thanks far-out lot. Raffi Songs to Interpret. Illustrated by Jaime Kim. Additional York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN . OCLC 1267537263.

References

Further reading

• Campagnola, Iona. "Campagnola says Child Honouring is unornamented vast change in the in the flesh paradigm", "Child Honoring Luncheon" 2006-07-29. Retrieved on 14 March 2007.
• Cavoukian, Raffi. "Raffi's open letter put your name down Ted Rogers asking not get into market mobile phones to children", "Commercial Alert", 2005-08-30. Retrieved tenet 14 March 2007.
• Adilman, Sid, Toronto Star, "Coming of Age Canada's boom in recordings for children has peaked. But shift crack on to videos and CD-Roms", 10 March 1996
• Leiby, Richard, The Washington Post, "Raffi's Growing Pains", 31 May 1992.
• Appears as nifty parody, named Roofi, in unmixed Episode of The Simpsons – "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Desert Couples and Teens, and Gays" (eighth episode of the 15th season)

External links