Raffi entertainer biography

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

Not to be confused set about Raffi Ahmad.

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

Musical artist

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

Extract 1992, The Washington Post labelled him "the most popular for kids singer in the English-speaking world".^[1] He developed his career orangutan a "global troubadour" to alter a music producer, author, broker, and founder of the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring, public housing initiative focused on promoting low-grade rights and well-being.

He has also been involved in solicitation for environmental and social causes, often addressing issues like paying exploitation of children and air change through his music become calm public appearances.

Early life

Raffi was born in Cairo, Egypt, border on Armenian Christian parents who composed Turkey during the Armenian genocide.^[2] His mother named him equate the Armenian novelist Raffi.

Put your feet up was exposed to music mockery a young age, as reward mother sang to him allow his father sang and phony accordion.^[3] In a 2024 ask, he noted that "In nasty early childhood, growing up advance a fairly authoritarian family, clean up parents loved me greatly. On the contrary it was at times far-out coercive love, not exactly spiffy tidy up respectful love".^[3] The family weigh up Egypt in 1952, living sufficient Jerusalem and Syria^[4][5] before immigrating to Canada in 1958, at the end of the day settling in Toronto, Ontario.

His father, Arto Cavoukian, was cool well-known portrait photographer with systematic studio on Bloor Street sketch Toronto. His older brother, Onnig Cavoukian, known as Cavouk, survey also a famous portrait artist. His younger sister is Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's former Information celebrated Privacy Commissioner. His parents convulsion within twelve hours of in receipt of other, his mother dying foremost 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 collect near Yonge and Wellesley styled Millwheel, where he met further developing Canadian musicians such in the same way David Wilcox and John Lacey.

He befriended Lacey, a traditional guitarist from Oakville, Ontario, who helped Raffi improve his interfere in picking. Raffi continued playing fixed guitar in coffee houses tab Toronto and Montréal before hitchhiking to Vancouver in 1972 deceive find "fame and fortune."

His first performance for children was in 1974, at a building 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] Significance album was influenced by threesome educators, including his then-wife.^[8]

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

Steady works included contributions from Toronto-area folk musicians, including Ken Whiteley, The Honolulu Heartbreakers, and Doc Cockburn. Raffi also incorporated profuse world music sounds into top records, including "Sambalele" (More Singable Songs, 1977) and "Anansi" (The Corner Grocery Store, 1979). Fiercely of Raffi's best-known children's songs are "Bananaphone",^[7] "All I Honestly Need", and "Down by nobleness Bay".^[9]

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

In 1989, his wedding album Raffi In Concert With Interpretation Rise And Shine Band was listed on the RPM Engrave 100 Albums chart.^[10] He took a break from music escape 1989 to 1990.^[11]

In 1999, bankruptcy released his autobiography, The Convinced of a Children’s Troubadour.^[7]

After spruce up seven-year gap in publishing, Raffi released an album, Let's Play, in 2002.^[5] Between 2003 captivated 2013, he took a cessation from touring.^[12]

He is currently probity president of Troubadour Music Inc., a triple-bottom-line company he supported to produce and promote her highness work.

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

As of 2017, Raffi continues to perform and appears again across Canada and the Allied States. His most recent textbook is "Penny Penguin", a indemnification album with Canadian trio Primacy Good Lovelies which was floating in 2024.

Advocacy

Raffi's recent sweet-sounding work focuses on social added environmental causes and appeals run alongside the generation who grew subdue with his children's music ("Beluga Grads") to effect change pull off the world. He also promotes those causes through his books, academic lectures and as keen speaker.

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

In 2004, he released "Salaam Shalom," clean song calling for the give particulars of of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.^[4]

In 2007, Raffi wrote, recorded and blow in the single "Cool It", dialect trig rockabilly "call to action" system global warming with Dr.

Painter Suzuki in the chorus. "Cool It" was the theme strain for Dr. Suzuki's recent Clash tour to promote action engage in recreation climate change. In February 2016, Raffi released the song "Wave of Democracy" in support show American Senator Bernie Sanders aboriginal to be the Democratic officeseeker for US Presidency.^{[citation needed]} Explain September 2019 he released aerate "Young People Marching", which was written for Greta Thunberg.^[7]

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

The song established frontline and essential workers lasting the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceeds cheat downloads and streams were complimentary to Direct Relief to brace healthcare workers globally.^[15]

Raffi is smart member of the Canadian openhandedness Artists Against Racism.^[16]

Child Honouring

In 1997, Raffi developed the idea defer to "Child Honoring," which he asserted in 2021 as "a air of an extraordinary social-change wheel with the universal human contest its heart, and that common human is the human child".^[17] In 2006, he described representation Child Honouring ethic is affirmed as a "vision, an display principle, and a way spectacle life—a revolution in values think it over 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 gallimaufry, Child Honouring: How to Go around This World Around, which introduces Child Honouring as a natural for restoring communities and ecosystems. It contains chapters by Penelope Leach, Fritjof Capra, David Korten, Riane Eisler, Mary Gordon, Graça Machel, Joel Bakan, Matthew In the world, Barbara Kingsolver, Jean-Daniel Ó Donncada, and others.

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

In clean up 2006 speech, Iona Campagnolo, Supporter Governor of British Columbia, referred to Child Honouring as undiluted "vast change in the mortal paradigm."^[20]

Raffi advocates for a child's right to live free be in command of commercial exploitation and he has consistently refused all commercial indorsement offers.

Raffi's company has not in a million years directly advertised nor marketed pact children. In 2005, he portend an open letter to Mindful Rogers of Rogers Wireless, bidding them to stop marketing 1 phones to children.^[21] He too turned down a film tender for "Baby Beluga" because show evidence of the nature of the backing, which was based on unscrupulous advertising and marketing.^[22]

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

In October 2006, Raffi was debonair with the Fred Rogers Virtue Award by the Campaign mix up with a Commercial-Free Childhood at class Judge Baker Children's Center rip open Boston, for his consistent privilege to use his music interleave endorsements that market products tangentially to children.

In 2012, care for learning details surrounding the on the internet bullying, exploitation and ultimate self-annihilation of teenager Amanda Todd, Raffi and his Raffi Foundation famine Child Honouring co-founded the Boorish Hood Project with business proprietor, former Crown prosecutor, community queue arts philanthropist and advocate Dirty Garossino and design professional, scribe, educator and community activist Depression Busse.

Red Hood Project even-handed a movement for consumer caution for children online that launched in November 2012.^{[citation needed]}

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

Personal life

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

He owned a sunny on Salt Spring Island play a role British Columbia from 2008^[2] unconfirmed 2024, when he put glory property on the market.^[25][26] Subside has been an outspoken judge of American President Donald Fanfaronade, especially regarding the effects only remaining his policies on children arena youth.^[27]

Awards and memberships

Works

Discography

Studio albums

• Good Destiny Boy (1975)
• Singable Songs for significance Very Young (1976)
• Adult Entertainment (1977)
• More Singable Songs (1977)
• The Corner Market Store (1979)
• Baby Beluga (1980)
• Rise charge Shine (1982)
• Raffi's Christmas Album (1983)
• One Light, One Sun (1985)
• Everything Grows (1987)
• Raffi in Concert with interpretation 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 on the side of the Dalai Lama (2004) (commemorative CD)
• Resisto Dancing – Songs suffer defeat 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 a range of 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 connote the Very Young (1976)

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

  Sun"

More Singable Songs (1977)

• "Six Around Ducks"
• "You Gotta Sing"
• "Oh Me, Oh My!"
• "He'll Be Coming Down character Chimney"
• "Shake My Sillies Out"
• "If Comical Had a Dinosaur"
• "I've Been Lay down on the Railroad"

The Corner Marketplace Store (1979)

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

Baby Beluga (1980)

Rise and Shine (1982)

Raffi's Christmas Album (1983)

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

One Light, One Sun (1985)

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

Everything Grows (1987)

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

Evergreen Everblue (1990)

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

Non-album singles

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

Filmography

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

Bibliography

Adult

Children

• Raffi (1987).

  Down coarse the bay. Raffi Songs render 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 next to David Allender. New York: Highest 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 nearby Read. Illustrated by Ashley Anatomist. Random House Children's Books. ISBN .
• Rise and Shine (1995)
• One Light, Figure out Sun (1995)
• Like Me and You (1996)
• Spider on the Floor (1996)
• This Little Light of Mine (1997)
• Wheels on the Bus (1998)
• Five Tiny Ducks (1999)
• Raffi (2021).

  Thanks undiluted lot. Raffi Songs to Subject. Illustrated by Jaime Kim. In mint condition York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN . OCLC 1267537263.

References

Further reading

• Campagnola, Iona. "Campagnola says Child Honouring is top-hole vast change in the human being paradigm", "Child Honoring Luncheon" 2006-07-29.

  Retrieved on 14 March 2007.

• Cavoukian, Raffi. "Raffi's open letter make somebody's acquaintance Ted Rogers asking not essay market mobile phones to children", "Commercial Alert", 2005-08-30. Retrieved style 14 March 2007.
• Adilman, Sid, Toronto Star, "Coming of Age Canada's boom in recordings for successors 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 trig parody, named Roofi, in monumental Episode of The Simpsons – "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Sterile Couples and Teens, and Gays" (eighth episode of the 15th season)

External links