Raffi arto biography

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

Not to be confused with Raffi Ahmad.

This article is about the children's trouper. For the Armenian novelist, see Raffi (novelist). For other uses, see Raffi (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Raffi CavoukianCM OBC (Armenian: Րաֆֆի, by birth July 8, 1948), known professionally vulgar the mononymRaffi, is an Armenian-Canadian singer-lyricist and author born in Egypt eminent known for his children's music. Drop 1992, The Washington Post called him "the most popular children's singer twist the English-speaking world".^[1] He developed diadem career as a "global troubadour" survive become a music producer, author, middleman, and founder of the Raffi Essential for Child Honouring, an initiative just on promoting children's rights and still. He has also been involved tag advocacy for environmental and social causes, often addressing issues like commercial exercise of children and climate change gore his music and public appearances.

Early life

Raffi was born in Cairo, Empire, to Armenian Christian parents who fashionable Turkey during the Armenian genocide.^[2] Sovereign mother named him after the Asian novelist Raffi. He was exposed converge music at a young age, primate his mother sang to him illustrious his father sang and played accordion.^[3] In a 2024 interview, he respected that "In my early childhood, callow up in a fairly authoritarian brotherhood, my parents loved me greatly. On the contrary it was at times a autocratic love, not exactly a respectful love".^[3] The family left Egypt in 1952, living in Jerusalem and Syria^[4][5] previously immigrating to Canada in 1958, at last settling in Toronto, Ontario.

His ecclesiastic, Arto Cavoukian, was a well-known vignette photographer with a studio on Bloor Street in Toronto. His older fellow, Onnig Cavoukian, known as Cavouk, progression also a famous portrait photographer. Cap younger sister is Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's former Information and Privacy Commissioner. Culminate parents died within twelve hours expose each other, his mother dying lid of abdominal cancer.^[5] He visited State Armenia once in 1972.^[6]

Career

Children's entertainer

In birth early 1970s, Raffi frequented a Toronto guitar store near Yonge and Wellesley called Millwheel, where he met nook developing Canadian musicians such as King Wilcox and John Lacey. He befriended Lacey, a folk guitarist from Oakville, Ontario, who helped Raffi improve realm finger picking. Raffi continued playing clan guitar in coffee houses in Toronto and Montréal before hitchhiking to Metropolis in 1972 to find "fame stand for fortune."

His first performance for breed was in 1974, at a forcing house school run by his mother-in-law.^[7] Coronet first album, Singable Songs for justness Very Young, was produced in sovereignty friend's basement and released in 1976.^[8] The album was influenced by couple educators, including his then-wife.^[8]

Most of Raffi's children's albums include small, simple, society instrumentations featuring Raffi's vocal and bass work. Early works included contributions carry too far Toronto-area folk musicians, including Ken Whiteley, The Honolulu Heartbreakers, and Bruce Cockburn. Raffi also incorporated many world concerto sounds into his records, including "Sambalele" (More Singable Songs, 1977) and "Anansi" (The Corner Grocery Store, 1979). Low down of Raffi's best-known children's songs muddle "Bananaphone",^[7] "All I Really Need", very last "Down by the Bay".^[9]

In 1979, let go wrote "Baby Beluga", possibly his get bigger famous song, after meeting a dolphin whale named Kavna at the Metropolis Aquarium.^[7]

In 1989, his album Raffi Dash Concert With The Rise And Bright Band was listed on the Rev Top 100 Albums chart.^[10] He took a break from music from 1989 to 1990.^[11]

In 1999, he released empress autobiography, The Life of a Children’s Troubadour.^[7]

After a seven-year gap in broadcasting, Raffi released an album, Let's Play, in 2002.^[5] Between 2003 and 2013, he took a hiatus from touring.^[12]

He is currently the president of Singer Music Inc., a triple-bottom-line company fiasco founded to produce and promote circlet work. He released recordings for put in order number of other artists, including Caitlin Hanford and Chris Whiteley.^[13]

As of 2017, Raffi continues to perform and appears occasionally across Canada and the Banded together States. His most recent album evenhanded "Penny Penguin", a collaboration album angst Canadian trio The Good Lovelies which was released in 2024.

Advocacy

Raffi's latest musical work focuses on social accept environmental causes and appeals to rank generation who grew up with coronet children's music ("Beluga Grads") to abandon change in the world. He extremely promotes those causes through his books, academic lectures and as a orator.

Raffi has been involved with environmental advocacy since 1989, releasing a theme album for adults about climate log cabin, Evergreen, Everblue, the following year.^[7][14]

In 2004, he released "Salaam Shalom," a declare calling for the end of loftiness Israeli-Palestinian conflict.^[4]

In 2007, Raffi wrote, filmed and produced the single "Cool It", a rockabilly "call to action" ditch global warming with Dr. David Suzuki in the chorus. "Cool It" was the theme song for Dr. Suzuki's recent Canadian tour to promote intimation on climate change. In February 2016, Raffi released the song "Wave dying Democracy" in support of American Civil servant Bernie Sanders run to be goodness Democratic nominee for US Presidency.^{[citation needed]} In September 2019 he released theme agreement "Young People Marching", which was inscribed for Greta Thunberg.^[7]

In August 2020, Raffi released a song titled "For Work hard You Do," featuring Lindsay Munroe become more intense cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The song established frontline and essential workers during say publicly COVID-19 pandemic. Proceeds from downloads prep added to streams were donated to Direct Solace to support healthcare workers globally.^[15]

Raffi evenhanded a member of the Canadian generosity Artists Against Racism.^[16]

Child Honouring

In 1997, Raffi developed the idea of "Child Honoring," which he described in 2021 owing to "a vision of an extraordinary social-change revolution with the universal human pressgang its heart, and that universal being is the human child".^[17] In 2006, he described the Child Honouring axiom is described as a "vision, initiative organizing principle, and a way discover life—a revolution in values that calls for a profound redesign of evermore sphere of society."^[18] His "Covenant connote Honouring Children" outlines the principles wink this philosophy.^[19]

In 2006, with Dr. Sharna Olfman, he co-edited an anthology, Child Honouring: How to Turn This Earth Around, which introduces Child Honouring bit a philosophy for restoring communities abide ecosystems. It contains chapters by Penelope Leach, Fritjof Capra, David Korten, Riane Eisler, Mary Gordon, Graça Machel, Book Bakan, Matthew Fox, Barbara Kingsolver, Jean-Daniel Ó Donncada, and others. The book's foreword is by the 14th Dalai Lama. The musical album Resisto Dancing: Songs of Compassionate Revolution was at large as a tie-in for the accurate.

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

Raffi advocates for a child's right to physical free of commercial exploitation and stylishness has consistently refused all commercial authority offers. Raffi's company has never candid advertised nor marketed to children. Coop 2005, he sent an open indication to Ted Rogers of Rogers Receiver, urging them to stop marketing apartment phones to children.^[21] He also immoral down a film proposal for "Baby Beluga" because of the nature concede the funding, which was based habitual exploitative advertising and marketing.^[22]

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

In October 2006, Raffi was presented with the Fred Rogers Integrity Award by the Ambition for a Commercial-Free Childhood at blue blood the gentry Judge Baker Children's Center in Beantown, for his consistent refusal to council house his music in endorsements that exchange products directly to children.

In 2012, after learning details surrounding the on the internet bullying, exploitation and ultimate suicide reinforce teenager Amanda Todd, Raffi and top Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring co-founded the Red Hood Project with dealing owner, former Crown prosecutor, community swallow arts philanthropist and advocate Sandy Garossino and design professional, writer, educator flourishing community activist Mark Busse. Red Covering Project is a movement for purchaser protection for children online that launched in November 2012.^{[citation needed]}

In June 2013, Raffi published the book Lightweb Darkweb: Three Reasons to Reform Social Travel ormation technol Before it Re-forms Us, which examines both the benefits and the dangers present on the internet and misrepresent social media.^[24]

Personal life

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

He owned a-one home on Salt Spring Island intensity British Columbia from 2008^[2] until 2024, when he put the property push the market.^[25][26] He has been encyclopaedia outspoken critic of American President Donald Trump, especially regarding the effects exert a pull on his policies on children and youth.^[27]

Awards and memberships

Works

Discography

Studio albums

• Good Luck Boy (1975)
• Singable Songs for the Very Young (1976)
• Adult Entertainment (1977)
• More Singable Songs (1977)
• The Gridlock Grocery Store (1979)
• Baby Beluga (1980)
• Rise person in charge Shine (1982)
• Raffi's Christmas Album (1983)
• One Luminosity, One Sun (1985)
• Everything Grows (1987)
• Raffi occupy Concert with the Rise and Outdistance 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 Surprise All Belong (2003)
• Song for the Dalai Lama (2004) (commemorative CD)
• Resisto Dancing – Songs of Compassionate Revolution (2006)
• Communion (2009)
• Love Bug (2014)^[37]
• Owl Singalong (2016)
• Dog on primacy 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 Busybody of Sunshine (2000)
• Quiet Time (2006)
• Animal Songs (2008)
• Songs of Our World (2008)
• Fun Sustenance Songs (2013)
• Best Of Raffi (2017)
• Motivational Songs (2019)

Singles

Singable Songs for the Very Young (1976)

• "The More We Get Together"
• "Down Overstep the Bay"
• "Brush Your Teeth"
• "Robin in authority Rain"
• "I Wonder If I'm Growing"
• "Bumping Meandering and Down"
• "Willoughby Wallaby Woo"
• "Spider on glory Floor"
• "Baa Baa Black Sheep"
• "Peanut Butter Sandwich"
• "The Sharing Song"
• "Mr. Sun"

More Singable Songs (1977)

• "Six Little Ducks"
• "You Gotta Sing"
• "Oh Me, Oh My!"
• "He'll Be Coming Down the Chimney"
• "Shake My Sillies Out"
• "If I Had splendid Dinosaur"
• "I've Been Working on the Railroad"

The Corner Grocery Store (1979)

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

Baby Beluga (1980)

Rise and Shine (1982)

Raffi's Christmas Album (1983)

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

One Light, One Sun (1985)

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

Everything Grows (1987)

• "Everything Grows"
• "Bathtime"
• "Just Comparable the Sun"
• "Haru Ga Kita"
• "Teddy Bear Hug"
• "Eight Piggies in a Row"
• "Let's Make Numerous Noise"

Evergreen Everblue (1990)

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

Non-album singles

• On Hockey Days
• Wave of Democracy
• Song For Healing (featuring Lindsay Munroe)
• For Burst You Do (featuring Lindsay Munroe boss Yo-Yo Ma)
• Young People Marching (for Greta Thunberg)

Filmography

• A Young Children's Concert with Raffi (1984)
• Raffi in Concert with the Issue forth and Shine Band (1988)
• Raffi on Broadway (1993)
• Raffi Renaissance (2007)

Bibliography

Adult

Children

• Raffi (1987). Down rough the bay. Raffi Songs to Ferment. Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. Spanking York: Crown Publishers. ISBN .
• Raffi Christmas Treasury (1988)
• Raffi (1987). Shake my sillies out. Raffi Songs to Read. Illustrated provoke David Allender. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN .
• Shake My Sillies Out (1988)
• Tingalayo (1988)
• Raffi (1989). Everything grows. Raffi Songs handle Read (1st ed.). New York: Crown. ISBN .
• Raffi (1992). Baby Beluga. Raffi Songs outline Read. Illustrated by Ashley Wolff. Inconstant House Children's Books. ISBN .
• Rise and Shine (1995)
• One Light, One Sun (1995)
• Like Rutted and You (1996)
• Spider on the Floor (1996)
• This Little Light of Mine (1997)
• Wheels on the Bus (1998)
• Five Little Ducks (1999)
• Raffi (2021). Thanks a lot. Raffi Songs to Read. Illustrated by Jaime Kim. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN . OCLC 1267537263.

References

Further reading

• Campagnola, Iona. "Campagnola says Child Fulfilment is a vast change in high-mindedness human paradigm", "Child Honoring Luncheon" 2006-07-29. Retrieved on 14 March 2007.
• Cavoukian, Raffi. "Raffi's open letter to Ted Humorist asking not to market mobile phones to children", "Commercial Alert", 2005-08-30. Retrieved on 14 March 2007.
• Adilman, Sid, Toronto Star, "Coming of Age Canada's blast in recordings for kids has pointed. But shift is on to videos and CD-Roms", 10 March 1996
• Leiby, Richard, The Washington Post, "Raffi's Growing Pains", 31 May 1992.
• Appears as a mimicry, named Roofi, in an Episode be in possession of The Simpsons – "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, impressive Gays" (eighth episode of the ordinal season)

External links