When Raffi Cavoukian takes to the stage for his two shows at the Royal Theatre on Nov. 19, he anticipates friendly crowds will be facing him.
Raffi expects the audience to be mostly B次元官网网址淏eluga grads,B次元官网网址� as he calls people who either grew up listening to his music as children or perhaps shared the songs with their own kids as young parents.
B次元官网网址淚t seems these adults who grew up with the music, they seem to be holding the music in their hearts,B次元官网网址� the 69-year-old musician, author and child advocate said from Saltspring Island, his home of the past nine years.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e experiencing the music, hearing it with their inner child, theyB次元官网网址檙e seeing their own children enjoy it. At the concerts thereB次元官网网址檚 this lovefest happening; IB次元官网网址檓 quite grateful for that.B次元官网网址�
Life is good for the veteran entertainer.
HeB次元官网网址檚 got a new compilation album coming out called, not surprisingly, The Best of Raffi; a new Baby Beluga board game B次元官网网址� named for his popular childrenB次元官网网址檚 album and board book B次元官网网址� due out in time for Christmas, and was featured in the Haig-Brown lecture series on Nov. 3 in Campbell River, speaking on Child Honouring and Sustainability: Respecting Earth and Child.
Not only that, heB次元官网网址檚 enjoying playing some guitars he recently bought from talented Saltspring Island luthier Terry Warbey, in anticipation of recording a new album this month.
These new and upcoming projects show that Raffi is not content to rest on past successes. B次元官网网址淢usic and music making is very current with me,B次元官网网址� he said.
Looking back on his career, he hasnB次元官网网址檛 been all about childrenB次元官网网址檚 music, even if it has been his main focus. Raffi has written songs about Nelson Mandela (B次元官网网址淭urn This World AroundB次元官网网址�) which he sung to the South African leader in 2001, and about the Dalai Lama. He also penned a tune called B次元官网网址淐ount With Me,B次元官网网址� a sendup of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 GDP.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a fun little ditty about a serious topic,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎s a troubadour, I consider myself a global troubadour B次元官网网址� I branch out into writing for adults now and then as the spirit moves me.B次元官网网址�
In that vein he remains a social and ecological activist, with the aim of creating a better future for todayB次元官网网址檚 children. He and others have fine-tuned the holistic concept of B次元官网网址渃hild honouringB次元官网网址� that Raffi envisioned in 1997 B次元官网网址� the child-first philosophy aims to heal communities and restore ecosystems. His , founded in 2010 on Saltspring, works with various educational groups to teach its nine principles, and an online course on the subject is being developed.
B次元官网网址淭here are things to be taken seriously, we can do that without taking ourselves too seriously,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 think what we can do is steward our children in a respectful way to inspire them to be stewards of our planet.B次元官网网址�
He has written and performed many songs celebrating the environment and promoting a sense of well-being, in fun and sometimes silly ways that a child can understand. Fans can expect to hear some of those favourites on Nov. 19, from B次元官网网址淏aby Beluga,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淎pples and BananasB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淏ananaphoneB次元官网网址� to B次元官网网址淟ove Bug (Where the Hugs Come From),B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淩ise and Shine,B次元官网网址� and the ballad B次元官网网址淭hanks a Lot.B次元官网网址�
Tickets are still available for both concerts (1 and 4 p.m.). To purchase, visit , call the Royal and McPherson box office at 250-386-6121 or drop by either theatre for details.
