Families looking to introduce their children to world music, languages, and cultures will enjoy Putumayo's World Playground series. Latin Playground is the latest offering in the series, and is specially designed for children and families. Through its upbeat delivery and stylistic diversity, this family recording celebrates the fun things in life in an infectious, lively manner that is sure to entertain for hours.
Ideal as an introduction to the music and culture of Latin America, Latin Playground features songs that entertain and educate on two levels: the music is peppy and enjoyable; and, at the same time, the songs expertly capture some of the culture of the featured countries. Latin Playground is a multi-lingual musical journey along with well-known artists through many Latin American countries, including Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, and more. What results is a pleasing mix of musical styles -- from sambo to ranchera -- featuring an equally diverse range of musical instruments, such as the maracas, barriles, and marimba.
Bilingual liner notes translate the lyrics and offer information about the musical styles used in the songs, the countries of origin, and factual tidbits that parents can share with their kids.
The lyrics translate to heaps of fun: making chocolate is celebrated in the spirited "Chocolate", a song that is enlivened with the bombo and the marimba. "De Bolon Pin Pon" is a humorous song about a man who is tired of being a "saint" and is determined to get married right away. A new version of "La Arana Picua", a song about escaping a "crazy" spider who bites, is unique and exciting; and, our favorite, "Hanal Weech" is sung in Maya, and tells a story of a man who thinks his girlfriend smells like an armadillo, to a delightful cumbia rhythm. Other tunes celebrate dancing just for the fun of it, such as the the infectious party song entitled "Rodopiou"; and "Yo Quiero" is an appealing song about the basic needs of children everywhere to be cared for, to grow, to learn, and to have fun.
Fostering multi-cultural awareness is one of the company's objectives, and this musical gem will go a long way toward that goal. As the lyrics in "America Baila" say, "We are all brothers and sisters/It doesn't matter what nation we're from."
