World Party

Based among the coastal redwoods of northern California, the Music for Little People label continues to quietly issue some of the best children's music around. World Party! is no different. A bouillabaisse of traditional music from around the globe, the album features sounds from Spain, Ghana, Brazil, and Central Asia, to name only a few of its locales. Vocalists Morlunah and Nicolas Gomez stroll easily through the numerous languages and singing styles represented, while a clattering chorus of traditional instruments mixes with Western-style synthesizers to re-create the songs' often invigorating rhythms. From the oud and darbuka of "Madrasti Hiloua," a Moroccan children's song, to "Arkadasim," sung in Turkish and featuring bamboo flutes, different and exciting flavors constantly waft through the air at this party. Best of all, detailed liner notes describe the origin and meaning of each song included and explain the sounds heard. "Tue Tue" is revealed to be a word game played by children in the African nation of Ghana, and the song's distinctive rhythm turns out to be played on the kalimba, a kind of thumb piano. In this way, World Party! invites children (and adults) to learn along with its lively, eclectic sound, and encourages the unification through music of young people throughout the world.~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi