Audio Compilation -- Caribbean Playground

Title: Caribbean Playground

Presented by: Putumayo World Music, kids' division

Date: 2006


Label: Alliance

ISBN: 1587591332

Format: Audio CD

Summary: A collection of Caribbean music and culture from a variety of artists and locations. Reggae, Trinidadian soca, Puerto Rican bomba and Haiti's acoustic-heavy twoubadou are all features of this festive musical disc written and performed for children's ears.

Audience: This CD is appropriate for all audiences. The music is lively, with simple beats and easy lyrics which make it ideal for kids, but the quality of the songs and the performers will allow adults to enjoy it as well. The content is appropriate for all ages.

Strengths: The songs featured on this CD are lively and energetic, making them enjoyable for children and adults. The songs come from a variety of cultures and the book included with the disc includes background information on all of the songs, in English, Spanish and French. Of the 11 songs on the CD, one is sung in Spanish and one is in French, the other nine are in English. Even the cover of the album is colorful and engaging. This CD is part of a larger collection of world music, so children who enjoy it can explore music from other areas. These include: Latin, Acoustic, Cowboy, Brazilian, African, Celtic, Asian, French and New Orleans music collections.

Weaknesses: One weakness of this collection is that there are two different editions. The original Caribbean Playground CD was released in 2004, with a different edition released in 2006 with the same title and cover art but three different songs. This can be confusing for listeners who are trying to buy one version but end up with the other. Another weakness is the limited number of songs on the disc. There are only eleven songs on the disc, providing about thirty minutes of listening time. Adding more songs to the collection to provide longer listening time would provide more continuous entertainment for listeners. This would make it easier for parents playing the CD for children, as they would not have to change/restart the disc as often.

Uses: This CD would be useful in a classroom setting for teaching elementary music education. The beats and lyrics are simple and easy to study, while still exciting enough to keep kids engaged in the music. Also, there are a variety of instruments used throughout the collection that children could learn about. It would also be useful for teaching children about Caribbean culture and other languages. Children can learn about Jamaican, Haitian, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Trinidadian and Guadeloupe cultures, simply by listening to upbeat music.

Awards: The Putumayo Children's Collection has been recognized by:

• Parents' Choice Awards
• Gold Awards from the National Parenting Publications Association
• "Best of..." for the American Library Association
• ALSC Notable Children's Recording Award
• "Best of..." from Scholastic Magazine

Listen to Little Anancy by Asheba from the album below!