My soon to be 7 yr old was lucky enough to be chosen to review a new CD coming out this March. He was pretty excited about it as he is gaining a fondness for music. As with most kids they love to burn energy (and we like when they do that constructively) and dancing can always be super fun for them. He does like to voice his opinion and always tells us to stop switching stations when the oh so popular Taylor Swift or Katy Perry song is on. Even though I hold rock more to my heart, he does like anything with a catchy beat and simple chorus. Therefore, it was nice to know this kid’s band was a bit rockin so to say. They play instruments which I really like and they have catchy silly tunes which is appealing to the younger folk. A lot easier to bear for the parents too then any old Barney CD I imagine.
A bit about the band Rock ‘n’ Rainbow, which was created from the likes of Mike Whitla, the Toronto local musician and dad who founded and runs the wildly popular Rainbow Songs program of early childhood music classes, with locations throughout the greater Toronto area.
About six years ago, several Rainbow Songs teachers (all accomplished professional musicians) thought it would be fun to create a “house band.”
With the addition of friends like seasoned professional bassist John Kanakis and Juno nominated drummer/guitarist/composer Tony Nesbitt-Larking, and dubbing themselves Rock’n’Rainbow, they were soon playing sold-out shows for local families.
Rock’n’Rainbow evolved into a “glam kindie” glitter-saturated band for kids, with band members performing in full costume, taking on the stage personas “Lady Red,” “Blue Elvis,” “Dr. John Orange,” “Mellow Yellow,” and “Purple Stardust” (a.k.a. Mike Whitla).
Fans demanded a recording, so Mike Whitla and Rock’n’Rainbow have collaborated with GRAMMY nominated veteran children’s producer Tor Hyams to create an album, Let’s Boogie!, which is set for release on March 17th.
Let’S Boogie! is a dazzling “call to action” — a family dance party of high energy tunes with catchy lyrics and funk-rock rhythms designed to encourage healthy habits, active lifestyles.
Pre-release video singles of “The Freeze” and “Five Senses” from Let’s Boogie! have already racked up more than 50,000 views on YouTube.
So there you have it, my son really enjoyed the CD as did my toddler who’s not even 2 yet! His favourite song is track 10 Everybody Farts but says The Freeze and Let’s Boogie (Tracks 3 and 4) are up there too. He also said that when he was in JK they used to dance and sing to track 8: Elephants Have Wrinkles, which he happily recited to me as it was playing.
So if you’re interested in getting your kids into music (without having to worry about obscene lyrics), this album Let’s Boogie may be the best bet for you and your family.
