A Mr. Rogers
for a new age
Boston Globe,
October 26,
2006
Loved by
children
around the
world,
singer-songwriter
Raffi (Raffi
Cavoukian )
will be in
Boston today
to kick off a
two-day
conference run
by the
Campaign for a
Commercial-Free
Childhood . As
one of the few
artists who
refuses to
have his work
belittled to
the realm of
ringtones --
and who
recently
withdrew from
an
international
children's
conference
because he saw
it as overly
commercialized
-- Raffi is a
man of
conviction who
knows of which
he sings. To
reward his
dedication to
his craft and
his fans, the
Judge Baker
Children's
Center will
present Raffi
with the
second annual
Fred Rogers
Integrity
Award on
Thursday. We
caught up with
Raffi on the
phone. -- MATT
ROBINSON
Q
How did you
get into music
for younger
people?
A
I was married
to a
kindergarten
teacher who
taught me to
respect young
children as
whole people.
My entire
career was
founded on
that respect,
beginning with
my first
children's
recording and
concerts.
Q
What inspires
and frustrates
you about the
world children
live in today?
A
I am
frustrated by
a corporate
culture that
exploits naive
kids for brand
recognition
from birth.
It's a
violation of
the child
psyche. It is
unethical
[and] morally
repugnant. I
am inspired by
people like
Susan Linn [of
the Judge
Baker Center]
and Sharna
Olfman ,
editor of the
book
"Childhood
Lost," who
champion the
child amidst
the onslaught
of advertising
money frenzy.
Q
How did you
become
involved with
the Judge
Baker Center,
and what does
this award
mean to you?
A
Susan Linn is
an esteemed
colleague
whose work at
the Campaign
for a
Commercial-Free
Childhood
merits big
praise. When
she informed
me of this
award, I was
deeply moved,
having been a
respectful fan
of Fred
Rogers.
Q
Your new album
is called "Resisto
Dancing." What
does it mean,
and why did
you feel the
need to
produce it?
A
Psychologist
Abraham Maslow
wrote that
healthy
individuation
requires
resisting
unhealthy
enculturation.
Add the dance
element and
you've got a
metaphor for
creatively
(and
nonviolently)
resisting
unhealthy
"bottom line"
culture. It's
about being
true to one's
inner self.
It's a fusion
of Dylan,
hip-hop, funk
and
Shakespeare in
a genre I call
"Hip Hope."
Q
Is it hard
being known as
the "Baby
Beluga" man?
A
It's fun! Fans
I meet get
jazzed about
the new book
and CD.
They're
invited to
join the
compassion
revolution, to
help turn this
world around,
for their and
their
children's
futures . . .
to make like
belugas and
form pods, be
pod-pals,
pod-cast, and
pod-ruple
their power to
embrace a
compassionate
revolution in
values. |
