Putumayo Presents: French Playground

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
What a welcome change this collection is! Completely free of the arch, cloying ickiness that sometimes informs even the most well-intentioned kids' music offerings, these tunes may well help create a vanguard of pint-sized, sophisticated (in the best sense of the word!) world citizens. While not all of the selections were originally composed with this market in mind, the music is nonetheless delightfully child-appropriate in content, rhythmic bounciness and melodic saturation. The producers have rightly assumed that youngsters are small but sentient beings whose developing tastes and interests need to be engaged and encouraged. The styles employed evoke a nostalgic yet ultra-contemporary enfant boulevardier's world of cafés, bicyclettes with bells, bals musette and le jazz hot, so that parents will also be charmed and not find themselves left out of the experience, or worse, rolling their eyes and diving for cover. The songs not only reflect daily life as encountered by children living in France but accurately portray that nation's modern cultural melting pot -- where immigrants and visitors from Africa, the Caribbean and North America, regardless of encroaching ultra-right isolationism, have indelibly graced the national consciousness with their own traditions and dialects. --Christina Roden

Album Description
French Playground, a musical rendez-vous of fun French and French Creole songs will delight children of all ages. French Playground reflects the rich variety of Francophone music. Bilingual families and children learning French or English will enjoy the fact that the complete lyrics for each song are printed in both languages. The CD features full-color liner notes with artist and cultural information. The artists on French Playground include some of the most popular children’s performers in their respective countries, along with successful pop artists such as Pascal Parisot, Thomas Fersen, Tryo and Ariane Moffat whose songs were selected for their all-ages appeal. Musical styles range from French chanson and Gypsy jazz to the twoubadou music of Haiti and the roots-bending style of Triton, who is from Mauritius, an island off the east coast of Africa. Gallic joie de vivre is expressed in each of the tunes, from the opening song’s invitation to "tickle the sun" with a ladybug (Chatouiller le Ciel avec Toi), to songs that celebrate the beauty of the South of France ("Clic-Clac Oh C’est Beau!". Listeners share a boisterous Sunday dinner with family (La P’tite Monnaie). Some of the tracks provide tasty little slices of French life, including "Bonjour,Bonjour", which tells of a little bus’s journey past boulangeries and other neighborhood spots. Children will also enjoy a young man’s memories of staying with his grandparents (Petit Francais). A portion of the proceeds from the sale of French Playground will benefit Terre des Hommes, whose efforts provide active support to disadvantaged children around the world.

Tracks:

Chatouiller Le Ciel Avec Toi - Alain Schneider
Lutece - Don Pedro Et Ses Dromadaires
Wonderful - Pascal Parisot
Clic-Clac Oh C'est Beau! - Dominique Dimey
Bonjour, Bonjour - L'Autobus A Vapeur
Monsieur Bibendum - Tryo
L'ile Maurice - Triton
Le Matin En Patins - Ariane Moffatt
Petit Francais - Polo
Sensation (Bidi Bom Bom) - Lole-Lolay
Croque - Thomas Fersen
La P'tite Monnaie - benabar & Associes

Product Description

The World Playground adventure continues with French Playground, a collection of French language songs that will bring joy to people of all ages. French Playground will take listeners on an inspiring and entertaining musical journey. Putumayo Kids announces the newest addition to its award-winning catalog: French Playground, a musical rendez-vous of fun French and French Creole songs that will delight children of all ages. French Playground reflects the rich variety of Francophone music. It features 12 songs by artists from France, the Caribbean, Africa and Quebec. Bilingual families and children learning French or English will enjoy the fact that the complete lyrics for each song are printed in both languages. As with all Putumayo CDs, French Playground features full-color liner notes with artist and cultural information. The CD is a great resource for language and social studies teachers.

Amazon.com

What a welcome change this collection is! Completely free of the arch, cloying ickiness that sometimes informs even the most well-intentioned kids' music offerings, these tunes may well help create a vanguard of pint-sized, sophisticated (in the best sense of the word!) world citizens. While not all of the selections were originally composed with this market in mind, the music is nonetheless delightfully child-appropriate in content, rhythmic bounciness and melodic saturation. The producers have rightly assumed that youngsters are small but sentient beings whose developing tastes and interests need to be engaged and encouraged. The styles employed evoke a nostalgic yet ultra-contemporary enfant boulevardier's world of cafés, bicyclettes with bells, bals musette and le jazz hot, so that parents will also be charmed and not find themselves left out of the experience, or worse, rolling their eyes and diving for cover. The songs not only reflect daily life as encountered by children living in France but accurately portray that nation's modern cultural melting pot -- where immigrants and visitors from Africa, the Caribbean and North America, regardless of encroaching ultra-right isolationism, have indelibly graced the national consciousness with their own traditions and dialects. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

Great music! Upbeat and lively!.......2007-03-08

We listen to this CD all the time. I like that it has english and french lyrics enclosed and the music is really upbeat and lively.

Well produced, fun music for everyone.......2007-01-19

I am trying to teach my kids French, and was looking for some fun music beyond the nursery rhyme stage. This definately exceeded my expectations. We all love it, the kids are singing the words, the music is wonderful. There is a nice variety of French music explored.

Favorite cd of all.......2007-01-03

My four and one half grandson and I love this cd. He has many cds but this one was an instant hit. We both sing and dance to it and look at each other and say "this is my favorite song" so often that they are all our favorites. We don't know french but he sings along anyway and we "get" the music. It's fabulous and I listen to it when he is not here too. It is so happy that I'd recommend it to anyone.

Sympa!.......2006-11-09

A mon avis, c'est une excellente collection. Catchier, more upbeat and more consistently appealing than other Putumayo French music collections, in my opinion. I pop it in and can't help but sing along. I teach French (KG-6th grades) and my students enjoy it too. The lyrics are clever. I don't know what that one reviewer was talking about.

fun for baby and adult.......2006-08-18

My 10 mo and I both love this cd - unlike most childens music, I can listen to it every morning and not run screaming from the house... and I think its helped with my french pronunciation as well :)

Music:

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