Raffi (Cavoukian)

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Raffi_(Cavoukian)&chld=H_100&junk=junk.png Raffi (Cavoukian) Mars symbol.svg
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Birth name Raffi Cavoukian
Other names Raffi
Birthplace Cairo
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Birth date 8 July 1948
Lived in Cairo, Ontario, Vancouver, Montreal, Mayne Island
Resides in Mayne Island
Profession Musician
Languages Armenian, English
Ethnicities Armenian
Dialects Western Armenian
Major works Baby Beluga
Relatives Onnig Cavoukian, Ann Cavoukian

Raffi Cavoukian CM, OBC (born July 8, 1948), usually known simply as Raffi, is a popular children's entertainer in Canada and the Western world at large. Some of his best known songs are "Baby Beluga," "Down by the Bay," "This Little Light," and "All I Really Need."

Born in Cairo of Armenian parents, he spent his early years in Egypt before emigrating with his family to Toronto in 1958. In recent years he has devoted himself to Child Honoring, which seeks to create a humane and sustainable world by addressing the universal needs of the very young. He founded the Troubadour Foundation to support this cause, and is working on a book, "Turn This World Around," which argues that Child Honoring can be a potent remedy for the world's most pressing issues. In 1983 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. He was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2001. His sister is Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner.

He also sings the popular internet fad Bananaphone, which was made popular partly due to numerous flash animations which use the songs.

The Onion

The Onion[1], a satirical newspaper ran the following article on Raffi in the February 6, 2007 paper.

Touring Raffi Refuses To Play 'Shake My Sillies Out'
FORT WAYNE, IN—Raffi, the veteran Canadian children's entertainer, told an audience of 4-year-olds at the Shrine Auditorium last Friday that he would not play his popular hit "Shake My Sillies Out" during the 2007 Raffi Renaissance Tour, no matter how often his young fans requested it. "I wrote 'Sillies' at a completely different time in my life," said Raffi, explaining that he wanted to play "some lesser-known stuff" on the tour, such as "Joshua Giraffe" and "Spider On The Floor." "I appreciate you wearing your 'Shake My Sillies Out' T-shirts, but I like to think that as I grow as an artist, you'll grow with me." Parents attending the concert said their children stopped singing along and closed their eyes during Raffi's final number, a sprawling 20-minute instrumental rendition of "Bananaphone."

Albums

External links

This article contains content from Wikipedia, used here under the GNU Free Documentation License.