Reggae for Kids

 Review

Common Sense Media says

A good introduction to reggae.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this album is a good introduction to reggae. The strong, simple drum and bass lines that defines reggae music appeal to children's developing sense of rhythm.

  • Parents whose children are learning to speak may want to note that the Jamaican "patois" means there are some foreign words and some English words pronounced in an unfamiliar fashion.
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

Though these tracks aren't the artists' best efforts, they're gentle, child-oriented songs. There's a noted absence of reggae giants Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, but a healthy dose of dancehall, or reggae-rap, attracts older kids.


Is it any good?

 

The album's tone is sweet and positive, with songs about peace, love, and harmony, and some classic folk songs such as "Puff the Magic Dragon," "This Old Man," and "Joy to the World."

Dancehall rapper Brigadier Jerry gives a delightful Jamaican geography lesson in "Jamaica, Jamaica," wherein he visits his farmer grandfather, and then drives through each parish selling (and enumerating) his fruits and vegetables. The bragging King Yellowman turns "This Old Man" into a playful, well-phrased song all about himself. Freddie McGregor offers a nice rendition of Marley's classic "Three Little Birds" with help from a children's chorus, and although Eek-a-Mouse's song sounds like a child wrote it, his unmistakable vocal style is a real kid-pleaser.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about this musical genre and Caribbean island culture.


This review was written by Molly Jackel
Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 8 year old
December 6, 2010
 
Whitewashing =/= Good Parenting
I'm afraid I can't grant this a favorable review. Sure, it's absolutely clean... But that's the problem with it. It's TOO clean. My kid, just by looking at the cover and listening to the premise, is already suspicious of it's value. Even she understands that removing all bad things from life isn't going to "safeguard" her from all the badness in the world... And she's 8.

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This review was written by Molly Jackel
Artist:Various Artists
Release date:May 26, 1992
Labels:Ras, Sanctuary Records
Genre:Dancehall/Reggae
Parental advisory:No

This review was written by Molly Jackel
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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