Shake Sugaree: Taj Mahal Sings And Plays For Children

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Bluesman celebrates traditional American art form.
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 '"Light Rain," a song about betting on the ponies, and "Shake Sugaree," with its chorus about pawning everything before going to heaven, are strange choices for a children's album. In general, Mahal's light, soulful tone makes up for these odd lyrics.

  • There's a song about betting and one about pawning everything before going to heaven.
  • Not applicable.
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

Veteran bluesman Taj Mahal guides young listeners through this traditional American art form. (Several tracks are by African-American women, and featured folk songs come from West Africa and the Caribbean.)


Is it any good?

 

Blues may seem like an ambitious musical choice for young children, but Taj Mahal creates an intimate storytelling atmosphere. His folksy introductions, his two young children (they're the playful back-up singers), and his bright guitar-picking all help make the music accessible to kids.

In "Fishin' Blues," Mahal's sunny guitar-picking and ringing harmonics sound like a warm summer day on a muddy riverbank, inspiring images of jumping fish and glinting water. "Brown Girl in the Ring" is a danceable Caribbean folk song with infectious lyrics. The song's drum machine dance beat is contrived, but Taj's tempo and enthusiasm are disarming. The album ends with "Little Brown Dog," a sweet, melancholy child's dream of riding around the world on a big-eared, long-legged brown dog.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about traditional American folk music after a listen to this album. Most educational value, though, comes from the rhythmic movement and singing this music will inspire.


This review was written by Molly Jackel
Educator and Parent
October 30, 2011
 
Funkalicious dance music for everybody
I started listening to this album with my oldest who is now 18, and my younger daughter (7) and I dance to it regularly. It's always a go-to kids music album for us. As a musician and world music lover, I love its authenticity... no saccharine songs here!

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Molly Jackel
Artist:Taj Mahal
Release date:October 27, 1992
Label:Music for Little People
Genre:Children's Music
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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