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If there were an official soundtrack to childhood, most kids would want to hit "Skip" on a few tracks: the sound of grownups yelling at you...the sound of the bell ringing at school...But fortunately, that soundtrack's also got some sweet numbers, like "Baby Beluga," by Raffi.
Maybe you grew up with Raffi, or raised your kids on him. His connection to children started by accident. Raffi grew up in Egypt, and after his family came to Canada he tried to make it as a folk singer.
When his mother-in-law asked him to sing to her nursery school class, Raffi realized his calling - singing for kids. There was no market for it at the time, and Raffi's first record, "Singable Songs for the Very Young" was a huge hit.
Turns out, adults can learn a few things from Raffi, too: in his nearly 40-year career, he's never advertised to kids, he's a tireless advocate for the environment, and he's working to make the internet safer for young users.
Raffi's philosophy? He's been saying it all along: empower children, honour them, and the world becomes a better place.
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