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Music

The best music for all ages

THE WIGGLES at Ricoh Coliseum (100 Princes’), Saturday (October 8), 11 am, 2:30 and 6 pm. $19-$65. ticketmaster.com and RAFFI with Ken Whiteley at Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe), November 13, 1 and 4:30 pm. $37.50-$65. roythomson.com.


The world of kids’ entertainment can be a slog for parents who can’t tap into their inner child long enough to tolerate something made for a five-year-old.

Every so often, though, children and parents will relate to and appreciate the same things. In fact, we adults might find something we’re actually fans of. If you watch TVOKids shows, you might encounter edgy Toronto comedians like the Kids in the Hall, Pat Thornton, Aisha Alfa and Nick Flanagan appearing in or writing episodes.

“[Kids shows can be] a good entry-level job for comedians,” Jennifer Whalen explains. She stars in the buzzy CBC sketch program Baroness Von Sketch Show. “It’s easier to break into that side of it, which is why so many comedians enter that territory.”

Odd Squad is an amazing one, especially if you know Toronto’s sketch community,” adds fellow BVSS member and past Odd Squad guest star Aurora Browne. “As a parent, you can tell when a show’s written by educators versus ones with fun little stories, hilarious jokes, great performances. Those are great to watch.”

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Musical kids’ performers can be just as conscious of the duality of their audiences. In that regard, there are at least two significant milestones worth celebrating: 40 years ago, Raffi emerged from the smoky Toronto folk music circuit to release his influential debut album, Singable Songs For The Very Young, and became a star and 25 years ago, the Wiggles formed in Sydney, Australia, eventually becoming one of the most successful, recognizable children’s bands ever.

“Twenty-five years is a long time to be in one job, but I’ve loved every minute of it,” says Anthony Field, the lone original Wiggle left in the group, during a conference call from Australia ahead of the group’s anniversary tour.

“All around the world, children are growing up and the Wiggles have been part of their lives. It’s been so much fun, and we’ve met so many special families.”

The Wiggles’ music is sweetly innocent but also well-crafted pop that springs to life on their multicoloured TV show – a cross between The Monkees, the original Star Trek and a very normal Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. 

Having been at it so long, they’ve discovered a unique audience development loophole.

“We witness a lot of teenagers coming up to Anthony saying, ‘You were my childhood!,’” Wiggles member Simon Pryce explains. “They say it with such love and fondness, and that carries through when they have children, which is what we’re seeing now.”

Raffi’s had a similar experience. His best-known song, Baby Beluga, is an honest-to-goodness classic that someone somewhere is likely singing to or with their child at any given moment.

“I’m so grateful and fortunate to be able to do this work now, 40 years later,” he says in Toronto. “When I come onstage, I’m aware there are Beluga grads in the audience – adults who, as children, were fans. They grew up with Baby Beluga, and I really feel the intergenerational love. It’s palpable. I get such a rousing, warm welcome, it’s like the show plays itself.”

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Raffi

The Wiggles and Raffi both return to Toronto for shows in October and November respectively. This might not mean anything to you if you’re not a parent, but for those who are, such artists are a balm against less thoughtful entertainment that our kids somehow – maybe through friends or a passing mention on a playground – find a way to become obsessed with. 

Warren Brown and Adam Goddard know this. They created Big Block Sing Song in Toronto, and their idiosyncratic animated music videos (distributed by CBC, Disney and Nickelodeon) are hilariously ingenious.

“We’ve always thought of it as a co-viewing experience we never thought that a child might be watching it alone,” Brown says. “If they do, great, they get to experience music and funny characters. But if they’re watching it with a parent, it enriches the experience a little bit because they can have a conversation about lyrical content and music styles.

“People tell us, ‘Oh, now I can talk about 70s funk with my child and -explain where that sits in history,’” Brown adds. “We both have children and we want to create something we’re proud to show our children and also entertain ourselves.”

music@nowtoronto.com | @vishkhanna

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