Lullabies and Children’s Songs

The singing of lullabies and children’s songs knows no geographical boundaries. Featuring many young singers and their mothers, this compilation documents the sounds of playtime and bedtime from Africa, Portugal, the Middle East, Mongolia, Japan, Solomon Islands, and the Nunavut Territory of Canada. Game songs include Baka children from Cameroon playing “the water drum” by splashing rhythmically in a river and Kanoukro girls from Côte d’Ivoire falling into each other’s arms and then pushing away. Some songs are lullabies for calming children, while others are for amusing them. One even warns little girls against running away from their parents.

Track Listing

101	CAMEROON: Lullaby (extract)	n/a	04:05
102	CAMEROON: The water drum (extract)	n/a	04:05
103	CAMEROON: Hut song (extract)	n/a	04:01
104	CÔTE D'IVOIRE: Song of two little girls	n/a	02:36
105	CÔTE D'IVOIRE: Little girls' sung games (extract)	n/a	04:29
106	CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Nzenzenze	n/a	01:04
107	CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Balibo sasasa	n/a	01:11
108	CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Mbola	n/a	03:12
109	CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Lullaby - Nzakara	n/a	01:13
110	BENIN: Ere Ere	n/a	01:59
111	PORTUGAL: Aurora teve um menino (extract)	n/a	04:04
112	PORTUGAL: Cançao de Embalar	n/a	02:44
113	THE YEMENITE JEWS: Adon hakol mehayyeh kol neshamah	Aharon and Israel Habshush	04:06
114	MONGOLIA: Ikh agsal	Tsembel	00:57
115	JAPAN: Ihumke	n/a	02:15
116	SOLOMON ISLANDS: Rorogwela	Afunakwa	01:45
117	CANADA: Two Aqausiit from Ungava Bay	n/a	01:20
118	CANADA: Aqausiq from Baffin Land	n/a	00:49
119	CANADA: Melodic katajjait	n/a	03:11
120	CANADA: Assalalaa from Baffin Land	n/a	00:37