Legendary Children’s Troubadour Raffi Announces New Album “Penny Penguin”
Craft Recordings announces the release of Penny Penguin, the 24th studio album from legendary children’s musician and global troubadour, Raffi, in collaboration with the JUNO award-winning folk-pop trio, Good Lovelies. Arriving on CD and digital platforms on April 19th, Penny Penguin features 14 tracks that kids and families will love, including “JIMBO,” “The Birdies Sing,” and the title track.
Fans of all ages can now enjoy “Penny Penguin” on streaming platforms, while the song’s video (which showcases drawings of the title character submitted by Raffi fans aged 10 years and younger) can be viewed here. Among the submissions, was an inspired portrait of Penny by 7-year-old Aiden Lederman of California, which was chosen by Raffi to grace the album’s cover.
Fans can sing along with Raffi during a series of North American tour dates, with stops in Philadelphia, Toronto, and Providence, RI, among others. The run begins May 11th at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, with shows continuing throughout the fall. Scroll down for a full list of dates, and visit Raffi’s official website for tickets and more info.
The story behind Penny Penguin begins in the spring of 2023, when Raffi attended a house concert by Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough, and Sue Passmore of Good Lovelies. The celebrated Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer not only became a fan of the Toronto-based trio but soon struck up a friendship with the trio.
Before long, Raffi recalls, “Dreams of singing together soon turned into the music on Penny Penguin. Remote rehearsals went so well that I went from thinking Good Lovelies would sing on a few songs to happily recording their voices on ten of the 14 songs on the album. Songs about hummingbirds, dogs, peace, and much more all sparkle with a fresh sound, a joyful energy.”
That sparkly freshness includes a host of new Raffi classics for his youngest generation of fans. Among them is the cheerful “Penny Penguin,” which offers a tale about a young penguin as she goes about her day in the snow. Other original highlights include “Much More Love,” “Hum Hummingbird,” “The Birdies Sing,” and “Peekaboo Song.” The track list also features a variety of classics—including traditional songs like “Peace Like a River,” “Wild Mountain Thyme,” and a French children’s lullaby, “Doucement s’en va le jour,” as well as the Ella Jenkins-penned “You’ll Sing a Song.”
The Good Lovelies, meanwhile, add magic to ten tracks with their vibrant vocal harmonies. Having grown up with **Raffi’s** music, all three women were thrilled to have the opportunity to perform alongside him. The widely acclaimed trio, who recently released their seventh studio album, We Will Never Be the Same (via Outside Music), have long enjoyed an international following for their dynamic blend of folk, country, and pop—as well as their intricate, three-part harmonies.
Raffi, meanwhile, has long been hailed as the world’s best-selling and most influential children’s entertainer, with over 15 million in album sales and nearly 1 billion streams—all of which have been enjoyed (and passed down) by generations of fans (“Baby Beluga grads”) over the past five decades. A multiple GRAMMY® nominee and Juno winner, among other awards and recognitions, the Canadian musician, author, and advocate holds five honorary degrees and is a recipient of the Order of Canada—the country’s highest civilian honor.
Raffi maintains an active schedule in the studio and on the road and fans can catch him later this year, with dates in the US and Canada (see dates below).
Raffi’s “#belugagrads” Tour Dates:
May 11 – Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank, NJ)
May 12 – The Met (Philadelphia, PA)
May 18 – Bushnell Theatre (Hartford, CT)
May 19 – Veterans Memorial Auditorium (Providence, RI)
September 29 – First Ontario Centre (Hamilton, Ontario)
October 5 & 6 – Massey Hall (Toronto, Ontario)
November 23 & 24 – Royal Theatre (Victoria, BC)
November 30 & December 1 – Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Vancouver, BC)
About Raffi:
Arguably the most influential and successful children’s entertainer of the last 50 years, Raffi has delighted successive generations of kids (and their parents) with his playful, exuberant personality and his irresistibly infectious songs. The Canadian artist has released albums including such beloved titles as Singable Songs for the Very Young (1976), Baby Beluga (1980), Bananaphone (1994), and, most recently, Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times with Lindsay Munroe (2022). Collectively, he has sold almost 20 million albums, while his music has seen nearly one billion streams across all platforms.
Beyond the studio, Raffi is an award-winning author, who has written more than a dozen books for children and adults. He has also emerged as a respected advocate on behalf of children, lending his voice, insight, and experience to a number of crucial issues through the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring, a unifying vision with the child at its heart by which societies can re-order their priorities to restore our planet and build community.
Praised by the Washington Post as “the most popular children’s singer in the English-speaking world,” Raffi is a recipient of the Order of Canada—the country’s highest civilian honor. A multiple GRAMMY nominee and Juno winner, Raffi has also been recognized with a United Nations Environmental Achievement Award and the Fred Rogers Integrity Award, among countless honors over the decades.
About Craft Recordings:
Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most essential collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its storied repertoire includes landmark releases from icons such as Joan Baez, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Celia Cruz, Miles Davis, Isaac Hayes, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, R.E.M., Joan Sebastian, and Traveling Wilburys. Plus, the catalog recordings of celebrated contemporary acts including A Day to Remember, Evanescence, Alison Krauss, Nine Inch Nails, Taking Back Sunday and Violent Femmes, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, Musart, Nitro, Panart, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Vanguard, Varèse Sarabande, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft is also home to the Billie Holiday and Tammy Wynette estates which preserve and protect their respective names, likeness and music through day-to-day legacy management of these cultural trailblazers.
Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
