Raffi encourages his fans, young and old, to unplug
Beloved children’s entertainer worries about impact of social media on kids
More stimuli means less patience.
You can see it everywhere, from the parents constantly checking their smartphones to their kids plugged into that iPad. The simple result: We, as a people, are much tougher to engage.
“Not for me,” says beloved children’s entertainer Raffi, before offering a warm, natural laugh. “Well, I have an advantage in that they love the songs. They come to sing with me and the songs we share and the songs that they love become the toys that we play with for an hour in this singalong that we do.
“And then you’ve got the parents there, as well, and they sing loudest of all. ...
“But I think through the use of the songs, the pace of the show, and a clear message at the beginning, which we give that this is not a time for cellphones and so on, put those away, and join Raffi in the fun, then we have a wonderful time together.”
Local fans, both young and old, will get the opportunity when the Canadian performer, musician, songwriter, author and advocate born Raffi Cavoukian comes to the Winspear Centre on Sunday.
They’ll be entertained by a man who’s been doing it for the better part of four decades, releasing dozens of albums, songs and books that have endured, such as Baby Beluga, Banana-phone and Shake My Sillies Out.
And during that time, he’s seen technology change and entertainment change, and, not surprisingly, he’s not entirely a fan, especially of the reliance these days on giving kids the keys to something they’re not yet equipped for.
“Smartphones are like sports cars on the information highway and we take a real risk when we give them kids who are not old enough to drive,” he says. “The kids have the rest of their lives for infotech. ... The precious, impressionable early years and, of course, right through early adolescence, that will only come once.”
It’s actually become something of a cause for Raffi these days, with the Egyptian-born artist helming — along with his Centre For Child Honouring on B.C.’s Saltspring Island — the Red Hood Project, which is working to make social media safer for kids.
The Red Hood Project was founded last year in response to the cyberbullying suicide of Port Coquitlam teen Amanda Todd. Raffi is also writing a book titled Light Web, Dark Web, which also springs from the need to reform social media.
“We have to be smart about what the changes are doing to our kids and take appropriate action,” Raffi says, explaining that while there is a parental responsibility, the onus, ultimately, is on the providers.
“If you’ve got social media leaving kids vulnerable because younger and younger kids are using it, that’s the real problem.”
The music industry is something of an issue, with more performers and corporations feeding into the hypersexualization and “adultification” of kids.
“It is repugnant the idea of exploiting the young, and if it’s repugnant, why is it legal?” Raffi says, pointing to regulations in Scandinavian countries and, at home, Quebec, that don’t permit advertising to those 12 or under.
“It’s the reason that I turned down the producers of the movie Shrek who wanted a Baby Beluga film. They wanted to do it with all of the usual marketing to kids and all the ancillary products made of PVCs and I said, ‘No, it’s just not the way.’ ”
Young fans at the concert will get to hear a new song titled On Hockey Days, which he recorded in Calgary with a group of local musician friends, including jazz mainstay Gerry Hebert.
The song speaks of “fun, fair play and respect” and is something of a tribute to the “moms and dads that take the kids to the rink ... and the grassroots love of the game.”
Raffi is hoping that it can become just as enduring an anthem as some of his best-loved hits or even the classic Hockey Song of the late Stompin’ Tom Connors. For now, he’s just looking forward to sharing it with another audience of parents and kids.
“I get to sing it live now, with a hockey jersey and everything,” he says with a laugh.