Single Is Part of a Worldwide Musical Journey for Kids on New Album Community Through Music, Out Oct. 25 on Jalopy Records, with Songs from Norway, Mexico, West Africa, Jamaica & All Over America
“My toddler’s favorite children’s musician… I once heard a parent refer to her as ‘like the Beatles’ for the preschool set.”
–New York Times
“The best thing to hit the children’s music market since Raffi.”
–The Nashville Parent
Credit: Meredith Zinner
Suzi Shelton will take kids on a worldwide musical journey in her tenth album Community Through Music (out October 25 on Jalopy Records), a children’s album filled with the rich tapestry of folk songs and world music, designed to captivate young listeners with its diversity and charm. Out today, second single “Under the Big Chestnut Tree (Ooki na Kuri no Ki no Shita de)” is a classic children’s tune from Japan featuring Meitar Forkosh on violin that is well-loved for its simple, catchy melody, themes of nature, and fun partnering game. The single is sung in both English and Japanese.
HEAR/SHARE “Under the Big Chestnut Tree (Ooki na Kuri no Ki no Shita de)”
Videos on the Brooklyn-based artist’s YouTube channel have been viewed over 11 million times in over 70 countries and she has performed at LOLLAPALOOZA, The White House, Lincoln Center, Pickathon and will perform at the Brooklyn Folk Fest this year. She has won multiple Parents Choice Awards, iParenting Media, and a NAPPA Award, and was featured on WFUV’s NY slice. She’s been featured on Spotify’s official kids music playlist Traffic Jam.
Community Through Music is a collection of eleven interactive songs that blends lively and soothing tracks from around the globe, offering children a musical passport to different cultures. Each song is carefully curated to be both educational and entertaining, encouraging kids to sing along, dance, and appreciate the beauty of diversity in music and traditions. Through call-and-response songs combined with partnering dances, Community Through Music aims to foster cultural appreciation, global awareness, and a love for music from diverse backgrounds among young listeners, making it a delightful and enriching addition to any school or children’s music collection.
Other album highlights include Latin GRAMMY nominee Sonia De Los Santos who joins Shelton on “We Shall Walk (Debemos Caminar)” adding original lyrics in Spanish, Shelton’s original “Pick Me a Pumpkin,” a fall favorite; “Every Little Thing,” a take on Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” with lyrics based on the book by his daughter Cedella; and the beloved American folk song “Little Liza Jane,” heard in New Orleans as well as other parts of the United States. Album opener “Time To Say Hello” introduces the instruments that will be heard one-by-one. Jalopy Records previously shared the first single “Mango, Mango,” a popular and playful Norwegian song sung in a round which inspires sing-alongs at every Shelton concert.
Performers joining Shelton include Christian Apuzzo (Cole Quest and the City Pickers) on guitar and vocals; violinist Meitar Forkosh (Will Butler, Veronica Swift); Jeff Kerestes on bass, percussion, ukulele, guitar, and piano (The Sweet Remains, Hamilton & Waitress on Broadway) ; banjoist Jared Engel (Tony Trischka, Stephane Wrembel, The Switch soundtrack); drummer Attis Clopton (Low Cut Connie, Eli “Paperboy” Reed, Rhiannon Giddens). Two children sing on the album: Suzi’s step-daughter Julia Iturregui-Shirley and Jeff’s daughter Alice Kerestes. The album was produced by Jeff Kerestes at Full Sync Studios, mastered by Matt Shane at Joe’s Garage and recorded from 2020-2023 in Brooklyn, NY and Portland, OR.
Shelton will celebrate the release on Saturday, November 9 as part of the Brooklyn Folk Festival at St, Ann’s Church, along with many of the musicians featured on the album. Families are welcome!
Prior to her solo career, Shelton released albums with Imagination Workshop Band and Gillygaloo.
Community Through Music was funded by the Uncle Shlomo’s Brooklyn Kids Music Fund in memory of our dear friend and mentor Shlomo Pestcoe.
Suzi Shelton’s Community Through Music track listing:
1. Time to Say Hello (Shelton)
2. Who’s My Pretty Baby (Woody Guthrie)
3. Mango, Mango (traditional)
4. We Shall Walk (Debemos Caminar), featuring Sonia De Los Santos (Shelton / De Los Santos)
5. La Lechuza (traditional)
6. Under the Big Chestnut Tree (Ooki na Kuri no Ki no Shita de) (traditional)
7. Little Liza Jane (traditional)
8. Pick Me a Pumpkin (Shelton)
9. Funga Alafia (traditional), featuring Chrisitan Apuzzo
10. Tideo (traditional), featuring Christian Apuzzo
11. Every Little Thing (Bob Marley / Cedella Marley)
