The Bottom Line
Pros
- A collection of soothing music for listeners of any age.
- Introduces kids to the rich musical heritage of Africa.
- Features well-known and up and coming artists.
- Traditional African instruments were used in the production.
- Liner notes are in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Cons
- No song lyrics with translation
- No learning guide
Description
- The fourth album in Putumayo Kids' Dreamland series.
- Contains 11 tunes including a capellas and an instrumental piece.
- Excellent musical production
- Attractively packaged
- A gentle way of introducing kids to African music and traditional African instruments.
- Tunes are all very calming, making it perfect for unwinding and bedtime.
- A portion of the proceeds goes to a non-profit organization called NextAid.
- Price: $14.98
Guide Review - Product Review of "African Dreamland" Music CD
"African Dreamland" is the fourth album from Putumayo Kids' Dreamland series. It features 11 selections including a capellas such as "Nomathemba" by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It also includes an instrumental piece titled "Salaman" which features kora musicians Toumani Diabaté and Ballaké Sissoko.The cd comes with liner notes in 4 different languages: English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. The liner notes are really helpful as it provides concise background information on the artists and interesting facts about each song. However, compared to "Brazilian Playground," the liner notes on "African Dreamland" don't include a glossary and map. Song lyrics with translation and a learning guide would also be helpful for further learning.
Nonetheless, as with any Putumayo Kids release, this cd is very well-produced. Young children would be lulled to sleep by the soothing music and older listeners would also find it relaxing to listen to at the end of a hectic day. I also like the fact that Putumayo Kids give a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their cd's to various non-profit organizations that are dedicated to helping children across the globe.
