Raffi (children's entertainer)

Raffi Cavoukian (born July 8, 1948), usually known simply as Raffi, is a popular children's entertainer in Canada and the Western world at large. Some of his best known songs are "Bananaphone," "Baby Beluga," "Down by the Bay," "Shake My Sillies Out," and "All I Really Need."

Born in Cairo of Armenian parents, he spent his early years in Egypt before emigrating with his family to Toronto in 1958. Today, Raffi resides in Victoria, British Columbia. In recent years he has devoted himself to Child Honouring, which seeks to create a humane and sustainable world by addressing the universal needs of the very young. He founded the Troubadour Foundation to support this cause, and is working on a book, "Turn This World Around," which argues that Child Honouring can be a potent remedy for the world's most pressing issues. In 1983 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. He was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2001. His sister is Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner.

He also sings the song Bananaphone, which led to a popular Internet fad made popular partly due to numerous Flash animations which use the song, including Sporkfest by Andrew Kepple and Bananaphone by Patrick Kelleher.

He was also parodied on an episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons.

Albums

• Singable Songs for the Very Young (1976)
• More Singable Songs (1977)
• Corner Grocery Store (1979)
• Baby Beluga (1980)
• Baby Beluga (1982)
• Raffi's Christmas Album (1983)
• One Light, One Sun (1985)
• Everything Grows (1987)
• Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band (1989)
• Evergreen Everblue (1990)
• Bananaphone (1994)
• Raffi Radio (1995)
• Country Goes Raffi (2001)
• Let's Play (2002)

External links

• Official Site
• Raffi: Yes, we have no advertising