It’s that time of year again. The countdown to the last day of school is on – for the students and the teachers. Parents are looking for goodbye gifts for their children to give to their favorite teachers (everyone needs another mug, right?) and kids are making special cards filled with precious sentiments. To celebrate the gift that is teachers, consider sharing this wonderful new song of gratitude from the dynamic duo Again Again featuring the hip hop stylings of Mista Cookie Jar. Take a listen here.
Little Miss Ann is a Chicago-based musician who has been writing and performing family music for nearly twenty years. During that time, she has highlighted various facets of her Filipino heritage, including foods like the wondrous purple yam known as the ube. With her most recent single “Calamansi Twist,” Little Miss Ann and fellow Filipino-American family musicians Mista Cookie Jar and Ronnie Boy Kids, introduce listeners to the calamansi fruit. The video, a brightly colored, psychedelic dance party is one part ska, two parts pop and 100% fun. “Calamansi Twist” is the perfect addition to Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month celebrations and warm weather get togethers. Get up, get down, and calmansi twist all around!
As I’m sure you’re aware, May is Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month. In celebration of the month and in honor of her Filipina American heritage, Little Miss Ann released her newest EP, Dim Sum for Everyone on April 28. This trio of songs is a joyful reflection on Little Miss Ann’s Asian American identity. The EP kicks off with the title track, a tale that regales the excitement of a family going to Chinatown to eat Dim Sum for brunch. The delicious meal is followed by an ode to that timeless activity where everyone gets to be a superstar – “Karaoke.” The collection then closes out with an earworm of a tune, “Ube 2.0” on which Little Miss Ann is joined by Kymberly Stewart to sing the praises of the exotic purple yam. Skillfully repeating lyrics will keep listeners singing along well after the song is over. Listen to Dim Sum for Everyone here, or on your favorite streaming service.
In addition to Dim Sum for Everyone, Little Miss Ann also recently released “Tong Tong Tong,” a Filipino song about a crab featuring fellow Filipino kindie performer Mista Cookie Jar and along with Dandelions newsletter, curated a list of 53 songs all performed by AAPI musicians. Enjoy this incredible compilation of songs not just during the month of May, but all year long!
The newest album from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Made in LA, is a joyous celebration of their home base, Los Angeles. Joined by fellow children’s artists Mista Cookie Jar, Andrew and Polly and Frances England, Diaz and his wife Lishy Lou (Alisha Gaddis) create a great mix of songs specific to LA as well as those that are easily relatable to children no matter where they live.
A delightful picture of LA is painted with songs such as the airy “Silver Lake Stairs,” the ethereal “Echo Park,” and the kindie rock “Fiesta De La Brea.” The title track “Made in LA” includes shout outs to all of the people and things that make LA, L.A. and contains uplifting lyrics such as, “Hey-ey we are made in LA. We come from different places but come together as one.” And then there is “Paletero Man,” a catchy tune about the Mexican ice cream man selling frozen treats from his push cart. Check out this article from Billboard about this bilingual immigrant anthem and take a look at the video below.
The tracks “Traffic” (which there is a LOT of in LA) and “When It Rained” (which happens so seldom, it’s mythical) really resonated with me after having visited LA for the first time this past February. Coming from the depths of a Chicago winter, I was really looking forward to the warmth of California. In my vacation state of mind, I wondered, how bad could traffic in LA be? And then we landed.
Welcome to sunny California! Enjoy the 2.5 hour, rainy drive to your hotel. (Don’t worry LA, I shall return some day! 🙂 )
Along with all of the love for LA, there is lots of general fun to be had on this album as well. The earworm “L+A,” the story of the 12th letter and the first letter of the alphabet pairing up, will have you singing the chorus all day long. And with hard driving beats that accompany lyrics like, “I got the peanut butter, so don’t be jelly, jelly,” it’s impossible to not sing along to the Lucky/Mista Cookie Jar collaboration, “Jelly.”
No matter where you live, this album will be in high demand from every member of the family!
It’s that time of year again. The countdown to the last day of school is on – for the students and the teachers. Parents are looking for goodbye gifts for their children to give to their favorite teachers (everyone needs another mug, right?) and kids are making special cards filled with precious sentiments. To celebrate the gift that is teachers, consider sharing this wonderful new song of gratitude from the dynamic duo Again Again featuring the hip hop stylings of Mista Cookie Jar. Take a listen here.
The newest album from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Made in LA, is a joyous celebration of their home base, Los Angeles. Joined by fellow children’s artists Mista Cookie Jar, Andrew and Polly and Frances England, Diaz and his wife Lishy Lou (Alisha Gaddis) create a great mix of songs specific to LA as well as those that are easily relatable to children no matter where they live.