Local sounds for little ears

 

RNZ Music’s Kirsten Johnstone presents a selection of local music with a youthful spirit, that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

Children learn through repetition, and every parent knows the new reality of their music listening experience once there's a child or two in the house...and the car. You are going to hear the same songs many, many times.

 

So, we're here to help you make that a good experience for the whole family, and help support New Zealand songwriters at the same time. win/win.

 

There are many things you can do to support local music all year round. One of the new challenges for New Zealand  musicians is to get prominent placing on streaming services, in playlists which are curated overseas. Every play adds a few fractions of a cent to their revenue.

 

And because children are repeat listeners. Get them young, hook them into your Spotify account.

 

We’ve made a Spotify playlist of NZ songs that children love, and which don't get too tiresome for the grown-ups, even after the 99th time through

 

Here are some of our - and our children's - favorite family-friendly NZ tunes:

Teacups - Magic

The only album by Teacups came out on Lil’ Chief in 2009, a label that should really put out a compilation of songs like this that appeal to children. They also released music by The Brunettes, Tokey Tones, and Princess Chelsea.

This song has hand claps, a good ukulele strum, childlike wonder and a sense of things that aren’t fair in life. Chelsea Jade from the band has gone on to a solo career, and is about to release her first long-player.

Hirini Melbourne: Purerehua

A songwriter who wrote specifically for children was the late Hirini Melbourne, who became known alongside Richard Nunns as a taonga puoro revivalist. Before that - in the early 80s in Wellington - he wrote songs for both his children and the education board about birds, gods and nature. They’re timeless sounding, with lyrics in te reo maori, gorgeous simple melodies, satisfying alliterative sounds, and crisp rhythms.  

This one is about a butterfly, and comes from the album Te Kura Reo. There are at least two other versions of this song, also by Hirini Melbourne, including one on his 1991 album Toiapiapi, which was re-released late last year.

Tha Feelstyle - Su'amalie

Released in 2004, Tha Feelstyle’s 'Su’amalie' ("Sweet" in Samoan) is another timeless classic, rapped almost entirely in Samoan, bar the kids in the chorus: "I ain’t mad at you".

Look Blue Go Purple - Cactus Cat

Flying Nun band Look Blue Go Purple were only around for four years between 1983-87, and released just two EPs, but the interest in their music has endured, both locally and internationally.

This May they’re re-releasing those EPs and bonus live recordings on vinyl and CD, as well as on streaming services.

Your kids might like this one - it’s up, jangly, and it's ostensibly about a cat. And kids love cats, right?

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