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CD History
Dr Adelina Arredondo of the University of Morelos (State), suggested to me that I should become the Grandfather Singer and record some albums of songs for children. I remained unconvinced until she came up with the title and I realised that I might be able to speak for all Grandparents through these words. Doctor Arredondo is an expert in education and when I asked if some of the lyrics would be too much for children, she replied “In his first two years, a child learns an entire language and all of the other skills necessary to survive. Do not underestimate the intelligence of children”. The first song I heard was called ‘The Little Spout’ and I was entranced. From her I learned to love the Spanish language. Words such as Crystallis are riveted in my brain.
Francisco Gabilondo Soler has to be considered among the greatest writers of children’s songs of all time. He was born in Orizaba Mexico in 1907 and he died in 1990. In his lifetime he wrote over 200 songs and recorded 116 of them. Between 1934 and 1962 he had his own programme on radio XEW in Mexico City. Calling himself CriCri the cricket, his songs became the anthems for a generation of Mexican Children. A visit to a record shop in downtown Mexico will pay tribute to the popularity of his music today. They always contained a message for all who listened. What amazed me the most was the beauty of the musical content, and the creative ideas therein. The spiders? Who else would have thought of a spider in a barrel, dancing the tango, surrounded by all the other insects that grow In the garden.
And then there came John Zielman. I was talking to my children Pels and Margareta in London about a producer and a voice from the kitchen called out “Get Zielman.” What a clever idea this turned out to be. All I knew of his wherabouts was that he left Sydney to go home to Amsterdam. We tracked him down and what followed was the most enjoyable of recording sessions from all of my 16 previous efforts. John has the skill of a genius producer. Anything you need he can do. Sing, play any number of instruments, operate the panel, and make us laugh on every occasion when the tension in Amsterdam was getting to us.
Thank You John.
Pels and Margareta are a team right out of the London music scene. Most of the comical bits on the album came from their unique talents. Beautiful singers. Wise enough to know that their voices are there to enhance the main vocal and always ready with the suggestion we needed when we were short of ideas for a certain passage. Just listen to the sounds they made on “The Little Chinese in the Vase’. Fantastic. Keep an eye out for their new album. It will be something very special.