What to do in Vancouver: Sing Along With Raffi
For many Vancouver moms, Raffi is where it’s at. As children we bopped along to “Baby Beluga”, and now our own kids are grooving to “Bananaphone”. From the time he released Singable Songs for the Very Young in 1976, Raffi has been a children’s entertainment icon. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1983, and the Order of British Columbia in 2001. But mostly, we just know him because we love his music, which manages to be catchy, fun and non-irritating – the holy trifecta of children’s entertainment. If you love Raffi like we do, you’ll want to pay attention to the next part, because we have the scoop on what to do in Vancouver to see him in person.
What to do in Vancouver: Beluga Grads Concert
Raffi is presenting his Beluga Grads Concert this fall in Vancouver. It takes place on October 21, 2012 at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts, and Raffi is promising to perform all of your favourite songs. Tickets are $25.00, $32.50 and $55.00. With your $55.00 ticket you get the chance to meet Raffi in person. It may be hard to tell who is more excited by this prospect, your actual six-year-old son or daughter, or your own inner six-year-old. Tickets went on sale on June 22, so you’ll want to get yours quickly by visiting www.ticketmaster.ca, or by phone at 1.855.985.5000.
What’s a Beluga Grad, Anyway?
Okay, we’ve filled you in on what to do in Vancouver if you’re a long-time Raffi fan, but we haven’t explained the concert name. A “Beluga Grad” is someone who listened to Raffi’s music as a child. Raffi says, “The Beluga Grad pod is 10 million of us. Imagine the strength of our voices united.” To help harness that strength, Raffi founded the Centre for Child Honouring on Salt Spring Island in 2010. The Centre advocates for social change that keeps children at its heart. Its positive vision stresses the importance of the early years as the basis of all decisions that affect both our own and future generations. At its heart, the idea is that by showing love for our children, we’re also showing love for ourselves.
A Rare Opportunity
Proceeds from the Beluga Grads concert will benefit The Centre for Child Honouring. This is a rare opportunity to see Raffi perform his music live. He says, “I’m delighted to be singing songs for children and their families again.” Vancouver is one of only three cities he will be performing in this fall – the others are Victoria and Seattle. So if you’re a Raffi fan and you’re wondering what to do in Vancouver, this just may be your big chance. But you may need to use your actual phone, rather than your bananaphone, to secure your tickets.
Raffi
Amber Strocel is a writer, aspiring math teacher, suburbanite, wife and mom of two. She believes in the power of the Internet to connect people, and she believes that numbers are the poetry of the universe. You can often find her knitting, sewing, volunteering, working in her garden, and sneaking chocolate when no one's looking. She blogs at Strocel.com and shares her photos on Instagram as @AmberStrocel.