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All Around This World class in action

All Around This World is a unique, interactive global music and world cultures program for children 0-9 years old that encourages children and their families to explore the world by enjoying global music, rhythms and movement. Jay Sand, guitarist and children’s music teacher, world traveler and dad of three girls developed All Around This World with his girls as a way to introduce them to the countries he’s already visited and the many more he plans to visit with them.  Through  dynamic online classes,  CDs, concerts and workshops, engaging homeschool and classroom lessons, “musical maps” and participatory parent-child music-making Jay hopes to make the world a bit smaller one song at a time.

All Around This World is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of All Around This World must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Donate here.

How to sing with Jay each week in your home or classroom Support All Around This World on Patreon Enjoy interactive All Around This World lessons in your home or classroom

ALL AROUND THIS WORLD NEWS

We Really Love Rai

Cheb Khaled is at its heart of remarkable Algerian rai.

Spending our class week in North Africa gives us the chance to enjoy rai, an electrifying, socially-engaged form of modern North African music. The genre originated in, and is most influential, in Algeria, where the expressive genre –“rai” means “opinion”– has been a thorn in the political side of successive Algerian governments since the ’70s. In this video we meet one of rai’s most dynamic performers, Cheb Khaled.

Next in class: North Africa

All Around This World map of Africa featuring Algeria

In our online class this week we’re all about the music and cultures of North Africa. First we focus on Algeria, embracing this historic home of Berbers and Barbary pirates, a land of vast Saharan deserts and lush, green oases. Then we take a jaunt out to Morocco, where the vast percentage of its native citizens are of mixed Berber-Arab descent, to attend a Berber marriage festival. If we play our cards right, we’ll fall in love.

Celebrating Zanzibar’s Mwaka Kogwa

Have you booked your ticket yet to travel to Zanzibar to celebrate Mwaka Kogwa? Well, why the heck not…?In class we celebrate Mwaka Kogwa, a joyous, several day long Zanzibari festival that marks the arrival of Nairuz, the new year on the Shiraz (Persian, now Iranian) calendar. The most extensive Mwaka Kogwa festivities take place in Makunduchi, on the southeastern coast of Zanzibar, but wherever you celebrate Mwaka Kogwa, definitely hit each other with banana stems.

UPCOMING LIVECAST CLASSES — JANUARY 19 & JANUARY 20

Jay teaching Livecast classes

Join ALL AROUND THIS WORLD for awesome LIVECAST CLASSES.

If you’d like to come to class in Zoom, CONTACT ME FOR THE LOGIN INFO. Ideally we’ll communicate before the day of class, but I do try to check my messages before my first class each day.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19 and JANUARY 20

All times are Philadelphia/New York U.S. Eastern Time, UTC-5.

— 11pm U.S. Eastern Time Wednesday January 19 (Thursday morning in India, China, Thursday mid-day Australia.)

— 7am U.S. Eastern Time Thursday January 20 (early afternoon Europe, Africa, West Asia)

— 10am U.S. Eastern Time Thursday January 20 (great for eastern U.S./Canada/Americas/Caribbean)

— 1pm U.S. Eastern Time Thursday January 20 (great for all U.S./Canada/Americas/Caribbean)

If you can’t log in, watch via Facebook Live on All Around This World’s facebook page.

If you’d like to come to class on a regular basis and get lots of information each week about the countries and cultures we’re exploring, REGISTER HERE.

To enroll in amazing online courses that take your family on a musical tour of the world: EXPLORE EVERYWHERE!

We are Hoppy — MATU!

We start our online class this week by becoming Tanzanian frogs. The cibula, a frog, jumps (aye), and when he does he makes the sound “MATU!” This is a tricky “jumping game” from the the Gogo people of Tanzania’s Dodoma region, which I learned from the very generous Kedmon Mapana , originator of the Wagogo Music Festival.

Zanzibar + Tanganyika = FUN

All Around This World map of Africa featuring Tanzania

This week’s online class for kids introduces us to a pretty darned great portmanteau — in 1964 the archipelago of Zanzibar, located just off the East African coast, united with the mainland country of Tanganyika to form (ta da) TANZANIA! Join me this week as we leap like Wagogo frogs and celebrate the Zanzibari new year with a tussle.

 

Do you want to learn how to dance the Eskista?

Of course you want to learn how to dance the Eskista!

Earlier this week we met the a traditional dance from Ethioipa called the Eskista, shaking our shoulders as the Amhara do. We tried our best to shake, shimmy and roll, and had much fun doing it, but that just left us wanting to learn more. Fortunately we can use YouTube videos, like this one by Hibist Yohannesto, to learn absolutely everything. Start on the road to Eskista mastery.

Eager to Explore Ethiopia

All Around This World Map of Africa featuring Ethiopia

Ethiopia is on the the agenda in this week’s online class for kids. Over the ages Ethiopia faced many challenges from abroad, but with the exception of some years of Italian rule during World War II, the nation either ended up defeating the invaders or weaving them, or at least their religions, into the nation. Today, though there are still many reminders of wars, famines and military dictatorships past, the always-unique Ethiopia has become a vibrant international cultural, musical and culinary hub.

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