Description
Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob – vocals, percussion
Cornelius Claudio Kreusch – piano, Rhodes, vocals, percussion
Johannes Tonio Kreusch – guitars
Carolina Camilla Kreusch – vocals
Elisabeth Kontomanou – vocals
Zaf Zapha – bass, percussion, vocals
Papatef – drums, percussion, vocals
Pepe Solera – saxophone, clarinet, flute
Anna Scharpf, Joey Belmondo, Andreas Walther, Manfred Hochholzer – vocals
Whole generations have grown up with the inspiration of Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob. Many would have said music instead of inspiration, since that is the actual profession of the renowned writer, music educator, concert pianist and songwriter.
But as much as music has been and continues to be the focus of her many and award-winning books, records and CDs, it also goes beyond that. In her holistic thinking, music is an integral, but just one part of the human play instinct. A basis for his personality formation as well as intelligence development, a protective cloak against many a physical as well as psychological stress of life, inseparably connected with movement and language. Today, these are all scientific findings that Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob has been anticipating in practice since the 1970s.
But as much as music has been and continues to be the focus of her many and award-winning books, records and CDs, it also goes beyond that. In her holistic thinking, music is an integral, but just one part of the human play instinct. A basis for his personality formation as well as intelligence development, a protective cloak against many a physical as well as psychological stress of life, inseparably connected with movement and language. Today, these are all scientific findings that Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob has been anticipating in practice since the 1970s.
Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob’s work and its great success is based on several insights. First, that there are no unmusical human children. Neither people nor children: Rhythm is already in everyone through the heartbeat, and singing is a natural, liberating language. On the other hand, that one should not underestimate children and serve them slimmed-down “child-friendly” music. Really good music for children also appeals to adults. This is probably the key to Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob’s books and CDs being so long-lived in so many families and passed on from generation to generation, and many of her several hundred songs being sung up and down in families and kindergartens.
And it is the basis for a grandiose family history, since all three of their children have followed their musical impulses and become internationally renowned artists: Cornelius Claudio Kreusch is a celebrated jazz pianist who is also successful as a producer, entrepreneur and artistic director; Johannes Tonio Kreusch is a no less recognized classical guitarist, lecturer and festival director; Carolina Camilla Kreusch, finally, is an award-winning sculptor and object artist who has been entrusted with professorships.
Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob’s new album, the first for GLM, is a perfect demonstration of how the seed of early musical education can blossom across generations and styles: On “KIDS! Songs, Raps & Cool Tones” features Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob’s universal pieces for young and old children, which draw on all eras, regions and genres, in modern, fresh and heartwarming arrangements by the KreuschFamily: her children and their professional musical environment.
Thus, the album is produced by Cornelius Claudio Kreusch and one of his long-time companions, the French-Guyanese-born bassist Zaf Zapha, who himself has already made outstanding children’s audio books, inspired by his collaboration with Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob. The arrangements of the pieces are by them, by Johannes Tonio Kreusch and the grandiose multi-instrumental drummer Cyril Atef – who is as well known as a solo performer Papatef as he is as one half of Bumcello – as well as by Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob herself. As song texts Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob has used and adapted not only her own and traditional songs but also very different ones from all over the world, for example by Heinrich Hannover, Nortrud Boge-Erli, Thomas Grimes or Josef Guggenmoos.
From all this springs for “KIDS!” a dazzling, clever, rousing children’s world music. In many languages, from German to English, Italian and French to Turkish, Croatian and Yiddish, which merge into the universal language of music; in all kinds of styles from chanson to funk, lightly jazzed or reggae grooves to rock and hip-hop; with stories that concern, stimulate and appeal to us all: The tongue twister “O Bibbele Babbele Bu”, for example, which encourages us to freestyle ourselves. The song about the “Children of the Light,” which the world needs for happiness, no matter what color. Or the old French children’s song “A La Claire Fontaine” in a completely new guise including a funny ragamuffin by Cyril Atef. All the way to the mysterious primeval forest song from Peru (“Mamas Mamancho”), the old but so timelessly topical Yiddish song “Wir wollen uns versöhnen” and the polyglot hymn to “Frieden, La Paix, Peace”.
Fun and games, the joy of singing and talking, but also the invitation to think and think further, plus the invocation of eternal themes from love to peace – all this unites this album in a timeless way that is profitable for all. An exciting album and great fun for all children and the young at heart.
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