Released July 10, 1980 Length 35:10 Artist Raffi Label Shoreline Producers Raffi, Ken Whiteley | Recorded April 1980 Baby Beluga(1980) Rise and Shine(1982) Release date 10 July 1980 | |
 | ||
Similar Corner Grocery Store, Singable Songs for the Very, More Singable Songs, Raffi in Concert with the R, Bananaphone | ||
Raffi baby beluga
Baby Beluga is a children's music album by children's entertainer Raffi, released in 1980. The title track was inspired by Kavna, a Beluga whale that Raffi saw at the Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver, BC, and is considered by many to be his greatest hit.
Contents
The album begins with the sounds of whales communicating and includes compositions that create pictures of the ocean and whales at play. An illustrated sing-along book was also published and sold separately as a companion to the first track.
During the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1993, the song was sung and a blue screen featured blue belugas swimming.
On April 18, 2011, Raffi published a video that included an updated verse encouraging young people to vote in the 2011 Canadian federal election.
Children who grew up listening to Raffi's songs are referred to as "Beluga Graduates", or "Beluga Grads", after the title song.
Baby beluga by raffi
Other performances
In the original 1993 release of the "Raffi on Broadway" concert video, Raffi acted Bob Dylan's cover version of the song.
In October 2004, Pearl Jam's lead singer Eddie Vedder performed the first verse and chorus of "Baby Beluga" at the annual Bridge School Benefit Concert in Mountain View, CA. He dedicated it to a young boy at the school who claimed it was his favourite song.
The Wiggles sang this song on their Wake up Jeff CD and Wiggledance! (Live in Concert) video, as part of a Henry the Octopus song.
Billy Gilman performed "Baby Beluga" on the 2001 tribute album Country Goes Raffi.
"Baby Beluga" was Michelle Tanner's favorite song on Full House, as shown in the season 3 episode "Just Say No Way".
On August 7, 2012, the whale that inspired Raffi to make the song, Kavna, died at age 46 in Vancouver.
Track listing
- "Baby Beluga" – 2:42
- "Biscuits in the Oven" – 2:26
- "Oats and Beans and Barley" – 1:27
- "Day-O" – 3:01
- "Thanks A Lot" – 2:28
- "To Everyone in All the World" (Traditional) – 1:46
- "All I Really Need" – 3:46
- "Over in the Meadow" – 2:18
- "This Old Man" (Traditional) – 2:25
- "Water Dance" – 1:55
- "Kumbaya" – 2:23
- "Joshua Giraffe" – 6:05
- "Morningtown Ride" (Malvina Reynolds) – 2:24
Personnel
Raffi - Lead vocals, guitar, bells, producer, arranger, mixer
Ken Whiteley - Guitars, vocals, banjos, bass, accordion, mandolin, organ, piano, percussion, ukulele, mixer, producer
Chris Whiteley - Trumpet, harmonica
Dennis Pendrith - Bass, vocals
Bucky Berger - Drums
Bruce Pennycook - Clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Dick Smith - Drums, percussion
Patrick Godfrey - Piano, vocals
Mike Gardner - Bass
Grit Laskin - Accordion, concertina, dulcimer, mandolin, penny whistle
Daniel Lanois - Mixer, engineer
Children's chorus: Jenny Whiteley, Dan Whiteley, Elizabeth Macay, Chris Thompson
Songs
1Baby Beluga2:43
2Biscuits in the Oven2:27
3Oats and Beans and Barley Grow1:28