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In the liner notes for her remarkable new CD, African Lullaby, producer Shana Dressler refers this ancient musical form as "love songs for children." And of course she is right -- there is something that calls to the heart of the child from the heart of the singing adult in these lovely, haunting songs -- many of which seem as old as time itself. Mor Dior Bamba, a renowned singer from Senegal, guides us close to the pure, traditional source of the lullaby and its power to soothe the child with sounds and rhythms, in a lullaby that his mother sang to him: Brief Sound Clip: Others are wistful, playful. This Ugandan lullaby sung by Samite tells about all the good things that are waiting for the child "in the sleep world" -- oranges, passion fruits, sweet water, and wonderful games:Brief Sound Clip: In "Diyoré," Abou Sylla from Guinea, sings about not being able to get a child to stop crying -- it's a song that's meant to lift a caregiver's spirits as much as it is to amuse a restless child: Brief Sound Clip: "Mayo Mpapa," which translates from the Icibemba language of Zambia as "Mother Carry Me, " is about deep cultural values; in it the child asks to be carried by her mother, and in return the child promises one day to care for her. Here's the award-winning singer Muriel Mwamba: Brief Sound Clip: These songs are valentines for every child, to rock with, in the cradle of civilization's soul. Copyright 2005© John Cech
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