As Jacob Edgar, Putumayo’s resident ethnomusicologist notes,“Reggae is one of the most adaptable and influential styles. People can really blend the reggae vibe with their local music to create something that is influenced by reggae but has its own unique flavor.”

Reggae Playground presents renowned artists from reggae’s birthplace of Jamaica. Judy Mowatt, a former backing vocalist for Bob Marley and respected solo artist, invites listeners to get moving with her rousing “Let’s Dance.” We hear about the importance of respecting our differences and the need to work together in Rita Marley’s classic anthem “Harambe.” The Jamaican reggae arrangements of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by the legendary Toots & the Maytals and the Burning Souls’ rendition of “Here Comes the Sun” demonstrate the adaptability of this infectious beat to almost any tune.

Other artists from diverse musical traditions who have adopted the reggae style and made it their own are also featured on Reggae Playground. For example, Johnny Dread, an artist of Cuban heritage who now lives in Miami, sings about “Rootsman Dread,” a colorful figure beloved by children. Marty Dread represents the huge popularity of reggae music in Hawaii, and Jessica, from the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, displays the popular blending of traditional sega music with reggae.The popularity of reggae in places as diverse as the United States (Eric Bibb), Brazil (Kal dos Santos), Morocco (Mousta Largo), and even Indonesia (Tony Q Rastafara) is also demonstrated here.

Asheba, an artist who hails from Trinidad and is known for his Caribbean songs for young children, performs a soothing “Reggae Lullaby.” Even parents will be lulled by the refrains of “Oooh Baby,Don’t Cry / Rest now and wipe your weeping eye.” Asheba will tour US, Canadian and Caribbean retailers and festivals as a Putumayo Kids representative during the spring and summer of 2006. “Reggae had a huge influence on my childhood days and shaped my musical career,” Asheba says.“To me, reggae is a comfort food.”

Reggae Playground is the sixth release in the award-winning Playground series from Putumayo Kids. A division of Putumayo World Music, Putumayo Kids is committed to introducing children to other cultures through fun, upbeat international music. Since the 1999 release of World Playground, Putumayo Kids has become one of the premiere children’s music labels in the world. Aside from the Playground CDs, Putumayo Kids offers multicultural activity kits used in thousands of elementary school classrooms.

To support the children of Jamaica, Putumayo World Music will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Reggae Playground to the Jamaica Basic Schools Foundation, which helps fund early education for Jamaican children ages 3 to 6.