OUR SONGS FROM EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA

ABANG BECA

COUNTRY: Malaysia

“Abang Beca” takes us on a ride around the Malaysian port city of Malacca on a pedicab. (More.)

ACHIM BARAM

COUNTRY: South Korea

“Achim Baram” is a Korean children's handplay, very much like Rock/Paper/Scissors. (More.)

ARIRANG

COUNTRY: South Korea

“Arirang,” the most beloved Korean folk song, has inspired thousands of versions. In ours, we find hope wherever we go. (More.)

ASHIBINAA

COUNTRY: Japan

"Ashibinaa” is a song from Okinawa that we sing to celebrate the ancestor-celebrating Obon. (More.)

BURUNG KAKATUA

COUNTRY: Indonesia

“Burung Kakatua” is a song about a playful cockatoo and a tooth-deprived grandma. We sing the chorus in both Indonesian and Malay. (More.)

GILI GIO

COUNTRY: Indonesia

“Gili Gio” is a song from Indonesia that children sing to express gratitude for life's goodness – “thankful for the harvest, thankful for the sky . . . .” (More.)

HAI HOA

COUNTRY: Vietnam

“Hai Hoa” is a Vietnamese folk song that gives us the chance to celebrate the flower harvest. (More.)

I’M SHY

COUNTRY: Malaysia

“I'm Shy” is a song inspired by the vivid dreams of the Temiar people of the eastern Malaysian region of Borneo. (More.)

KAPPA BOOGIE WOOGIE

COUNTRY: Japan

“Kappa Boogie Woogie” is a post World War II Japanese dancehall song, a “boogie woogie” of the kind that came with American soldiers to the islands. (More.)

LET’S WRITE A SONG

COUNTRY: Laos

“Let's Write a Song” is a Laotian melody that inspires us to invent our own improvizational songs in the local style of Mor Lam. (More.)

LIFE IS LIKE A GARDEN

COUNTRY: Indonesia (by way of India)

“Life is Like a Garden” is an Indonesian “Dandgut” hit inspired, as are many dangdut songs, by a Bollywood classic. (More.)

MY DEAR MAMA

COUNTRY: China

“My Dear Mama” is a simple song in Mandarin that gives our kids the chance to tell us how much they appreciate us...right? (More.)

POONG PAANG

COUNTRY: Thailand

“Poong Paang” is a guessing game from Thailand in which we simulate swarms of elusive fish. (More.)

SARIKA KEO

COUNTRY: Cambodia

“Sarika Keo” is a classic Cambodian song about a playful, dancing mynah bird. (More.)

SITSIRITSIT

COUNTRY: The Philippines

“Sitsiritsit” is a well-known folk song from the Philippines about a beautiful butterfly. (More.)

SOLERAM

COUNTRY: Indonesia

“Soleram,” a lullaby from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, gives questionable parenting advice – “if you kiss your child on the cheek my dear your child may never go to sleep.” (More.)

SWEETEST DARLING

COUNTRY: The Philippines

“Sweetest Darling” is a Filipino Independence-era “kundiman” that on the surface seems to be a song about love. (More.)

THE TEA PLANTATION

COUNTRY: China

“The Tea Plantation” paints a vivid picture of a glorious springtime day spent picking tea in China. (More.)

TI OH OH

COUNTRY: China/Taiwan

“Ti Oh Oh” is a Chinese and Taiwanese classic about a jovial grandpa and a slippery fish. (More.)