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.
Achim Baram
COUNTRY: South Korea
“Achim Baram” is a Korean children's handplay, very much like Rock/Paper/Scissors.
Arirang
COUNTRY: Korea
“Arirang,” the most beloved Korean folk song, has inspired thousands of versions. In ours, we find hope wherever we go.
Ashibinaa
COUNTRY: Japan
"Ashibinaa” is a song from Okinawa that we sing to celebrate the ancestor-celebrating Obon.
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.
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 . . . .”
Hai Hoa
COUNTRY: Hai Hoa
“Hai Hoa” is a Vietnamese folk song that gives us the chance to celebrate the flower harvest.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Poong Paang
COUNTRY: Thailand
“Poong Paang” is a guessing game from Thailand in which we simulate swarms of elusive fish.
Sarika Keo
COUNTRY: Cambodia
“Sarika Keo” is a classic Cambodian song about a playful, dancing mynah bird.
Sitsiritsit
COUNTRY: The Philippines
“Sitsiritsit” is a well-known folk song from the Philippines about a beautiful butterfly.
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.”
Sweetest Darling
COUNTRY: The Philippines
“Sweetest Darling” is a Filipino Independence-era “kundiman” that on the surface seems to be a song about love.
The Tea Plantation
COUNTRY: China
“The Tea Plantation” paints a vivid picture of a glorious springtime day spent picking tea in China.
Ti Oh Oh
COUNTRY: China/Taiwan
“Ti Oh Oh” is a Chinese and Taiwanese classic about a jovial grandpa and a slippery fish.