May 29th and June 5th JUNIOR JUNOS Presented by Toronto Public Library.
Junior JUNOS was presented by Toronto Public Library and was held on Saturday morning of May 29th for its virtual event at 11:00 AM ET with Njacko Backo who is a musician, poet, writer, composer, performer, and choreographer from Cameroon. He was born in 1958 and raised in a very musical family. He spent most of his childhood in a village called Bazou in western Cameroon where he was introduced to music. “This is my first Juno nomination, the first time that I have recorded music that I’ve written for children, and the first time that I’ve worked with a Producer in the studio (the incredible Ken Whiteley)” says Njacko. “For more than 30 years, I have worked for children in schools, camps, libraries, and after-school programs. I can tell you that children make the best bosses. Nothing has ever brought me as much joy as working for them. I believe that every child on this planet of ours is 100% an angel. Working with them all these years has helped me understand that life is so beautiful and full of joy. Children don’t know how to lie, if they don’t like something they tell you straight. With kids, music is like a river that flows. When you know how to bring it to them, joy has no end,” shared Njacko. “Musically this album marks a new phase for my musical career. Earlier in my life, I put myself inside my music, but not 100% because the first priority in my life was to raise my three older kids. Now, with only my fourth kid (Nkoni) at home to raise, I can dedicate myself to writing and practicing, and playing music. Caring for Nkoni gave me much of the inspiration for this album. After his mom went back to work, Nkoni and I had a lot of time in the studio to play music together. Every time I take him to the skate park, I bring my Kalimba or my Ngoni to practice for the love of all the children in the park. I give thanks to God for the courage and the love to finally set me down with true dedication to my art. I also thank the musicians for their patience, following me through this journey that sometimes I don’t even know how to start or how to finish. But together we always come through. All these years playing music and doing recordings, that was my own school. I didn’t have the opportunity to study music in school, but I was blessed to grow and to be raised deep in the tradition that music is life. I’m humbled today that the little boy from Bazou, with kalimba and drums, has been blessed by being nominated for Children’s Album of the Year for J’Aime Mon Ecole. I think that it is a beautiful door that is opening for me and my band Kalimbas At Work.” http://njackobacko.com |
Next, the tpl.ca program held another Junior JUNOS event on Saturday, June 5th at 11:00 AM ET this time featuring 6-time Juno nominees and one-time winners, Nick Adams (Splash) and Taes Leavitt (Boots) of Splash’N Boots who are bringing their nearly 20-year legacy of ubiquity in the children’s music landscape to new generations with a fresh set of songs, created with some of their favorite musicians, vocalists, and songwriters with their new single 2020 Heart Parade with Alice Cooper. They were hypnotic, good fun energy, can’t wait to see more of them in the not so far off distance.
https://splashnboots.com
As well, on the 5th was Ginalina, performed at 1 pm and she is who is a two-time Juno nominated singer-songwriter, international family musician, and distinguished children’s author. Her content was delivered from her albums leaving us in a positive frame of mind, thanks for bringing a presence in the sphere of music, kids’ and family content. https://www.ginalinamusic.com
