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Ella Jenkins, first lady of children's music, still going strong
At 86, the vibrant Ella Jenkins has a new CD
Dawn Turner Trice
When you watch a performance by Ella Jenkins, known as the "First Lady of Children's Music," you might think that it's her little fans who make the 86-year-old woman with the silver Afro and affable smile young again.
But then you see her singing, swaying and playing her instruments — a slew of harmonicas, a baritone ukulele, maracas, cowbells, bongos and a Latin percussion instrument called a "guiro" — and you realize that it's really the other way around.
She's the one who's reminding these children, or reaffirming in them, how precious it is to be a child.
"Children today are into video games and have much more complicated lifestyles," Jenkins told me when I visited with her last week. "But who doesn't enjoy joining in with a good song?"
For nearly six decades, Jenkins has entertained children from all walks of life. In fact, some fans who once enjoyed her when they were little are now grandparents. And yet, she's still relevant. She's still relatable. She's still engaging her audiences with her call-and-response style, offering stories through songs.
More at the link...
At 86, the vibrant Ella Jenkins has a new CD
Dawn Turner Trice
When you watch a performance by Ella Jenkins, known as the "First Lady of Children's Music," you might think that it's her little fans who make the 86-year-old woman with the silver Afro and affable smile young again.
But then you see her singing, swaying and playing her instruments — a slew of harmonicas, a baritone ukulele, maracas, cowbells, bongos and a Latin percussion instrument called a "guiro" — and you realize that it's really the other way around.
She's the one who's reminding these children, or reaffirming in them, how precious it is to be a child.
"Children today are into video games and have much more complicated lifestyles," Jenkins told me when I visited with her last week. "But who doesn't enjoy joining in with a good song?"
For nearly six decades, Jenkins has entertained children from all walks of life. In fact, some fans who once enjoyed her when they were little are now grandparents. And yet, she's still relevant. She's still relatable. She's still engaging her audiences with her call-and-response style, offering stories through songs.
More at the link...
