I'm So Glad

PreS-Gr 3—World music is a strong influence on Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band's fourth recording. Lead singer Alex Mitnick (music) and collaborator Alan Bell (lyrics) teamed up to compose ten original songs with easy-to-learn tunes and words, performed excellently by the band. A driving drumbeat opens the title track, "I'm So Glad" (a celebration of life that incorporates the Yoruba folk song "Fum-wah Alafia Ashe Ashe"), slides right into the reggae-infused "The Tongue Song" (a call-and-response number about tongues), jumps into punchy zydeco "Crocodile" (describing how a crocodile eats), eases into "Water Lily" (a lovely ballad that includes the Tibetan mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum"), and bounces into the technopop "Kangaroo!" Other standouts include "Dino Dig" (a digging expedition, with a mysterious Middle Eastern feeling), the Latino-influenced "Music" (a tune about how music makes me happy), and the closer, "Together" (a song to build community). A perfect choice to get everyone up singing, dancing, and clapping.—Stephanie Bange, Wright State University, Dayton, OH