African Alphabet

Written by	Joe Raposo
Date	1987
Publisher	Jonico Music, Inc.
EKA	Episode 2404

Sesame Street African Alphabet

Kermit and the Anything Muppets sing "African Alphabet."

Live-action version with Paul Simon.

"African Alphabet" is a Sesame Street song initially performed by Paul Simon and the South African a cappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo in Season 18. (EKA: Episode 2480)

The following season, the song was remade with Kermit the Frog and a group of Anything Muppets (voiced by Ladysmith Black Mambazo), made up of five different patterns: Fat Blue, Lavender, Pumpkin, Purple, and Reddish Magenta. The creatures of the savanna, including numerous frogs and birds, sing along as well. This version adds an extra verse by Kermit, who recites a short story in which each word begins with a consecutive letter of the alphabet as they are sung.

A worm parody of the group, "Wormsmith Black Mambazo," sang the song in a 1996 episode.

Notes

• The Paul Simon version was taped on May 4, 1987 and was directed by Jon Stone.

Releases

Audio

• Jim Henson: A Sesame Street Celebration (1991)
• Sesame Street Celebrates! (1994)
• Sesame Street Best (1997)
• Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music (2003)
• Lyrical Letters (2014)

Video

• Shalom Sesame: Passover (1990)
• The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street (1998)
• The World According to Sesame Street (2006, excerpt)
• 40 Years of Sunny Days (2009)
• ABCs with Elmo (2010)

Special

• Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music (1990, with added narration by Jon Stone)
• The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990, clip)
• The Street We Live On (2004, brief clip during timeline sequence only)

Online

• Sesamestreet.org Kermit's version: (sesamestreet.org)
• SesameStreet's YouTube Channel Kermit's version: (YouTube) Wormsmith version: (YouTube)

See also

• Kermit's Sesame Street Songs