Changes: African Alphabet

Written by	Joe Raposo
Date	1987
Publisher	Jonico Music, Inc.
First	Episode 2360

Revision as of 13:21, 1 April 2021

Sesame_Street_African_Alphabet — Sesame Street African Alphabet

Kermit and the Anything Muppets sing "African Alphabet."

PaulSimonLBM — Live-action version with Paul Simon.

"African Alphabet" is a Sesame Street song performed in two different season 19 inserts, both involving the South African a cappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

One version was performed by 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. Kermit recites a short story in which each word begins with a consecutive letter of the alphabet as they are sung.

At the end of the song, the chief asks Kermit, "Iphi imali?" This is Zulu for "Where is the money?"

Another version of the song was performed by Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a cappella style. This version omits the story verse. (First: Episode 2431)

A worm parody of the group, "Wormsmith Black Mambazo," later sang the song in Episode 3448.

Notes

Performers for the Muppet version include Patricia Hodelin, Richard Hunt, Richard Termine, Bryant Young, Caroly Wilcox, Pam Arciero, Kevin Clash, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, Jerry Nelson, and Pat Hudson.^[1]

The Paul Simon version was taped on May 4, 1987 and was directed by Jon Stone. The Muppet version was also directed by Stone and was taped on December 18, 1987.^[1]

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)
ABCs and 123s (2012)
Lyrical Letters (2014)

Video

Shalom Sesame: Passover (1990)
The Hebrew aleph-bet is dubbed over the alphabet portion from A-W, and X-Z is replaced with "זה האלף-בית" which means "This is the alphabet."
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)
50 Years and Counting (2019)

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)

Sources

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Documents provided by trusted source

[trusted-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Documents provided by trusted source

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{song|image=Ladysmithblackmambazo.jpg|writer=[[Joe Raposo]]|composer=|lyricist=|date=[[1987]]|source=|publisher=Jonico Music, Inc.|eka=[[Episode 2404]]}}
+{{song|image=Ladysmithblackmambazo.jpg|writer=[[Joe Raposo]]|composer=|lyricist=|date=[[1987]]|source=|publisher=Jonico Music, Inc.|first=[[Episode 2360]]}}
 [[File:Sesame Street African Alphabet|thumb|300px|right|Kermit and the Anything Muppets sing "African Alphabet."]]
 [[Image:PaulSimonLBM.ABC.jpg|thumb|300px|Live-action version with Paul Simon.]]
-"'''African Alphabet'''" is a ''[[Sesame Street]]'' song performed by [[Kermit the Frog]] and a group of [[Anything Muppets]], made up of five different patterns: [[Fat Blue]], [[Lavender]], [[Pumpkin]], [[Purple]], and [[Little Anything Muppets|Reddish Magenta]]. The creatures of the savanna, including numerous [[frogs]] and [[birds]], sing along as well. The sum of all their voices together is supplied by <span style="font-weight:normal;font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">the South African a cappella group </span>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Ladysmith_Black_Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo]<span style="font-weight:normal;font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">.</span>
+"'''African Alphabet'''" is a ''[[Sesame Street]]'' song performed in two different [[Season 19 (1987-1988)|season 19]] inserts, both involving the South African a cappella group [[Ladysmith Black Mambazo]].
-Rather than simply recounting the letters of the [[alphabet]], the song tells a short story in which each word begins with a consecutive letter of the alphabet.
+One version was performed by [[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 [[Little Anything Muppets|Reddish Magenta]]. The creatures of the savanna, including numerous [[frogs]] and [[birds]], sing along as well. Kermit recites a short story in which each word begins with a consecutive letter of the alphabet as they are sung.
+At the end of the song, the chief asks Kermit, "Iphi imali?" This is Zulu for "Where is the money?"
-Ladysmith Black Mambazo also performed the song <span style="font-weight:normal;">s themselves on-screen, </span>with special guest [[Paul Simon]]. Only this time, the story lyric is cut completely.{{eka|2480}}
+Another version of the song was performed by [[Paul Simon]] and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a cappella style. This version omits the story verse. {{first|2431}}
-A worm parody of the group, "Wormsmith Black Mambazo," sang the song in [[episode 3448|a 1996 episode]].
+A worm parody of the group, "Wormsmith Black Mambazo," later sang the song in [[Episode 3448]].
 ==Notes==
+*Performers for the Muppet version include Patricia Hodelin, [[Richard Hunt]], [[Richard Termine]], [[Bryant Young]], [[Caroly Wilcox]], [[Pam Arciero]], [[Kevin Clash]], [[Martin P. Robinson]], [[David Rudman]], [[Jerry Nelson]], and Pat Hudson.<ref name=trusted>Documents provided by [[Thread:253692|trusted source]]</ref>
-*The Paul Simon version was taped on May 4, 1987 and was directed by [[Jon Stone]].
+*The Paul Simon version was taped on May 4, 1987 and was directed by [[Jon Stone]]. The Muppet version was also directed by Stone and was taped on December 18, 1987.<ref name=trusted />
 ==Releases==
@@ Line 20: / Line 24: @@
 *''[[Sesame Street Best]]'' (1997)
 *''[[Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music]]'' (2003)
+*''[[ABCs and 123s]]'' (2012)
 *''[[Lyrical Letters]]'' (2014)
 ;Video
-*''[[Shalom Sesame]]'': [[Show 10: Passover|Passover]] (1990)
+*''[[Shalom Sesame]]'': [[Show 10: Passover|Passover]] (1990)<br>''The Hebrew aleph-bet is dubbed over the alphabet portion from A-W, and X-Z is replaced with "זה האלף-בית" which means "This is the alphabet."''
 *''[[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)
+*''[[ABCs with Elmo (video)|ABCs with Elmo]]'' (2010)
+*''[[50 Years and Counting]]'' (2019)
 ;Special
 *''[[Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music]]'' (1990, with added narration by [[Jon Stone]])
@@ Line 36: / Line 42: @@
 ==See also==
-*[[Kermit's Sesame Street Songs]]
+*[[Kermit's Sesame Street songs]]
+==Sources==
+<references />
+__NOTOC__
+__NOWYSIWYG__
 [[Category:Sesame Street Songs]]
 [[Category:Alphabet]]


Written by	Joe Raposo
Date	1987
Publisher	Jonico Music, Inc.
First	Episode 2360