A hip and conscious pop musical soundtrack for kids.

*Note: I received a free link to the soundtrack after expressing my intent to write about it. That said, I say what I want—good or bad, happy or sad.

I wish this was around when my son was younger—for that matter, when I was a kid! Pacha’s Pajamas is both fun and powerful (I can’t get this theme song out of my head). It’s an explosion of hip hop green.

Full of hope and inspiration for the children of the world, this full-length musical soundtrack and story delivers an educational and social message about the power of creative expression, community engagement and dreaming big.

Side note: Some of the artwork was created by elephant journal’s own Joe Mohr!

It’s an urban fairy tale about an ordinary girl who, through her dreams, becomes a Superhero for nature. The musical is designed to engage youth, has a social conscience groove and features celeb rappers and actors and ten electrifying kid performers.

Pacha’s Pajamas presents unheard voices, songs and stories of nature, calling forth empathy for all beings and engaging young people in a conversation about the future. I am excited to share this story about Pacha, a little girl with big dreams, who calls on us all to live our dreams of a world that honors balance, unity and the beauty in all of Nature’s children.
~ Vandana Shiva, Environmental Leader, Adviser, International Forum on Globalization

The story follows a city girl on her adventures to change the world. Pacha is the only human invited to a gathering of the plants and animals of Mother Earth and she must figure out how to bring balance to the planet.

They build a stadium powered by electric eels to host fun-filled acts including an insect band called The Beetles, a black-eyed pea rapping for a better world and a beaver named “Just-in-Time.” At the end of the show, Pacha shares an important message for all of nature and humanity.

Told in fresh and compelling manner, the story is designed to fire up pre-teens and youth to go outside, experience the natural world, use their imagination and engage in their community for social good.

Each song includes a call to action, empowering kids to be “Superheroes for the Planet.” Get your green groove on (or whatever they say in rap-talk) with these sample songs:

More about the musical…

●  Profiles 10 young artists’ talent from all over the US and Canada
●  Multicultural—includes kids and adults from many ethnic origins
●  Intergenerational participation—spans four generations (from seven to 80 years old)
●  Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe nominated rapper/actor Yasiin Bey, aka, Mos Def is the narrator
●  Rapper and lyricist Talib Kweli wrote an original song for the album and voices Pebble
●  Legendary R&B vocalist Lester Chambers is Grandpa Bear
●  Veteran actor and children’s book author Cheech Marin is the voice of Mushroom
●  Om Shimura, aka, Lyrics Born is an acclaimed Japanese American singer and conscious rapper and is the voice of Whale
●  Popular public radio host Majora Carter is the voice of Tree
●  The world-famous Agape Youth Choir sings Wake Up Everybody
●  Will be available on a trans-media platform including books, music, games/apps (mobile and web), live theatrical show, concerts, social media, television, film and curricula.

Four story tracks with eight pop songs.

One of the singles, Nature Superhero, featuring Lil JaXe, Ariana Hernandez of Oakland, California and Milo McFly of Los Angeles, is about believing in yourself above all odds.

Wake Up Everybody, featuring living legend Lester Chambers and the Agape Youth Choir, urges the natural world to awaken.

Horses Don’t See Colors, sung by Little Lissy of Deltona, Florida, is a searing social commentary on racism.

In the story, Pacha started writing the song I Found My Music, which  speaks of how music can bring a new sense of balance and well being to our lives.

They also have an e-book available for download.

Follow @pachaspajamas on twitter and facebook.

Featured Youth:

Ta’Kaiya Blaney, an 11-year-old singer and actress who lives in Vancouver, is from the Sliammon First Nation of Canada and is the voice of Pacha. She has performed at large events around the world, most recently at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro. A recent winner of the Peter Benchley award for the oceans, Ta’Kaiya has emerged as a global environmental leader, sharing her dream for healthy ecosystems free of pollution.

Milo McFly aka Mile McAiley, a 13-year-old African American boy from Los Angeles who is very concerned about the dropout rate of African American and Latino boys.

Jack Zeldin, aka “Lil JaXe,”, is a 13-year-old Canadian rapper from Toronto, who stutters except when he raps. His issues are anti-bullying, be all that you can be, and overcoming obstacles.

Ariana Hernandez, a 13- year old Latina from Oakland. One of her main goals is to become successful so that she can spread awareness about issues that are close to her heart, such as homelessness, deforestation, lack of performing arts programs in schools, and social equality.

Pasha’s Pajamas was released by BALANCE Edutainment, a social enterprise that develops transformational entertainment properties. Combining interactive technologies, popular entertainment and audience engagement for pre-teens & families, BALANCE provides products & programs that support the healthy development of children, bringing together Real World experiences with Digital Edutainment.

For more information, visit pashaspajamas.com.

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