Children's entertainers Bobs and Lolo are touring western Canada with their latest album, Blue Skies.
PREVIEW
Bobs & Lolo
Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m.
Morinville Community Cultural Centre
9502 - 100 Ave.
Tickets: $12 to $15, family four-pack $40. Call 780-939-7839
Sunday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m.
Arden Theatre
5 St. Anne Street
Tickets: $12 to $15. Call 780-459-1542
Popular children's entertainers Bobs & Lola are back touring their latest release –
Blue Skies.
Known nationally for their show on Treehouse TV, they are appearing at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre on Saturday, Nov. 4 and the Arden Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 5.
Not that Lorraine Pond (Lolo) and Robyn Hardy's (Bobs) happy songs and upbeat hooks are downers. Quite the contrary. The four-time Juno nominated singer-songwriters have made it their mission to educate children in a light-hearted, whimsical way.
Blue Skies is the pair's seventh album. As Lorraine Pond states, "It's probably our most personal album to date. Between the two of us, we have five kids under the age of six. They're all in the age demographic we sing to."
The West Coast duo's previous albums dealt with respecting the natural world. In addition to expressing a passion for nature, this 14-track also encompasses songs about love, children and family, one that was inspired by world events.
"This last year has been a real roller coaster ride in the media – the Las Vegas tragedies, the stuff with refugees and the crazy politics going on around the world. We wanted an album to celebrate positivity, hope and blue skies."
Everyday family nuggets became catalysts for new songs. When Pond's daughter started Grade 1, the singer-songwriter penned
Sunshine, a lyrical piece describing how children are a parent's inspiration.
In
We Love You, Hardy celebrates the togetherness of family adventures reminding children that when times are tough, Mom and Dad will hold their hand.
Ran to the Park instead has a super, high-energy upbeat groove that sheds the blues.
The British Columbia based twosome grew up in Nanaimo and met at a Girl Guide camp.
"Our mothers were both leaders and we immediately connected around the campfire," laughs Pond.
They both attended Dover Bay Secondary School, sang in the same choir, took lessons from the same piano teacher and created an a cappella quartet.
Their friendship adapted to a temporary split when Hardy studied linguistics at the University of Victoria while Pond took kinesiology and sport medicine at the University of British Columbia.
Pond went on to teach children's workshops at the Vancouver Aquarium and Hardy used music in a teaching role. Invited to throw a few songs together for a benefit concert, the novice singers were slightly stunned when parents asked for their CD.
"That sparked everything. It grew organically. We were young. We had no children, no mortgage and we were able to do it. Within a year we put out our first album."
After the release of their second album,
Sea Notes, they received a gig performing on B.C. ferries.
"That gave us a lot of experience and we started building a network."
While the accolades have been a wonderful pat on the back, it's the music and message that matter most.
"We're excited to come back. We played at the Arden in 2015 and had a super time. And we're excited to visit the Morinville Cultural Centre and have families dance and play with us."
