Teach Kids About Africa -- Let's Sing "Awa Yombei" -- All Around This World

“Teach Kids About Africa – Let's Sing 'Awa Yombei'” is a world music lesson about Africa for kids that uses a simple sing-along to introduce them to West African melodies and culture. “Awa Yombei” is a rather nonsensical yet catchy children’s song from The Gambia in West Africa in which the kids clap, sing and mimic each other while dancing. “Awa Yombei” is the name of girl who, in the course of the song, we follow in her marching, jumping and flying around. The original song is in Mandinka, though we also sing in English.

All Around This World is an only-of-its-kind global music and world cultures program that introduces kids (0-9) and their grown-ups to the world using enlivening international rhythms and movement. Visit the All Around This World website to learn about our extenstive interactive curriculum that consists of over 300 participatory songs and cultural experiences that originate from over 100 countries and our "musical pen pal" program that can connect your classroom with kids on another continent. Like what you see? Subscribe to our "All Access Pass" and you can access all of the lessons, all the time. You can also become an All Around This World teacher! Learn about our teacher trainings here.

Lesson includes:

-- Interactive PDF with background information introducing the Gambia and a link to All Around This World's “Teach Kids 'Awa Yombei'” teacher training video.

** Our "how-to" videos are on Vimeo.com. Please make sure you can access Vimeo videos before you buy the lesson. **

-- Lyrics and melody lead sheet with notation

-- Access to password-protected “Bouncing Ball Sing-Along” video so you and your students can learn the song

-- Printable page about song for kids to take home (both color and back and white)

All Around This World lessons are a small part of Jay Sand's independently crafted, mission-driven educational project that includes:

-- Teaching videos in collaboration with culture-bearers worldwide.

-- Opportunities for livecasts, interactive online workshops and even in-person concerts/classes with founder and lead teacher Jay Sand

-- Award-winning multilingual CDs -- All Around This World: Latin America, All Around This World: Africa, and All Around This World: South and Central Asia.

-- Amazingly great, playfully illustrated, "Musical Maps" that introduce kids to hundreds of global instruments

...and oh, so much more.