Choo Choo Soul
| Choo Choo Soul | |
|---|---|
|
Choo Choo Soul at the Kidaroo Music Festival in San Francisco, September 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Members | Genevieve Goings, Constantine "DC" Abramson |
Choo Choo Soul is a children's entertainment act composed of singer Genevieve Goings as a hip-hop train conductor and her partner, Constantine "DC" Abramson, a dancer and beat boxer dressed as a railroad engineer.
History and recordings
Choo Choo Soul began as a collaboration between video game developer Greg Johnson, recording engineer and sound designer Burke Trieschmann, and vocalist Genevieve Goings during dialogue recordings for ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth, the first Xbox installment of the ToeJam & Earl video game franchise.[1] Johnson created the concept and recorded melodies and accompaniment tracks onto his cellphone and e-mailed them to Treischmann to develop. Once in the studio, Goings provided vocals.[2]
The act debuted in 2004 as a 16-track CD Baby studio album that described itself as "kids' music that won't drive parents crazy." It is now out of print.
On October 31, 2006, Walt Disney Records released Choo Choo Soul, a 12-track album available through the iTunes Store and other online music outlets. It features most of the same songs as the 2004 release.
In 2007, "Choo-Choo Soul with Beautiful Genevieve!" was honored with a Parents' Choice Award for children's television.[3]
In May 2008, Disney released featured a two-disc set which consisted of the Choo Choo Soul album on CD, and a DVD featuring ten music videos.[4]
Disney Channel and Treehouse TV series
Beginning in May 2006, a series of Choo Choo Soul interstitial programs began airing in the United States during the Playhouse Disney programming block on the Disney Channel. The music video–style shorts feature Goings and D.C. performing Choo Choo Soul songs with a group of young children in a blend of live action and computer animation.
In July 2011, Choo Choo Soul filmed 8 new video shorts, re-making Disney "classic" songs in their urban style for the new network "Disney Junior." Genevieve also sings the network's theme song "I Wanna Go" along with 16 other short songs for the network.
On March 22, 2012, Treehouse, a Canadian channel and a series of Choo Choo Soul interstitial programs began airing in Canada during the weekday morning programs on Treehouse from 6am-6pm.
Live concerts
Choo Choo Soul tours regularly across the U.S. and Canada.
Choo-Choo Soul has performed live on several occasions in 2007, including September and October shows at the Disney-MGM Studios theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, a performance at the Boston Globe Children's Book Festival in Boston, Massachusetts on September 15 and several shows in June 2009 at Sesame Place located near Philadelphia, PA. They have performed at Sea World Orlando in 2012 and 2013 at the "Just for Kids" Event in January.
Choo-Choo Soul has been touring the U.S. and Canada from 2007, and was the opening act for the Imagination Movers during their Big Warehouse Tour in 2011. They toured 56 cities.[5]
Choo-Choo Soul also performed at the 2011 California State Fair in Sacramento.[6]
Choo Choo Soul read two stories at the 2016 White House Easter Egg Roll.
References
- ↑ "Sega ToeJam & Earl III User Manual Page 40". manualslib.com. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑
- ↑ "Choo Choo Soul". Parents-choice.org. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
- ↑ "Choo Choo Soul [CD+DVD]". Amazon. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Choo Choo Soul to Join the Movers!". Imagination Movers. January 13, 2011. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
- ↑ Meyer, Carla (May 4, 2011). "Things to do in Sacramento and Beyond: Reserve tickets available for state fair concerts". Blogs.sacbee.com. Retrieved 2013-01-08.