Redesigned Website is Up!

It's taken a little while to get it all up but the new and improved Abbasubi website is alive! We decided it was time to make our website a little bit more complete and easy to use.

Here's what's new and different!
- It's prettier. Lots of pretty colors.
- There's video on the home page! You can see us dancing around without having to wait even one second.
- There's a whole new Fun Stuff section with coloring sheets and drawing sheets. We'll add more fun stuff as we find it!
- There's a nice news section on the home page to see the latest that's going on.
- There's a Press section with reviews of the CD and testimonials from people that have seen us. If you'd like to add your comments to the page, please email me at charles@abbasubi.com

Hope you like what you see. Please email me with comments!

Cold but Fun at the Cortelyou Tot Lot

Okay so when we got to the Tot Lot, it was definitely cold. Every time the wind blew, there was an audible groan from the adults. The kids seemed pretty focused on waiting for Santa. In fact, we were basically the warm-up act for Santa and the kids between pretty much every song asked when Santa would arrive.

But as usual, the kids were wonderful in spite of the weather. They danced with us, wore the special Santa hats we gave out for El Baile del Sombrero, and even sang along with our special holiday songs we prepared for the show. We ended with a rousing version of Feliz Navidad just as Santa came in and started giving out presents.

We did most of the show holding Chloe and Kylen, and I think that may prove to be the main advantage of these new headset mics we have. We can now do the show holding our children in our arms. It was really fun to be a part of such a nice holiday tradition right in our backyard.

El Baile del Sombrero Review and Giveaway at Wanna Jugar with Migo?

We got a really nice write up on El Baile del Sombrero at a great blog called Wanna Jugar with Migo. It's written by Tati and Ginny who have great information and suggestions about teaching Spanish to kids. If you're interested in having your children speak Spanish, it's a blog you should definitely subscribe to.

It's always nice to get positive feedback on our music but Tati's description of the CD and Abbasubi is so spot-on that it feel like she and her family really understand why we made the CD and what we're all about. She really GETS us, man!

Here's a link to the review. If you want to get in the giveaway and get a copy of the CD, post on the blog! And sign up for Wanna Jugar with Migo on the blog and Facebook!

Write up of El Baile at Bilingual Fun

We got a nice little write-up on El Baile del Sombrero on the blog of a company called Bilingual Fun that teaches Spanish to children using their own DVDs based in Michigan. Jennifer Manriquez started the business with her husband (sounds familiar...) and there's a great little piece on her being interviewed on ABC news on their website.

Here's a link to the review!

Show at Colegio del Prado

When we lived in Argentina for five months, Chloe had her first school experience at a school called Colegio del Prado. The director and teachers were so welcoming to Chloe that she finally had to admit that she liked going to school. The school inspired Fati to write Mama Me Lleva a la Escuela and we decided to name the girl in Al Zoologico, Pau after Chloe first teacher at Colegio del Prado.

Although we were only going to visit Argentina for three weeks, we sent both kids this time to Colegio del Prado. The staff was so wonderful and accomodating and Chloe and Kylen rather miraculously, adapted really well to the school. "What? We're going to another country, where they speak a different language, and I'm going to go to school with kids I've never seen before for two week? Okay no problem." I think it's really a testament to how much Fati has worked to make sure the kids feel comfortable communicating in Spanish and how much they feel at home in Argentina.


In any case, with all this history, we had to do a show at the school and they had a family day while we were there which was the perfect opportunity to share our music with them.

Getting out the hats for the Baile

We had kids dancing on the jungle gym which was very cool

We got a bunch of kids dancing but best of all, our former next door neighbors came with their son and were all jumping up and down with us during Soy Muy Independiente. Seeing Seba, Gise, and Juampi pogoing with us yelling "Solo! Solo!" is a memory I'll always treasure.

New Videos on You Tube from Negrito Manuel Show

We decided to hire the same people that videotaped our wedding in Argentina to videotape our first show in Argentina. They did a great job editing and fixing up the sound a bit and we put a bunch of them up on You Tube. Here's a link if you want to check them out!
youtube.com/abbasubi

Fati & Charles are now International!

We played our first show outside the country at Jardin Negrito Manuel in Lujan, Argentina (where Fati is from). We were part of a wonderful night of performances on a night that was a benefit for the school. There was a table of postres, cakes, and cookies, choripan and panchos on the parilla, all made by parents of the school.


We were welcomed very warmly and the kids at the school even made a welcome banner for us! The parents, teachers and director of the school were all incredibly generous made us feel at home. The kids seemed to really enjoy the show despite some audio problems and we were happy to have participated in supporting the school.

Fati had to do all the talking at the show!

Chloe actually joined us for El Baile del Sombrero

I've now fallen asleep on two continents

One of the best parts of the evening was that a bunch of Fati's friends and family came to the show with their kids who knew all the songs already. They and some of their parents were singing and dancing along with us. One parent actually approached me after the show to express her extreme displeasure that we had not performed Manta which was her family's favorite song!

Cousin Dolores, Kylen, Charles, Fati, and Chloe for the Chau Song!

I think my favorite part of the evening was when the show finished at around 11, everyone pitched in to clean up and put away the chairs. Everyone at the school and the parents had that feeling of community and being accepted into that community without even a second thought was really special.