The Official Blog of Bobs and Lolo

We are thrilled to announce that Action Packed, our most recent album release has received a 2010 Juno nomination!

Following on the heels of a 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award - essentially the Grammy’s of the kids’ music world – and a 2009 Western Canadian Music Award, we are overwhelmed and absolutely thrilled with the ongoing national and international attention for our third album. Warm thanks and huge cyber hugs to all of our fans, friends and family for the ongoing support of our musical adventures! This latest accolade is truly a mega highlight!

Action Packed features 12 original songs such as The Right Track, Snappy Snacks and Friends. The album is geared at connecting children to behaviours that positively impact the world around them. Using kid-friendly analogies like trains, superheroes, adventure stories and more the songs address themes such as literacy, health, teamwork and friendship.

The album was produced, arranged & recorded by Mario Vaira at Five Fathom Studios, with drums recorded by Ryan Stewart at WineCellar Music Studios and the tracks mastered at Suite Sound Labs - all of whom are located in Vancouver, BC.

For a full listing of 2010 Juno nominees, please click here.

The Juno Awards weekend will be hosted in St. John’s, NL on April 16-18. We’ve decided to fly across the country with our other halves (Mario and Kavie) to fully embrace what is sure to be a memorable and fabulous celebration of Canadian music. This might even give us an opportunity to finally do a show or two on the east coast!?

If any local BC families would like to celebrate with us this weekend, please join us in Burnaby on Saturday, March 6 for a special free family performance. Full details can be found on our events calendar.
 
Woohoo!!

Bobs & Lolo

We are excited to be taking our show home for the holidays with a special family concert in our childhood town of Nanaimo, BC. We’ll be hitting the stage at our high-school alma mater, Dover Bay Secondary this Saturday, December 12th at 2pm.

Having performed more than 300 live shows across Canada this past year alone, we’re looking forward to returning home for this event. The festivities are a perfect way to wrap up a crazy year and celebrate all of the wonderful musical adventures we’ve shared to date. With our newest album having received a 2009 Parent’s Choice Gold and a Western Canadian Music Award plus the whole Treehouse TV thing, getting an opportunity to celebrate with fans in our hometown will be amazing! Plus, we’ll be sharing the stage with our full band and both backing musicians are previous ‘islanders’ too. Mario Vaira will be on guitar and Mark Harvey on bass…the kiddie mosh will surely be rockin’!

We first met at a Girl Guide camp in the late 1980’s and following a fun-filled weekend of campfires, sing-a-longs and outdoor fun, a life-long friendship was sealed. We were both thrilled to end up at the same highschool (Dover Bay) a few years later - Bobs & Lolo were actually our highschool nicknames! We soon started performing together through numerous choir concerts and piano recitals, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Retro Bobs & Lolo (~16 yrs old) - not much has changed!

We hope to see some of you at the event this weekend, and regardless, we’ll be sure to post some pics on our Facebook Group next week. Happy holidays!

Bobs & Lolo

Event info:

Bobs & Lolo are performing at Dover Bay Secondary on December 12th at 2pm. Tickets $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Children under one year FREE. Advance purchases recommended. Tickets are available at Kool & Child and Kiyo Salon in Nanaimo. For more info, please call 250-758-9727.

Doors open at 1:30pm. Be sure to arrive a few minutes early to enjoy the complimentary arts and craft stations. Kids will also be able to check out a fire truck with a special visit from the Nanaimo Fire Department (1:30-2pm).

Action Packed, the latest album from critically-acclaimed BC duo, Bobs & Lolo, has received a 2009 Western Canadian Music Award for Children’s Recording of the Year. Following on the heels of a 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award - essentially the Grammy’s of the kids’ music world – Robyn Hardy (Bobs) and Lorraine Pond (Lolo) continue to garner national and international attention for their third album’s refreshing lyrics, rich harmonies and original, ‘get on your feet’ tunes for preschoolers.

Action Packed features 12 original songs such as The Right Track, Snappy Snacks and Friends. The album is geared towards connecting children to behaviours that positively impact the world around them. Using kid-friendly analogies like trains, superheroes, adventure stories and more the songs address themes such as literacy, health and fitness, teamwork and friendship.

To listen to sample songs from the award-winning album, please visit www.bobsandlolo.com/music.html.

Bobs & Lolo use music, movement and make-believe to share stories and experiences that inspire kids to care about themselves, their neighbours and the planet. Already a hit with children, parents and educators alike, this award only reinforces the fact that Bobs & Lolo are hitting all the right notes on their musical adventures!

What do Bobs & Lolo have to say about all the excitement?

“Wow! Thank you! We were sorry that we couldn’t be there to accept the award in person in Brandon, Manitoba last night, but we are so honoured to be recognized in this year’s category for Children’s Recording of the Year. We want to first thank all of our friends, family and fans for their support and encouragement on our many musical adventures, and we also want to give special recognition to our producer, Mario Vaira for always believing in us and for fully investing his talent into making Action Packed an album that we are all proud of and excited to share with children everywhere. And finally, we want to thank our good friend, and fellow nominee, Will Stroet. His album, “My Backyard” also deserves top recognition. He accepted the award on our behalf at Sunday’s ceremony, a true indication of the warm and supportive nature of the children’s music world. Thanks again everyone! Woooohoooo!”

Action Packed was Produced, Arranged & Recorded by Mario Vaira at Five Fathom Studios, with drums recorded at WineCellar Music Studios by Ryan Stewart, and mastered at Suite Sound Labs, all of whom are located in Vancouver, BC.

See the Live Show:
Bobs & Lolo next perform at the Early Literacy Fair in Port Hardy (Sept 26), the Vancouver Island Baby Fair in Victoria (Sept 27), the Baby & Toddler Fair in Langley (Oct 3), the Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby (Oct 3) and at the Evergreen Cultural Centre in Coquitlam (Oct 4). Full calendar listings and event details are at http://bobsandlolo.com/blog/the-big-calendar/

Action Packed has received a 2009 nomination for Best Children’s Recording of the Year from the Western Canadian Music Alliance! Following on the heels of a 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award - essentially the Grammy’s of the kids’ music world – Bobs & Lolo continue to garner national and international attention for their 3rd album’s refreshing lyrics, rich harmonies and original, ‘get on your feet’ tunes for preschoolers.

Action Packed features 12 original songs such as The Right Track, Snappy Snacks and Friends. The album is geared towards connecting children to behaviours that positively impact the world around them. Using kid-friendly analogies like trains, superheroes, adventure stories and more the songs address themes such as literacy, health and fitness, teamwork and friendship. Already a hit with children, parents and educators alike, the recent WCMA nomination only reinforces the growing success of Bobs & Lolo’s latest project!

The Western Canadian Music Awards honour the best of Western Canadian recordings. This year’s awards ceremony will take place in Brandon, Manitoba on September 20th, 2009.

To listen to sample songs from the award-winning album, Action Packed, please visit www.bobsandlolo.com/music.

Bobs & Lolo use music, movement and make-believe to share stories and experiences that both entertain and educate, while ultimately teaching children to care about themselves, their neighbours and the planet. Their programming places an emphasis on celebrating the values of healthy-living and aims to inspire young audiences with an awareness and appreciation for the world around them. Watch for regular appearances by Bobs & Lolo on the national children’s television network, Treehouse TV!

“Watch out Penner, Diamond and Raffi. Speaking of Penner, the duo opened for the legendary Canadian children’s entertainer this [past] summer.” -  Fiona Hughes, The Vancouver Courier

Vancouver-based children’s entertainers, Bobs & Lolo, take their award-winning music on the road for a run of 35 shows at one of Canada’s largest outdoor events!

Bobs & Lolo will hit the stage daily at this year’s world-renowned Calgary Stampede. With a well-established fan base in their home province of BC and growing national adoration, Robyn Hardy (Bobs) and Lorraine Pond (Lolo) are looking forward to sharing their live programming with families in Alberta next month. Their extensive touring to date, plus regular spots on the national children’s network, Treehouse TV, is sure to have preschoolers, with parents in tow, lining up for a chance to see the live show.

What do the performers have to say?

Bobs: “We’re super excited to perform at the Calgary Stampede! We’ve had such a great year already with our recent Parents’ Choice Gold Award and the whole Treehouse thing…getting such a large contract with the Stampede really validates how far we’ve come in the last few years. It’s crazy to think that less than two years ago, we were still doing 3-4 birthday parties each weekend!”

Lolo: “Yeehaw! I can’t wait to unleash my inner cowgirl! We’re looking forward to all of the fun that goes along with sharing in a big event like this, although I think the main focus for Bobs and I will be staying healthy and rested so that we can survive performing 3+ shows per day for 10 days straight!”

Bobs & Lolo will be performing on the Buckaroos Stage at the Calgary Stampede from July 3 – 12 with shows daily at 2pm, 5pm & 7pm. Additional shows are scheduled for July 4, 5, 8, 11 & 12 at 11am. All Bobs & Lolo shows are FREE with general admission to Stampede Park.

To learn more about the Calgary Stampede, please visit www.calgarystampede.com.

Bobs & Lolo use music, movement and make-believe to share stories and experiences that both entertain and educate, while ultimately teaching children to care about themselves, their neighbours and the planet. Their programming places an emphasis on celebrating the values of healthy-living and aims to inspire young audiences with an awareness and appreciation for the world around them. Catch Bobs & Lolo live this summer (event calendar) or watch for their regular appearances on the national children’s television network, Treehouse TV.

For more information about Bobs & Lolo, please visit www.bobsandlolo.com.

Westcoast children’s entertainers garner further international recognition for their growing collection of award-winning recordings and performances with a pre-2010 GOLD!

Action Packed is the latest album from critically acclaimed children’s performers, Bobs & Lolo, to fall under the international spotlight. Bobs & Lolo are currently celebrating a 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award that follows closely on the heels of a 2008 Children’s Music Web Award and a 2009 Canadian Indie Award nomination for Favourite Children’s Artist. Momentum is definitely strong for this Vancouver-based duo!

The Parents’ Choice Awards program honours the best material for children. Less than 15% of the items submitted to the Parents’ Choice Awards program receive a commendation in one of the six award levels: Gold, Silver, Recommended, Approved, Fun Stuff and Classic.

Lynne Heffley, long-time Parents’ Choice music critic and staff writer for 25 years at the Los Angeles Times writes, “Bobs & Lolo, a.k.a. Robyn Hardy and Lorraine Pond, meet a challenge that sinks many would-be children’s artists: presenting frankly good-for-you messages without sounding preachy or patronizing. The duo’s smooth harmonies and frolicsome approach impart refreshing life to original songs…instead of sinking under their own worthy weight, these tuneful tracks float and shimmer like soap bubbles in the sun.” Read the full review here.

To listen to sample songs from the award-winning album, Action Packed, please click here.

Bobs & Lolo use music, movement and make-believe to share stories and experiences that both entertain and educate, while ultimately teaching children to care about themselves, their neighbours and the planet. Their programming places an emphasis on celebrating the values of healthy-living and aims to inspire young audiences with an awareness and appreciation for the world around them. Watch for regular appearances by Bobs & Lolo on the national children’s television network, Treehouse TV!

We are excited to announce the re-packaging of our debut album, Sea Notes (2004) in eco-friendly materials! With modernized CD Digipak aesthetics, the new look features low-plastic construction that scores high on the environmentally-friendly scale. Whoop whoop! The packaging is printed on recyclable Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified stock using vegetable-based inks and waterless printing technology, and the Digipak CD trays are 100% recyclable!

With our growing collection of CDs and expanding multi-media content for children, our goal is to create products that are not only mentally and emotionally healthy for kids, but also physically healthy for our planet. Your ongoing support allows us to continue exploring new initiatives like this great new GREEN look for our Sea Notes CD!

Check out the new look for Sea Notes at one of our upcoming shows or at a retail store near you!

xo
Bobs & Lolo

We are excited to share with you the beginning of a new chapter for Bobs & Lolo and are thrilled to announce that we will soon be featured on the national TV network completely devoted to preschoolers - Treehouse TV! Alongside our long-time media partner, Playground Media, we are excited to enter into this new relationship with Treehouse. Known for its strong balance of educational, values-rich and entertaining, parent-trusted programming, it really is an honour to be included in their line-up. The network will broadcast a rotation of the music videos currently featured on our award-winning DVD, On Your Feet with the debut broadcast scheduled for February 6th at 10am (PST). Watch the intro for our new TV segments at the end of this post!

Please help us spread the news by sharing this announcement to your circle of friends and family, particularly those with little ones around them. Additionally, we invite you to join us to celebrate the national launch of Bobs & Lolo at a family concert featuring our full band on Saturday, February 21st at the Roundhouse Community Centre. Further information about the concert is available in our events calendar.

For a number of years, Playground and our B&L team have been working tirelessly to move our programming beyond a regional level. To be achieving it now in partnership with a media icon like Treehouse TV definitely seems surreal. The opportunity to share our musical messaging with kids across the country is like a dream come true. We definitely credit all of our fans, friends and family with allowing us to stay true to our goals and dreams…thank you for all of the support!

Big hugs,

Bobs & Lolo

 

 Bobs & Lolo on Treehouse TV!: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Action Packed is available now!

Bobs & Lolo deliver action packed fun for families with the release of their highly-anticipated third album. Action Packed features 12 original songs such as The Right Track, Snappy Snacks and Friends which are geared at connecting children to behaviours that positively impact themselves, their friends and the world around them.

Special thanks to all of the guest musicians including Mario Vaira (guitars, bass, keyboards, banjo, harmonica and more), Charles Currie Creelman (piano), David Spidel (upright bass), Ryan Stewart (drums), Chad Taylor (trumpet), Jess Vaira (backing vocals) and Kavie Toor (train conductor).

Bobs & Lolo CDs and DVDs are sold at a number of Canadian and US stores and at all live shows. For a list of upcoming live performances, please click here. For a list of supporting retailers, please click here.