Father Goose Brings Nursery Rhymes and Caribbean Sound to MASS MoCA
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| Father Goose, AKA Wayne Rhoden, Photo Courtesy of MASS MoCA |
Fresh from recording his first solo album, It's A Bam Bam Diddly!, Father Goose is hitting the road and sharing his love for music and his exuberant personality with kids all over the country. Father Goose will stop at MASS MoCA on Saturday, June 7, at 11 AM for a performance sponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union.
Born in the Caribbean island of Jamaica, West Indies, as a child Father Goose was surrounded by music of practically every type. He began his career as a performer at the age of 5, he staged his first concert singing his favorite songs off the radio for family and friends, and shortly after took on the role of DJ for his parents' parties which allowed him to gain a greater understanding for all kinds of music, but also stay up past his bedtime.
By the 1990's Rhoden's nonstop work at honing his DJ skills, both for his parents and his schoolmates, paid off. Using the persona Rankin Don, he became an underground rapper and dancehall superstar in Jamaica and in Brooklyn. During his time as Rankin Don, Rhoden recorded two hit singles, Baddest DJ and Real McCoy, both of which sold more than 100,000 copies. He performed with some of reggae's top artists including Gregory Isaacs, Grammy nominees Beres Hammond and Freedis McGregor, and Grammy winners Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, and Beenie Man.
Rhoden credits his unexpected transition to children's music to his mother. She introduced him to Dan Zanes, whose child she was babysitting for. After meeting Zanes, Rhoden took on the performing persona Father Goose, and has since performed on all five of Zanes' hit CDs, including the Grammy award-winning release Stop That Train!.
The New York Times says Goose's first solo album It's a Bam Bam Diddly! offers "infectiously fresh interpretations of traditional West Indian folk songs." Rhoden chose the songs featured on the CD to showcase his life's journey. "The folk tunes, nursery rhymes, R&B sound, and reggae were music styles I loved as a child, so when it came to selecting songs for the CD I went with what I know." The album includes a galaxy of musical stars including Zanes and Sheryl Crow, as well as Caribbean artists Sister Carol, Screechy Dan, and Ansel Meditation.
As for his performances with Zanes, and now on his own tour, Rhoden says they are "one big party. Everybody knows I'm the one that normally gets the party started. My party started in Jamaica, and everywhere I go there's a party. And the party doesn't stop."
Tickets for Father Goose are $5 per person. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office located off Marshall Street in North Adams from 11 A.M. until 5 P.M. (closed Tuesdays). Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413-662-2111 during Box Office hours or purchased on line at www.massmoca.org.
