“ Say the word ‘ Skinnamarink ’ and it puts a smile on my face . It ’ s a source of great pleasure , and little did we know when we started singing that song , what it would mean to us .”
Sharon Hampson
In the YouTube video , Justin Bieber looks so young . The goofy haircuts and chiseled modelesque physique he ’ s become known for are nowhere to be seen . It ’ s just a moppet-like kid , his hair falling over his eyes in the style that first made him famous , greeting some fans .
As he walks away from his adoring crowd , he starts skipping in happiness and breaks into song . It ’ s not one of his own mega-smashes , and rather than pull out his well-rehearsed tenor , his voice cracks hilariously as he reaches to his own childhood for the words to express his good mood .
“ Skinnamarinky dinky dink , skinnamarinky do , I love you ...”
It ’ s hard to imagine a tune more beloved in Canada than that simple theme of the acclaimed childrenoriented The Elephant Show , which ran on CBC from 1984 until 1989 . ( Fun fact : the song actually originated in an early 20 th century Broadway play called The Echo .) Sure , Gord Downie is the unofficial poet laureate of our nation , but The Tragically Hip ’ s blue-collar bar rock might not appeal to everyone . Geddy Lee taught us to hit notes no man thought possible but Rush ’ s wank-heavy prog can be alienating . The stereotype of Canadians sitting in front of endless episodes of Degrassi might be based in truth , but even so , Drake ’ s emo-hop has its detractors .
But generations of Canadians who were all once six years old have a place in their heart for Sharon Hampson , Lois Lilienstein , and Bram Morrison .
Multiple generations grew up with Sharon , Lois & Bram , learning about life , about friendship , and , most importantly if you ask the group members themselves , about music .
The group ’ s appeal crosses race and socioeconomic boundaries . Famous fans who grew up on their music include Bieber , who might have the kind of money that results in multiple Lamborghini purchases these days , but grew up in a hardscrabble area of Stratford with a struggling single mother .
On the other end of the spectrum , a pre-Head of Government Justin Trudeau , himself the product of the most elite family in the country , once ran into Lilienstein at a restaurant and confessed to still being mystified by a misheard lyric he remembered from his childhood .
Looking back on a career that now stretches over 30 years , Hampson says it ’ s amazing how little things have changed when it comes to their audiences .
“ The audiences are very responsive ,” she says . “ The thing that I noticed that ’ s a bit different is parents participate , but not the way they did in the first many years of our career . If we said stand up , everyone in the audience stood up . Now , I perceive there ’ s some reticence from some people and I think that ’ s a shame because I think what ’ s most special about this experience is when children experience it with their parents .”
What ’ s ironic is that some of those parents embarrassed to do the silly dance moves were likely not too cool for pre-school at the group ’ s concerts 20 or 30 years ago . With their longevity , Sharon , Bram & Friends , as they have called themselves since Lilienstein ’ s retirement in 2000 , have become a generational gift , a tradition that continues to be passed down . It ’ s that connection between families that has kept the two going over so many years .
CANADIAN MUSICIAN • 39