This album was conceived when I worked as a Wolf Trap Institute Artist in Nashville, in dozens of Head Start classrooms, and as a keynote presenter at various early childhood education associations throughout the US and Europe. Many children are afraid to vocalize-- especially if they won't or don't speak English. And, many teachers are afraid to sing. In this album, rhythm and rhyme blend to make speaking more expressive the music of language come alive. Chants are an easy door to open to literacy. Plus, the history of each chant is fascinating! CREDITS: Discovery Channel Website- 5 Star Award of Excellence Dr. Toy’s Top Ten Best Audio Recordings for Children 2001 Kids First Endorsement Parents Choice Award Children’s Music Web Award REVIEWS: DAY COMMUNICATIONS/NASHVILLE PARENT: From the goofy to the serene, there’s a lot here kids will enjoy. Chants, according to the liner notes, are “sounds, words or phrases repeated or sung over and over again.” Dines’ clear and agile voice lends itself well to traditional chants from all over the world as well as to nonsense rhymes, clapping games and finger plays. Children are drawn instantly to the rhythm and repetition of these 37 quick and easy songs. DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S WEBSITE Hunk-Ta Bunk-Ta Chants - Music Review Rating: ***** Five Stars Award of Excellence The Bottom Line: This intriguing children's recording features the rhythmic simplicity and appeal of chants with a multicultural flavor. At times silly, other times enchanting, and always inspiring, this collection is guaranteed to have children singing along — even those who don't easily break into song. DR. TOY’S TOP TEN BEST Katherine Dines does it again with a fabulous new album for kids. This is a multicultural collection of chants collected from all parts of the world. It has unique adaptations and instrumentations with several original songs. KIDculture. South Florida Parenting -August 2001; Vicki McCash Brennan Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta is certainly something different. This album contains 35 sing-song chants, many not much more than a minute long, sung by award-winning children’s songwriter Katherine Dines. The album’s title comes from a chant that was passed down in her family... That early experience with chanting inspired Dines to collect these easy to sing songs from around the world- Sri Lanka, Mexico, Netherlands, Ghana, Trinidad, Turkey, Jamaica, Scotland, and the US. All are sung in their native language. And all have something to teach, even if it’s just a bit of cultural history. BIG APPLE PARENTS PRESS - Charlotte Rose Giza - August 2001 No wonder critiqes are raving...You will be hard pressed to find any other children’s CD that comes close to what you will hear on Chants. The 37 tracks include games and clapping chants; welcome and wave chants; nonsensical rhymes, rhythmic dialects meditation chants and a sea chanty. The selections originate from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Israel and the United States. In fact, Dines spent years gathering material and researching the history of chanting in different cultures. An internationally acclaimed family recording artist, Dines has traveled and performed throughout the United States and the world. Along the way, she picked up rhymes and chants and has put them together on one wonderful CD. As well as providing a cultural introduction to the chants, the sound patterns can help young children develop pre-literacy skills. Two tracks on Chants are specifically designed for language development- ”Flea Fly Flow Mosquito” and the Mexican folk song “Pajarito.” Other tracks, such as “Mashed Potatoes” are activity songs that get the listener up and moving along with the music. Highly enjoyable, musically stimulating and educational, these Chants will engage many young listeners. dadmag.com Reveiw by Bruce Kluger 08/29/01 Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta Chants: Kids' song diva Katherine Dines rolls out thirty-seven valentines to the joys of rhythm-and-rhyme, from the deliciously silly "Mashed Potatoes" to the traditional African lullaby "Abiyoyo." (Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta Music, 800-448-6369): From edutainingkids.com (Nov. 2002) Katherine Dines' Hunk-ta Bunk-ta Chants is rousing, multicultural, and totally fun. You can even call it educational with all of its wonderful wordplay. A lovely variety of styles are presented in this collection that will appeal to all ages. From the deliciously fun Mashed Potatoes to the catchy Bully in the Alley, this title's 37 tracks deliver an amazing variety of kid-friendly chants from around the world.