Raffi--Canada’s Troubadour to Toddlers

Judging from his wildly enthusiastic reception at UCLA’s Wadsworth Theatre on Saturday, Raffi, the darkly bearded Canadian--who uses only his first name and says he sings in the “key of astonishment”--has hit the big time.

His face is serene, his voice is lullaby soft. Yet listen to eager toddlers shout his name at a concert and you’ll know why this entertainer and recording artist has been dubbed (by Newsweek) “the Springsteen” of the preschool set.

Wearing his signature Hawaiian shirt and casual slacks, Raffi sang, joked and talked to the audience, which responded with familial ease. Scores of tots (and parents) bopped in the aisles to the upbeat rhythms, sat down when Raffi said it was time for a quiet song, filled in the blanks in his nonsense verses and laughed at his mild quips. At the curtain, children pressed up to the stage to present him with handmade Valentines.

Such recognition is unusual in children’s entertainment, but here and in Canada Raffi’s records, song books and a concert video are hot sellers. The Wadsworth was only one of several Southland stops for Raffi’s current “Everything Grows” national tour--named after his newest album, a Grammy nominee this year.

Raffi’s appeal, however, is more than good marketing. All the sophisticated sound equipment, the polished backup band called Rise and Shine--keyboards, drums, guitars, harmonica, mandolin--and his own professionalism detract nothing from his unassuming manner. That low-key, non-threatening aura is a large part of his attraction for the very young, a quality he shares with TV’s “Mr. Rogers.”

Never cloying, Raffi’s songs shift smoothly from nonsense like “Willoughby Wallaby Woo (An Elephant Sat on You)” and “Shake Your Sillies Out” to a sweet Spanish folk song and the tuneful saga of “a little white whale on the go” called “Baby Beluga.” Funny or thoughtful, original or not, songs and patter are as comfy and cozy as a baby blanket.

The only jarring note--a big one--was sounded by the Wadsworth box office. Dismayed parents found the admission of $8.50 to $9.50 charged not only for adults and children, but even babes in arms unable to occupy a seat.

Performances are scheduled at Arlington Center for the Performing Arts in Santa Barbara on Thursday ; Riverside Civic Auditorium on Friday ; San Diego Symphony Hall on Saturday ; Lakewood High School Auditorium in Long Beach on Sunday. Times, ticket prices and age requirements vary; (213) 480-3232 .