Choo-Choo Soul

Choo Choo Soul is a children's entertainment act composed of singer Genevieve Goings as a hip-hop train conductor and her partner, Constantine “DC” Abramson, a dancer and beatboxer dressed as a railroad engineer.

History and recordings

Choo Choo Soul began as a collaboration between video game developer Greg Johnson, recording engineer and sound designer Burke Treischmann, and vocalist Goings during dialogue recordings for ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth, the first Xbox installment of the ToeJam & Earl video game franchise. Johnson created the concept and recorded melodies and accompaniment tracks onto his cellphone and e-mailed them to Treischmann to develop. Once in the studio, Goings provided vocals.^[1]

The act debuted in 2004 as a 16-track CD Baby studio album that described itself as "kids' music that won't drive parents crazy." It is now out of print.

On October 31, 2006, Walt Disney Records released Choo Choo Soul, a 12-track album available through the iTunes Store and other online music outlets. It features most of the same songs as the 2004 release.

In 2007, “Choo-Choo Soul with Genevieve!” was honored with a Parents’ Choice Award for children’s television.^[2]

In May 2008 Amazon.com began selling a two-disc set consisting of the Choo Choo Soul album on CD packaged along with a DVD featuring 10 music videos. This was the first time any of their videos became available for purchase.

Disney Channel series

Beginning in May 2006, a series of Choo Choo Soul interstitial programs began airing in the United States during the Playhouse Disney programming block on the Disney Channel. The music video–style shorts feature Goings and D.C. performing Choo Choo Soul songs with a group of young children in a blend of live action and computer animation.

Live Concerts

Choo Choo Soul has performed live on several occasions in 2007, including September and October shows at the Disney-MGM Studios theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, a performance at the Boston Globe Children's Book Festival in Boston, Massachusetts on September 15 and several shows in June 2009 at Sesame Place located near Philadelphia, PA

Choo Choo Soul has been touring the US and Canada from 2007 to present and tour dates can be found on the disney website ^[3]

Choo Choo Soul was the opening act for the Imagination Movers during their Big Warehouse Tour 2011.^[4].

Choo Choo Soul will be performing at the 2011 California State Fair.^[5]

References

1. ^ http://www.shorefire.com/index.php?a=pressrelease&o=2019
2. ^ http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=21767&award=xx&from=Disney%20Channel
3. ^ http://tv.disney.go.com/playhouse/grown-ups/choo-choo_soul.html^{[dead link]}
4. ^ http://www.imaginationmovers.com/news/21101
5. ^ http://blogs.sacbee.com/ticket/archives/2011/05/reserve-tickets.html

External links

• Playhouse Disney site