Raffi Cavoukian (Armenian: Րաֆֆի, born 8 July 1948), known professionally by the mononym Raffi, is an Armenian-Canadian singer-lyricist and author. A performer of children's music, The Washington Post called him "the most popular children's singer in the English-speaking world". He founded the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring, an initiative focused on promoting children's rights and well-being. He has also been involved in advocacy for environmental and social causes, addressing issues like commercial exploitation of children and climate change through his music and public appearances.
Raffi was born in Cairo, Egypt, to Armenian Christian parents who fled Turkey during the Armenian genocide. His mother Lucie Cavoukian named him after the Armenian novelist Raffi. He was exposed to music at a young age, as his mother sang to him and his father sang and played accordion. In a 2024 interview, he noted that "In my early childhood, growing up in a fairly authoritarian family, my parents loved me greatly. But it was at times a coercive love, not exactly a respectful love". The family left Egypt in 1952, living in Jerusalem and Syria before immigrating to Canada in 1958, eventually settling in Toronto, Ontario.
His father, Arto (Artin) Cavoukian, was a portrait photographer with a studio on Bloor Street in Toronto. His older brother, Onnig Cavoukian, known as Cavouk, is also a portrait photographer. His younger sister is Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's former Information and Privacy Commissioner. His parents died within twelve hours of each other, his mother dying first of abdominal cancer. He visited Soviet Armenia once in 1972.
In the early 1970s, Raffi frequented a Toronto guitar store near Yonge and Wellesley called Millwheel, where he met other Canadian musicians such as David Wilcox and John Lacey. He befriended Lacey, a folk guitarist from Oakville, Ontario, who helped Raffi improve his finger picking. Raffi continued playing folk guitar in coffee houses in Toronto and Montréal before hitchhiking to Vancouver in 1972.
His first performance for children was in 1974, at a nursery school run by his mother-in-law. His first album, Singable Songs for the Very Young, was produced in his friend's basement and released in 1976. The album was influenced by three educators, including his then-wife.
Most of Raffi's children's albums include small, simple, folk instrumentations featuring Raffi's vocal and guitar work. Early works included contributions from Toronto-area folk musicians, including Ken Whiteley, The Honolulu Heartbreakers, and Bruce Cockburn. Raffi also incorporated world music sounds into his records, including "Sambalele" (More Singable Songs, 1977) and "Anansi" (The Corner Grocery Store, 1979). Some of Raffi's best-known children's songs are "Bananaphone", "All I Really Need", and "Down by the Bay".
In 1979, he wrote "Baby Beluga", after meeting a female beluga whale named Kavna at the Vancouver Aquarium.
In 1989, his album Raffi In Concert With The Rise And Shine Band was listed on the RPM Top 100 Albums chart. He took a break from music from 1989 to 1990.
In 1999, he released his autobiography, The Life of a Children’s Troubadour.
After a seven-year gap in publishing, Raffi released an album, Let's Play, in 2002. Between 2003 and 2013, he took a hiatus from touring.
He is he president of Troubadour Music Inc., a triple-bottom-line company he founded to produce and promote his work. He released recordings for a number of other artists, including Caitlin Hanford and Chris Whiteley.
As of 2017, Raffi continues to perform and appears occasionally across Canada and the United States. His most recent album is "Penny Penguin", a collaboration album with Canadian trio The Good Lovelies which was released in 2024.
Raffi's recent musical work focuses on social and environmental causes and appeals to the generation who grew up with his children's music ("Beluga Grads") to effect change in the world. He also promotes those causes through his books, academic lectures and as a speaker.
Raffi has been involved with environmental advocacy since 1989, releasing a music album for adults about climate change, Evergreen, Everblue, the following year.
In 2004, he released "Salaam Shalom," a song calling for the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In 2007, Raffi wrote, recorded and produced the single "Cool It", a rockabilly "call to action" on global warming with Dr. David Suzuki in the chorus. "Cool It" was the theme song for Dr. Suzuki's recent Canadian tour to promote action on climate change. In February 2016, Raffi released the song "Wave of Democracy" in support of American Senator Bernie Sanders run to be the Democratic nominee for US Presidency. In September 2019 he released song "Young People Marching", which was written for Greta Thunberg.
In August 2020, Raffi released a song titled "For All You Do," featuring Lindsay Munroe and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The song honoured frontline and essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceeds from downloads and streams were donated to Direct Relief to support healthcare workers globally.
Raffi is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.