Meet Daria Daria Marmaluk-hajioannou | World Music Performer and Recording Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daria Daria Marmaluk-hajioannou and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi DARIA, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
You can probably tell by my name that I am a mixture of several world cultures. Although that was tough as a child, as I grew older I came to understand how each place and culture that I lived in taught me so many valuable lessons. It is amazing to see the world through both indigenous and ethnic eyes, each with it’s own unique take on life.

I create world music for children and families so the gift of being multilingual means that I can readily perform and adapt songs that are loved by a truly diverse audience. And I use authentic instruments as part of my live shows and recorded music. In my songs you’ll hear Native drums, cajón box drums, rattles, shakers, shekeres and the types of musical instruments that kids would be exploring in most cultures around the world. Musical play in incredibly enriching for young people and in my live shows, the kids get to become part of the band by playing so many of these amazing instruments. I also record in multiple languages and have won 3 Parents Choice awards for my music and teaching materials. And I’ve won multiple educational awards as well plus I was nominated for a Grammy for my Grandchildren’s Delight CD.

And by singing in English plus languages like Spanish, Arabic, Ladino and Quechua I encourage my friends and fans to hold onto their mother tongues and their culture as well as to be proud if they are of mixed heritage. The world is not black or white and neither are most of us!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am now in my 60’s but have been listening, repeating and loving music since I was a small child. Music and books held a sacred place in my life and created worlds where I could escape when society seemed unaccepting or unkind. I know many readers will understand that.

And creating those sacred spaces in the form of songs and music is what I am all about. Whether it’s a dance version of Bate Bate Chocolate or a version of the Andean song, El Condor Pasa played with all authentic instruments, my wish is that this music takes you to a happy, fun or new and beautiful place. Most recently I’ve developed several Youtube channels to share my music. These include my main DARIA MUSIC channel of world music for children (https://www.youtube.com/user/DariaMusic ), one for meditation music called Angels Everywhere (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrxMppXqvRDxanq_1ryYG8) and The Music Museum Online (https://www.youtube.com/c/MusicMuseumOnline) created for teachers to give them access to more ways to bring world music into their classrooms.

When I first began playing and recording music, things were not easy. A few men (mainly white men) ruled the music industry and there was no place for anyone who was different, spoke different languages or didn’t fit the role of pop stars. But the world is changing and now you can find bilingual music for your kids, diverse artists, music about social justice and music where all our voices matter. Although there is still so much we need to change in the world, I see parents and families hungry for creating a new safe place for their kids and filling it with the type of music and art that makes a difference. It truly makes me proud when I hear from parents and teachers about how certain songs – like my new inclusive Back To School Song/All Are Welcome Here – have become special for their family or classroom.

I think that one thing that has really helped me in my career is that I enjoy collaborating with others creative folks like artists and authors. I am always up for a fun project. I work with some amazing illustrators from all over the world to create my cover art and videos. I recently wrote the song for a beautiful book called “Food For The Future” by Asian American author, Mia Wenjen. It’s a gorgeous book about new healthy ways to farm and eat! I also just collaborated with the Recess Project that builds accessible playgrounds all across the country so kids of all abilities are not left out when it’s time to play!

And I also try to make sure that my music can be of service. A few years ago I sought out a grant to be able to create multiple CD’s of easy songs for learning English and make them available with full bilingual teaching materials. There’s one version in English/Ukrainian (Вчимо англійську з музикою) for recent immigrants fleeing the war and one for Spanish speaking kids and families (Aprenda Inglés Con Música) immigrating to the US.

For me, music isn’t just for entertainment, it’s about building community!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Okay, Don’t laugh, but local parks, book shops, family-owned cafes and places where you feel like you can enjoy life like a local.

Being a bit of a nerd, I love the Le Brea Tar Pits, and anything that involves learning about animals or the history of the area. Of course, connecting with the original people of the area is so beautiful, so I would take them to the Chumash Museum in Thousand Oaks as well as the Ojai Valley Museum and Vasquez Rocks to reconnect with ancestral heritage. When I last visited Vasquez Rocks I was told that much of the museum’s design, location and contents were designed and built with guidance and approval of local Native American elders. That is truly impressive!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A big shout out to all culture bearers. They are totally my inspiration and my heroes! For me, most of them were musicians including Victor Jara, Mercedes Sosa, Inti Illimani, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Buffy St. Marie, Miriam Makeba and so many others whose names you might not recognize, but brought beautiful songs and stories forward nonetheless.

Website: https://www.dariamusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dariasworldmusic?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dariasmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dariasmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DariaMusic

Other: DARIA – Artist Website
http://www.dariamusic.com

The Music Museum Online
https://www.youtube.com/c/MusicMuseumOnline

DARIA’s Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/DariaMusic

DARIA’s TPT site
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/World-Music-With-Daria

DARIA on SPOTIFY

Apple Itunes
https://artists.apple.com/a/artist/49532297

Image Credits
Promo image credit for promo shot is Stephanie Vasiliadis

Promo image credit for photo with trio and quijada/cajitas is Susan Nam