I Love My Hair

"I Love My Hair" is a Sesame Street song performed by an Anything Muppet girl. She sings about how proud she is of her hair and the many ways she can wear it. The girl, later named "Segi", was voiced in the song by Chantylla Johnson and puppeteered by Kevin Clash.
The video was posted on Sesame Workshop's YouTube channel in October 2010, and quickly garnered online attention for its positive message.Davis, Lindsey and Hopper, Jessica. "'I Love My Hair' Video Inspired By Father's Love of Daughter: 'Sesame Street' Writer Pens Song To Help Black Girls Love Their Hair", ABCNews.com. October 18, 2010. Following the original debut of the segment, other airings feature a modified music track.
A new, bilingual version of the song ("Me Encanta Mi Cabello") was performed by Mando and Segi in Season 44. The segment was released online on October 10, 2013 and was televised with Episode 4413. Ismael Cruz Córdova, who portrays the character, re-wrote the song entirely in Spanish for his audition and the producers were so fond of it, they reworked it and incorporated it to the show."Meet Mando: Sesame Street’s New Hispanic Character." Mamiverse.com. May 28, 2013. Córdova performed the song on Good Morning America on May 10, 2013.
H.E.R. later performed the song in episode 110 of The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, and Gabrielle sings a few variations of the song as a 2023 plush doll.
The song was adapted as a book featuring Gabrielle in 2022.
==Background==
Sesame head writer Joey Mazzarino told New York Magazine:
Mazzarino also stated he'd like to produce more segments similar to this, even using classic Sesame songs, such as "The Skin I'm In."Sims, Melanie. "Curly haired Muppet is role model for little girls", WLFI 18, October 20, 2010 In a separate interview, Johnson's agent said talks were underway for further voice appearances, and Mazzarino suggested he'd like to continue working with the character.April Bethea, "Making Muppet music", Charlotte Observer, October 31, 2010. The character returned the following season with a new song, "Change the World." By season 45, the little girl was named Segi and was a recurring character during the season.
==Merchandise==
Image:ILoveMyHair.Shirt.jpg|"I ♥ My Hair" (green, 9 different illustrations) t-shirt
Image:ILoveMyHair.Shirt-Braids.jpg|"I ♥ My Hair" (pink, twist illustration) t-shirt
Image:ILoveMyHair.Shirt-Fro.jpg|"I ♥ My Hair" (blue, fro illustration) t-shirt
Image:ILoveMyHair.Shirt-All.jpg|"I ♥ My Hair" (gray, 5 different photos) t-shirt
Cabello-Shirt.jpg|"Me encanta mi cabello" (black, 4 different photos) t-shirt (PBS Annual Meeting exclusive)
==Video==
 
File:Sesame_Street_Song_I_Love_My_Hair|Original version
File:Sesame Street I Love My Hair Song (Mando's Spanish Version)|Bi-lingual version
==Releases==
;Video
*Be a Good Sport (2014, altered music track)
*50 Years and Counting (2019, original music track)
;Online
*Sesamestreet.org original Mando version 
==See also==
* "Change the World"
* I Love My Hair (book)
==Sources==
==External links==
*Sesame Street Teaches Self Esteem - ABC News report
*Sesame Street writer Joey Mazzarino on "I Love My Hair" - CNN report & interview
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Category:Sesame Street Songs
Category:The Body