www.dette2000.org

It would be impossible to even try to summarize the variety of styles on this record in a line or two. Everything from salsa to dub to reggae to acoustic folk is respresented in these sixteen songs, and nearly every one of the songs is noticeably high quality. Almost every artist on here has contributed a product that is musically viable in itself, and the recording ends up sounding like a very enjoyable musical trip around the world. It's also almost entirely in French and Portuguese, which makes me feel much more musically literate, so that's a bonus.

The idea behind the charity aspect of the project is that there are very many tragically poor countries, mostly in Africa, that are unable to help their citizens because of governmental debt. The message behind the music here is that the debts of these contries should be cancelled by those who lent the money in the first place so that these governments can do something to improve the quality of life in their countries. I don't know nearly enough about this debt issue to make a comment one way or the other on whether this movement is a good idea or is misguided, but I do know that if there's a great way to get good artists together on a compilation, it's to make a compilation for a charitable cause. It worked again this time, because this is quality, and it's fascinating to listen to.

Key track: I couldn't possibly. They're all so different, and they're all great.

Reviewed by: Kent Walter