October 13, 2010
East Village Community School – Songs from the East Village
BY RADIO MORILLO

 If you had the opportunity to participate in an arts program in elementary school, count yourself as extremely lucky. We’ve all heard the stories of school budget cuts and schools being strapped for resources. All to often, along with those budget cuts and demands on time for standardized test preparation, arts education programs are the first to go out the window.

The East Village Community School (EVCS) seeks to remedy this by taking arts education funding into their own hands. Spearheaded by Irish vocalist Susan McKeown, the project involved collecting songs representative of the diverse backgrounds of EVCS’s students, raising funds for the project on Kickstarter and working with renowned musicians like Ray Santiago on the recording. It’s absolutely charming and a testament to the spirit of music. The album features music from far off places like Nigeria, Spain, Tibet, and Ireland as well as short stories and Jewish songs.

Listen to the song “Echi Bu Uka Amaka” HERE and contribute to the East Village Community School’s arts program by purchasing an album HERE.

Peace,
Radio Morillo