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CD Review
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Barnesandnoble.com, CD Review >>
Twenty years ago, when the issue of famine in Africa raised its head, dozens of the world's wealthiest rock and pop stars banded together to raise money and awareness. The British contingent was appropriately called Band-Aid, and that's just what the all-star efforts were. In the 21st century, poverty in the developing world persists, in large part due to the crushing debt to rich nations incurred by economic mismanagement and corruption. Now, though, the artists are speaking for themselves. Drop the Debt, a striking collection of new international pop from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, makes no bones about the causes of suffering around the world. Even as the rhythms from Brazil, West Africa, and Colombia are joyous, the lyrics are anything but. Anger and frustration boil over, track after track, as artists relate the continued downward trend in their countries' economies -- "We don't even have tobacco for cigarettes," beseeches Colombia's Toto la Momposina. "No schools, no jobs…we can't go on. Drop the debt so we can work." In the decades since USA for Africa proclaimed, "We are the world," technology has given developing nations the media for broadcasting their side of the story. These songs are part of that conversation, each impeccably produced -- some overproduced, indeed -- making their points hard to ignore. Alternating gorgeous acoustic-based performances (by Cesaria Evora, Chico Cesar, Soledad Bravo, and others) with beat-heavy electronic remixes (Sally Nyolo, Fernanda Abreu, Lenine), there's plenty of compelling sonics to match the message. Proceeds from Drop the Debt will benefit a raft of debt-forgiveness organizations, including the Jubilee U.S.A. Network. Mark Schwartz 09/15/03 >> go there
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