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CD review
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The World (Public Radio Intl), CD review >>
Owing money is no fun. Just ask the world's developing countries, who collectively pay hundreds of billions of dollars each year just to finance their debts. Singing about this situation isn't going to make that debt go away. But at least one French record producer believes it's a step in the right direction as The World's Marco Werman tells us in today's Global Hit:
For some African countries, nearly 40 percent of their budgets are reserved just to pay off western financial institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. As the inhabitants of these countries know all too well, that money could be put to far better use to build schools, clinics, water pumps and roads back home.
The South African group Africa South sings "The Third World Cries Everyday." It's the band's contribution to a new CD that was produced in the spirit of "We Are the World." Only this CD is probably better called "We Are the Debt." It's real title is "Drop the Debt," and it features singers like Zedess from Burkina Faso. The artists are all asking that western banks and nations forgive the debt of developing countries.
In this musical political cartoon, Zedess sings that the IMF and the World Bank were born so they could give out poisoned presents. Zedess and the other 21 artists on Drop the Debt were given free license to say what was on their minds. Francois Mauger, the record producer who came up with the anti-debt album concept, says he got the idea after travelling through Africa.
Francois Mauger: I go there and see everytime that the situation is worse. Everytime the conditions of living are more difficult. And last time I came back from Africa, I said, well what can I do myself, I'm a record producer, so let's do a record about the main thing, the main problem in Africa and also in Latin America which is the debt.
There are some big ideas set forth on "Drop the Debt." Music is good for protesting large concepts. But for notions like farm subsidies and how they're affected by national debt, a song can't untangle the complexities. But Francois Mauger decided to let Zimbabwean singer Oliver Mtukudzi give it a shot.
Francois Mauger: In Zimbabwe you are not allowed to give subsidies to the farmers because the IMF and the World Bank say no. It's too much money, don't use your money to give subsidies to the farmers, just reimburse. And the problem in Africa is that sometimes when you go to the market, you get some tomatoes coming from Italy that are cheaper than the tomatoes coming from the north of the country. And then the farmers in the north of the country just have to eat themselves their tomatoes.
The "Drop the Debt" CD raises as many questions as it tries to answer. And considering how much money African governments siphon away to service their debts, it's surprising how happy some of these musicians sound.
At the same time that "Drop the Debt" has been released, another CD with the same theme has also come out in France. It's called "Attac ta dette." It's less "We Are the World", and more "We're angry we owe so much." In this a capella version of the main track, Congolese musician Ray Lema explains the anger. He says Africa's debt began in the 70s. 20 years later, he says, we still pay. We've paid 40 times the Marshall Plan.
That track is called "Afrique, ne paie pas," or don't pay Africa. Like many of the conferences held and treaties signed on indebtedness, the song probably won't do much to change the accounting. But it does show just how aggravating the situation has become.
For The World, I'm Marco Werman.
06/04/03 >> go there
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