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Sample Track 1:
"Any Day Now- by Coco Peila of Youth Movement Records (USA) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 2:
"Hello Bonjour - Michael Franti & Spearhead with Sly & Robbie (USA) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 3:
"Speak It - JBoogie, Tablapusher, Mandeep Sethi, MC Humble, Youth (India) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 4:
"Liberation 3000 -Nilla Green feat. Ganesh Barriya & Payal Vaghela of Manav Sadhna (India) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 5:
"Africa for Learn -Rocky Dawuni in benefit for Africa Live! (Ghana) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 6:
"Sunshine -Seasunz feat. Diamond in benefit for Art in Action (USA) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 7:
"Fire-Cottonbelly Remix -Miguel Migs featuring Junior Reid " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 8:
"He Manav Visvaas -by Cubanix featuring Ganesh Barriya of Manav Sadhna (India) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 9:
"Why? -by Sila and The Afrofunk Experience benefiting House of Hope (Uganda) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 10:
"Much To Do-Back to Guahan -Erica Nalani of Youth Movement Records (USA)" from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 11:
"Hear It Loud - Sam Norling and Ching-Hwa feat. Voudux and Mitchy Mitch " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 12:
"He Manav -GOONDA featuring Ganesh Barriya & Payal Vaghela of Manav Sadhna (India) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 13:
"BodaNathu -Amit Shoham featuring Payal Vaghela of Manav Sadhna (India) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 14:
"El tiburon del Lago Cocibolca -the Children of Ritmo en los barrios (Nicaragua) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 15:
"Dolare -Funkadesi featuring Pavithra " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 16:
"Ahimsa Street Dub -JBoogie & Tablapusher featuring the Children of Manav Sadhna (India) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Sample Track 17:
"Bobby Friction Shoutout/BBC Radio 1 -Empower the Children Chorus (India) / Bobby Friction (UK) " from Project Ahimsa's "Global Lingo"
Layer 2
Feature

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Wire Tap Magazine, Feature >>

Slumdog Millionaire won America’s heart with its triumphant tale of India’s street kids. Oh, how we laughed when little Jamal fell in to a feces-filled river, and how we cried tears of joy when Jamal and Latika finally got together. But despite being a sappy Hollywood production, the movie did hint at the gritty, real-life situations faced by India’s youth (see Born Into Brothels and Salaam Bombay for less happy endings).

Project Ahimsa, a global organization that aims to empower youth through music, recently released Global Lingo, a compilation that showcases the youth talent from its efforts worldwide, many of whom face the same trials as our Slumdog hero. Project Ahimsa ("ahimsa" is a Sanskrit term for “nonviolence” and one of Gandhi’s tenets) raises funds to create microgrants for musical instruments and salaries for music teachers at various nonprofits across around the world, currently serving 10,000 kids in 14 countries.

In 2006, Global Lingo co-producer and Project Ahimsa grants coordinator Robin Sukhadia traveled with producer Bay Area music producer J-Boogie and an audio recorder to visit Project Ahimsa supported programs in Kolkata and Ahmedabad, India.

“Everywhere we went, children were eager to share their immense talent,” Sukhadia says. Upon their return, the samples of the children’s singing were sent to professional musicians to incorporate in their compositions. Sukhadia returned to India this January with a finished product. “The look on the children’s faces when they heard and saw themselves was priceless,” Sukhadia says.

While the youth are definitely the stars, Global Lingo also features a host of professional recording artists, including Afrobeat singer Rocky Dawuni, hip-hop activist Michael Franti and deep house producer Miguel Migs.

“For these artists to give their time and talent to elevating these children further validates that music truly is about empowerment, and not just about profit or self-promotion,” says Sukhadia, who is also a musician performing under Tablapusher.

Not only does Global Lingo validate music’s purpose but, for the youth involved, validates their talent while simultaneously educating them on the process of music production, Sukhadia says. “It teaches them discipline, and it teaches them their commitment to music can result in something greater than themselves.”

Global Lingo covers almost every genre and style imaginable, uniting the world through empowering song. Fourteen-year-old former rag picker Ganesh Barriya’s voice is chopped and set to Nilla Green’s thumping 808 bass on “Liberation 3000,” like a Bollywood “Born to Roll” with sitars and other traditional Indian instruments, while Florida producer Cubanix gives the Ahmedabad, India adolescent’s vocals an electronic touch.

The children of Los Ritmos en Los Barrios -- a project of Building New Hope, an NGO based in Pittsburg, GA and Granada, Nicaragua that hosts educational and development projects in Central America -- contribute their traditional “El Tiburon del Lago Cocibolca.”

Oakland songstress Coco Peila, of Youth Movement Records, mellows the mood with her sensual and uplifting “Any Day Now.” And Chicago-based Funkadesi turn things into a frenzy with their whirlwind blend of bhangra, reggae and funk.

Global Lingo is very much a “world music” album, which hasn’t been the most popular genre amongst youth. Up until recently, world music was a privileged interest for an older demographic. But the recent success of globally-influenced artists such as M.I.A., Shakira, K’Naan and, to a lesser extent, production teams N.A.S.A. and Major Lazer, has made the rest of the world culturally relevant to a younger American audience.

While some of the aforementioned artists’ purposes may have been solely to get the dance floor rockin’, Global Lingo is authentic in its mission and execution.

But the project’s coordinators didn’t even bother to think about audience and genre when they started producing the compilation. They didn’t even think about what the outcome would be; they were just blown away by the talent, Sukhadia says.

“It emboldened us to want to share their voices with the world,” Sukhadia explains. “Global Lingo was produced for an audience that is seeking an intelligent and progressive story in music. That encompasses everyone, of every age and possible background.”

 08/24/09 >> go there
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