Music Reviews

Spirit Of Africa

Various Artists

Real World/Narada

A sobering fact that many people don’t know is that 70% of the adults living with HIV live in Africa, along with 80% of the children struggling with the disease. AIDS will kill a third of today’s 15-year-olds in Africa. 2.4 million Africans died of HIV-related causes in 2000, and that number is small compared to the ones that are still with us. 25.3 million Africans live with the disease everyday of their lives, unable to get better. If you like African music, then you really need Spirit Of Africa. Not only will you be helping lower those numbers (all the proceeds from the CD go directly to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, which has helped raised over $14 million since 1992, to ease the impact of the deadly disease in Africa) but honestly, you’re getting one of the best African collections ever. Included on Spirit Of Africa are “Awa Y’okeyi” by Papa Wemba, French-flavored “Xale” by Youssou N’ Dour, “Sai Sai Sai” by Omar Pene & Super Dianomo de Dakar, “Zulu Khayalami” by Imbizo (features traditional Matabeleland singing/speaking like that in the Life Savers commercial) and the TASO Choir doing a surprisingly happy sounding “AIDS The Disease.” All the members of the TASO Choir have HIV, and use the choir as a meeting place and a support system to cope. Considering the amazing taste of Africa this CD is giving you and that the money from its purchase is going to help extend – and maybe one day, save – human lives, how can you go wrong?

Real World Records: http://www.realworldusa.com • Narada Records: http://www.narada.com


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