Oct. 21, 2009 - Issue #731: Propagandhi

Various Artists

Various Artists
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, Various Artists

A lot of musicians complain about the hardships they must overcome in pursuit of their art: long-distance drives on tour, indifferent crowds and crappy pay. But the struggles of the most hard-done-by North American musician pale in comparison to those overcome by the musicians on Giving Voice to Hope. Recorded by refugees fleeing the civil war which gripped Liberia from 1989 – 2003 who found themselves in the Buduburam refugee camp in nearby Ghana, the tracks speak powerfully to the capacity of the human spirit to overcome unspeakable adversity. But this collaborative project between the University of Alberta and the Ghanaian Center for Youth Empowerment isn't just an impressive cross-cultural effort, it also showcases the vibrancy of music in West Africa and its global influences, melding reggae, gospel, R&B, hip-hop and traditional influences to create a vibrant testimony to the power of music. Giving Voice to Hope is available at University of Alberta Bookstores and Blackbyrd Myoozik and can be ordered online here and here.

Various Artists
Giving Voice to Hope: Music of Liberian Refugees
(Independent)

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