As a special thank you to ONE members near and far, they’re offering a free exclusive download of “Joy to the World” off their new Christmas album “Oh for Joy” (Sixsteps Records) Be sure to check it out and pass this link on to your friends. In order to get it, fill out the form on our Faith page and you’ll be taken to our download page: http://www.one.org/us/onesabbath/.

The work goes on to beat back hunger, poverty and disease like AIDS. Thanks to the David Crowder*Band, we have some great tunes to turn up while we do our part.

Mike Hogan, the band’s violinist, recently shared the following in an email to their fans:

“And here’s something you might not know: By becoming a ONE member you have become more attractive. Seriously. Physically you might not look all that different, but something on the inside has changed. You have raised your voice in support of some of the poorest people on Earth. You have told our world leaders that it is in humanity’s best interest to support health and education in the developing world, and that the real “F word” out there is ‘famine.’ And that makes you more attractive.

So thanks again for coming out and supporting the band on our final tour. And thank you for making a single night of music something more than just a good memory. Thank you for making it a force for change.”

Thankfully, these artists are not ones to keep their talent to themselves. Collaborations abound, such as an album full of the melodic artistry between Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté, a West African storyteller known as a Griot. Their mutual respect and talent are a joy to hear, and to watch.

I had heard of the masters of the strings, like Touré and Diabaté, before my trip, but as is often the case, it’s the unexpected discoveries that are most rewarding. The sounds of Tinariwen, a group of 5-9 Tuareg nomads from the southern Sahara, stick with you. Founded in 1979 by Ibrahim ag Alhabib, the membership fluctuates depending on things like who has herds to tend or a pregnant wife. Founded in the refugee camps of Libya and Algeria, Tinariwen is so much more than “desert blues”, using their electric guitars to lace native rhythms with Berber and Arab influences. The blues references are not lost on Tinariwen, who acknowledge the similarity of their feeling of “asuf” – a Tamashek feeling that mixes of the emptiness of the desert and a spiritual yearning, with the bluesmen of Mississippi and Chicago.

Tinariwen’s 2004 album was recorded in a studio in Bamako, a departure from what had up until then been a mostly bootleg cassette following. For their 2011 album, Tassili, they returned to their roots, practicing and recording outdoors around campfires, under the sun. Tassili is haunting trance blues with cameos by artists as diverse as Nels Cline of Wilco and New Orleans’ own Dirty Dozen Brass Band. It’s addictive in its simplicity.

Listen to my personal mix of Malian musicians here.

The Crowder band is taking ONE out on the road with them on their final tour to spotlight the living proof of hope and change in Africa as well as enlist their fans to get involved to fight the famine and diseases like HIV/AIDS. They’re joined by fellow artists Gungor, John Mark McMillan and Chris August, and coming to a city near you. So be sure to check us out on the road and bring a friend to join a night of inspiring music and take action with ONE. We got a few minutes with David Crowder himself, just before they went on at Stubb’s. Check out the video below:

If you’re lucky enough to be in Mangochi, Malawi, you’ve likely already heard all about Lake of Stars, the award-winning music and arts festival set to hit stages for its 7th consecutive year this weekend.

Featuring more than 70 African and international acts, the festival expects to attract over 3,000 visitors, bringing welcomed tourism to the area as well as acting as a great global platform to promote Malawian culture.

Founded in 2004 by Will Jameson following a previous trip to volunteer around Lake Malawi, the festival is modeled on similar celebrated events, including Glastonbury and Live Aid. Gaining media attention from around the world since its inaugural year, when it won the Malawi Tourism Award, Lake of Stars has since gone on to become the country’s No. 1 attraction.

The festival is designed to promote Malawian arts and tourism through international interaction and exposure. Over its years in operation, it has certainly proven that it can accomplish just that, giving 200 million people a glimpse into the country’s culture on top news networks such as CNN, The Guardian and the BBC, and Q Magazine, which recently dubbed the three-day event “simply the finest festival in the world.”

This year, Lake of Stars is set to host a diverse set of renowned acts, including headliners Foals, Freshlyground, The Very Best and Vampire Weekend bassist Chris Baio as well as a wide variety of drama, dance and even kung fu performers.

A great use of both creative and tourism industries with end goals rooted in the cultivation of development, the festival seems set only to grow with its introduction of a “Development Village,” designed to bring together NGOs and the private sector to engage with the public and spread awareness of pressing issues, as well as a partnership with UK-based charity the MicroLoan Foundation.

From temporary employment for festival employees to the promotion of local business and an attempt to re-brand the overall region, Lake of Stars has certainly proven itself a great success as a positive experience for Africans and international visitors alike.

You can find more information about Lake of Stars on their website, Facebook page or tweet @LakeofStars. Going to the festival? Have fun and be safe! We would love to hear what you think when you get back.

For me, activism didn’t register until about five months ago. It existed, I was pretty sure, because I heard a lot about it. But that was the extent of it -– it existed and other people were involved.

One problem I had was contextual. When I thought about Africa, I associated it with this guy I knew in college who had spent some time in Kenya and came back a changed man. His world expanded, but he also turned into a jerk. You didn’t so much have a conversation with him as you sat and got preached at. Militantly. It wasn’t fun. And it wasn’t at all how I wanted my own personal involvement in outreach to look.

But then I found myself at the ONE Power Summit this past April, surrounded by other like-minded people who wanted to enact change in a smarter, more effective way. And I found myself learning a new way to take part in the fight for social justice.

I also found myself talking face-to-face with my congressman, which I don’t think anyone ever saw coming.

When my band decided that we wanted our farewell tour to be about something bigger than just some blowout rock concerts, ONE came up immediately. That we can give people at our shows the chance to raise their voice for the voiceless really spoke to us. And the fact that ONE isn’t out there asking for donations — but rather promoting advocacy — was even better given our fiscal climate.

So we hope to see many of you out there for the “7 Tour,” coming to a city near you. Together, we can raise our voices in more than one way …

Baloji. Photo credit: MTV Iggy

For last week’s ONE Act, we asked you to expand your music horizons and listen to a new sound coming from Africa: Baloji. The Congolese-Belgian rapper sings all about freedom, justice and democracy in a fusion of pan-African beats, hip hop and jazz — and we weren’t surprised to discover that you like him just as much as we do. Here are some of the nice things that you said about Baloji, which we will share with him in a tweet (you can tweet him at @Baloji, too). Thank you for all those who participated — we had folks from Chile, Argentina, Canada and the US!

Your music is groovy and unique sounding, you have some real talent going on. Keep up the great work -Monica

Baloji, live free speech! I am Brazilian and I saw that your style of music looks like our style. Only better understand the lyrics of your songs after you explained! Please ask to put English subtitles …. laughs …. I’m glad you bring joy to his people through your work. Congratulations! -Priscila

Music helps the people come together and inspired them to be part of one unity. And don’t forget always be true as you’re doing now. Sending all the love from South America (Chile). -Ellen Ramirez

What inspires me is just knowing that there are so many beautiful people around the world who care enough to put themselves 2nd for a moment and focus on someone else who’s needs are more important. It gives me inspiration just knowing that those kids or grownups around the world wake up in the morning with nothing to look forward to, but yet they manage to keep going. -Nyesha Taylor

Hey Baloji, I’ve never danced to punk rock before, but one of my favorites is Reggae. If I was still able to dance, I wouldn’t mind dancing to your music. Interesting and clear that you the band, as well as the people dancing; were having a great time. Terrific, keep going. -Linda

Sounds good. I like it.. Think band is great.. Favorite part is when the song ‘breaksdown’ and that one guy starts singing. Best of luck with everything! -Luke

LISTEN TO YOUR HAPPINESS Baloji music, but more happiness I see the enthusiasm PRODUCE SEE IN IT, HE HEARD IN MY LIFE TOO LITTLE MUSIC FOR YOUR MUSIC AFRICA IY ENCANTO.TE ME WISH ALL THE SUCCESS AND YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE DOING YOU LIKE, OF BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA WITH A BIG HEART HUG -Cristina Avalos

love your music! And love your interest in DEMOCRACY / FREEDOM & JUSTICE ! I’d buy a CD ! More power to you ! -Suzannah Mee

Kinda Will.I.Am, kinda Ike Turner, kinda Sammy Davis Jr., totally cool! Yay Baloji!!! -Kathy

Great Sound!! Luvv ya Fusion,Luvv ya Voice! Let us know if U come to Australia! -Leila

beautiful soul shining through baloji, keep going -Jo

Love, love, love it…. -Rose

Dear Baloji: I enjoyed your song Nazonji. A cool African funk, rap, jazz sound! Good luck to you and your fellow band mates! -Stephanie Sheehan

My toddler son and I loved the music! We were sitting here at the computer and he was just dancing away on my lap! What a great sound! -Briana

Excellent. I want to hear more of him -Eric Amundrud

Great sound!!! Keep up the good work ! -Maria Dulce

wow man, I can tell you perform with passion and pride! keep it up! I wish I could understand the lyrics ’cause the rhythm is catchy and it sounds poetic. well done man! -Craig Tinning

Listen to Baloji’s music and watch exclusive interviews on MTV Iggy’s website now. And read ONE’s exclusive interview here.

Baloji

Not too long ago, I had the chance to interview Baloji, a Belgian-Congolese rapper, at a video shoot in Brooklyn with MTV Iggy. With a four inch-high wedge of hair, dapper blazer and thick-soled combat boots, Baloji doesn’t look like a typical rapper, but don’t let that fool you. His politically charged lyrics, sung in French, Swahili and other African languages, have bite — and are a constant reminder that you should never forget your roots, no matter where you come from.

Growing up in Belgium, it was hard for Baloji to fit into European culture, especially because he didn’t have papers. “They reminded me that I was Congolese before anything else,” he told me during our interview. But this experience allowed him to dig into his heritage, explore his self-identity, and express that diversity in his music. If you listen to any of his songs, you’ll find a mix of musical styles, from dancehall to jazz to traditional African rhythms. His band members, who hail from Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Cameroon, also give his music a pan-African flair.

When asked how he stacks up to other Congolese artists, he describes himself as alternative. “The main music that they listen to there is different from what I’m what doing. They’re suffering from an embargo, which restricts the music,” he explains. But Congolese love him nevertheless — because he can say what they can’t. “If Congolese artists start saying political statements, they won’t have access to the media and press. They have to behave the way they want you to,” he says.

One of Baloji’s bandmates

Probably one of the coolest things about the MTV video shoot was that many of the extras (apart from being terribly attractive people) were Congolese activists. Ntumba Mukendi, one of the dancers, started her own fashion label, Ntumba Ntumba Apparel, to help fund raise money for the DRC. And Jesus Tshimanga, an actor in a posh tuxedo jacket and a fake cigar, sends recycled shirts to Congo with his NGO, Congolese Stand Up.

Baloji is also very active in Congolese issues, especially in the realms of immigration and education. Back home in Belgium, he runs an organization that connects new Congolese immigrants with pro-bono lawyers when they have documentation issues. He also helped donate benches and chairs to the University of Lubumbashi in the DRC. “When I was there in 2007, I saw five classes of 60 students all dressed up in white shirts, perfectly done but sitting on the floor, and that really moved me,” he said. “I realized that the first thing I could do was give them a place to sit in class.”

That kind of global consciousness is music to our ears. Thank you Baloji and MTV Iggy for talking to ONE, and we hope to hear much more from you soon. Listen and download to Baloji’s album Kinshasa Succursale here, and be sure to watch more videos and interviews of Baloji on MTV Iggy’s website.

How many of you are experiencing disaster fatigue? I know I am. Honestly, I’m still reeling from 9/11, from the Tsunami, from Katrina, from Haiti, from tornadoes in the southeast and Missouri. Even, in that overwhelming list, I left out the earthquake in Japan and dozens of other catastrophic events. It’s just too much to wrap my mind around. It’s way too much to wrap my heart around.

This week, I’ve been tuning into the famine occurring in the Horn of Africa. Honestly, you have to look pretty hard to even find the coverage of it. But, in the last few weeks, 29,000 children have died of starvation in the region. My response: I’m ironically more worried about losing 10 lbs before our next tour. I’m just being honest. You see, 10 years ago, I would have been weeping, but I’m just tired of having my heart broken. However, that’s not who I want to be.

Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision, has a profound quotation. I have it hanging on a plaque in my study.

“Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.”

That’s an extremely convicting, humbling statement. It’s also a dangerous thing to pray. Today, I did just that. I prayed about the famine in the Horn of Africa. I’m not talking about the kind of prayer where I tell God what to do and try to bend His will to mine with some kind of Jedi mind trick. I’m talking about the kind of prayer where I get quiet, turn off the TV and the computer, and listen. I prayed for God to break my heart for what breaks His. All I could think of was the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46.

That parable ends with a scary quotation: 44 “Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’

45 “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

I was struck by two thoughts. Clearly, God’s heart breaks when He sees the suffering of innocent children, the poor, and the helpless. That’s clear throughout Scripture. But, I also think that God’s heart breaks when He sees hearts like mine. I think it breaks God’s heart to see His people not care.

I put the question to the band’s Facebook page as delicately as I could. What should our response be to this latest disaster? Prayer, mobilize our government to action, support Christian relief agencies, all of the above or nothing?

It’s probably not a big surprise that I think we should do all of the above.

(If you’d like to tell me that governments have no part in this and it’s solely the church’s job, please see this journal entry).

I was sad to see these responses among the comments:

where is your sympathy for the poor children in the United States?———-In Georgia? in Marietta?…..in Alabama?….in Louisiana?…in Hawaii?…………When’s the last time you heard of a concert to benefit the poor children in ANY US State?….NEVER……….get your priorities straight 3rd Day….or we’ll quit buying your records!

or this

I think American Christians need to focus more on our own country, and the homeless needy children here, than on other countries.

My first response is to be defensive. I’d love to respond that we’ve done plenty to help kids at home. I adopted a poor child into my family for goodness’ sake. Mac adopted two. So there! We’ve built homes with Habitat for Humanity in five states. We’ve done a benefit show for tornado victims in Alabama. I’d love to apply some kind of perspective to the scale of the suffering. America’s biggest current health concern for our children is childhood obesity. These kids are literally starving to death for crying out loud.

But, I realize that it’s a losing proposition. I’m not going to win that argument. Their argument boils down to a very risky proposition. These fans, or former fans because we asked a question they didn’t like, are betting that God will only hold us accountable for how we treat our immediate neighbor. They’re betting that God loves Americans more. They’re betting that God has some formula that say 30,000 African lives = 1 American child’s life. In light of Matthew 25, that’s a pretty risky bet. Honestly, I hope they’re right. I’d be able to sleep better. I just don’t think they are.

God’s heart must be broken for what is happening in Africa.

God’s heart must also be breaking for the way that our hearts aren’t.

Pray for Africa, and pray for the condition of our hearts in the US.

To sign the petition from ONE: http://act.one.org/sign/horn_of_africa_us/?source=horn_of_africa4

To Give to World Vision:
http://www.worldvision.org/#/home/main/hunger-drought-horn-africa-1-1374

-Tai Anderson, Third Day

On the first day, we were all getting our wits together for a long but exciting weekend ahead of us. I grabbed a ONE shirt and was excited to begin talking to the 90,000 concert attendees that would pass us by. This was a bit different than the U2 show I did earlier in the summer because we were confined to one area and could not engage the audience by walking around the crowds. This was not a big problem but we did expect to see a fewer amount of people than we actually did.

The festival began at 11 a.m. on Friday, and we were unsure about how many people would stop by our tent. But by noon, with more than 100 new members, it was clear that we were going to need to run out to a copy store for more sign-up sheets — a good problem to have. The weekend was off to a fast start. When we finally packed up after the first day, we had filled more than 70 sign up sheets: 705 new ONE members.

The next day I had the morning off of volunteering and had a chance to wander around the festival grounds, meeting some of the other nonprofits there and seeing some great bands. After enjoying the jazz vocal stylings of Bostonian Julia Easterlin, I made my way back to the ONE tent for another round of volunteering. It was just midday, and my cohorts had already signed up more than 600 new ONE members! I decided then that, despite my faltering voice, I was going to push through and keep telling concertgoers about how easy and important it is to be a part of ONE. It was worth it: at the end of the second day, we had signed up more than 1,200 new members.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to help out on the final day of the festival, but from what I heard from my fellow volunteers, they rocked the last day of Lollapalooza. Despite intermittent driving rains they added more than 1,000 new names to our member list. These new members are from all over the world: from Australia to Germany to Ireland to Canada to right down the block in Chicago, people from diverse corners of the world will now be able to take their ONE bands home and strike up a conversation about what we’re doing in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease.

I took the train into Chicago without knowing how much success we should expect in recruiting new members to the cause. But after three days of hard work, sore throats and farmers’ tans, I can rest easy in the knowledge that the ONE Campaign made just as much noise at Lollapalooza as the bands did.

-James Watt, ONE member

One of the first things you might notice about the music is its video game-beats and its tinny, repetitive vocals. But don’t be fooled. Critic Daniel Martin-McCormick from Dusted reviews says “what at first sounds cheap and flimsy quickly opens up into a surprisingly rich soundworld, and what initially feels rushed reveals layers of rhythmic interplay.”

So, how did Shangaan electro emerge and from where? The name “Shangaan” originated in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Recently, the Shangaan sound has migrated to Soweto, an area in the city of Johannesburg which many refer to as the center for all contemporary South African music, particularly because that’s where most dancers reside.

While Shangaan itself is not new, there is one man, Richard Hlungwani (also known as “Dog”) who is known as the mastermind behind the music. Described as a “musical mad scientist,” Dog is responsible for motivating the dancers and musicians to constantly quicken the pace — and apparently they’ve beat their own record with 183 beats per minute! And that’s not all that is authentic about Shangaan electro; the dancers costumes and movements make it difficult to avert your eyes! From colorful skirts to orange colored jumpsuits, Shangaan electro is definitely an authentic collaboration of style, dance and music.

Interestingly, Dog’s work is considered controversial as some feel he is devaluing the traditions of the Shangaan music. In his defense, many argue that he is only pushing the music in new directions while still preserving its heritage. After all, the tom tom drums — an integral part of Shangaan music — remain a dominant part of the overall sound. And, as many assert, it’s the dancers and musicians themselves who are enthusiastically pushing to quicken the pace of this unique sound.

Despite his critics, Dog and his troops have recorded, marketed and sold almost 50,000 albums locally. If that’s not enough proof that Shangaan electro is the next big music trend, Wills Glasspiegel, a New York music producer, watched a YouTube video of these performances and was blown away. He was so enthused about the music that he organized a European tour of 15 countries for Dog and his musical troop.

So, stay ahead of the curve as these African beats make their way to the West by checking out the dancers and innovative sound that’s coming out of South Africa!