It isn’t a novel idea to use music in protest against large concepts. But when the concepts are built around Third World debt, the Marshall Plan and the multinational institutions controlling the economies of developing countries, catchy tunes would seem to be somewhat hard to come by.
This impossible feat is accomplished in the newly released Drop the Debt CD, which brings together a vibrant, 14-track mix of world music from international artists.
Not only does the CD operate as an “edutainment” tool, a portion of the proceeds will go towards advocacy groups campaigning for Third World debt to be scrapped.
The idea came from a French record producer, Francois Mauger, who launched the campaign in several countries in an effort to educate people around the world about the fact that sustainable development in the Third World is not possible if the debt isn’t written off. The campaign calls for multinational institutions, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to cancel money owed by developing countries.
Mauger says the economic policies of Third World countries are dictated by the World Bank and the IMF.
“These organisations dictate economic policy, impose restrictions and put pressure on populations throughout the Third World to make them pay off their debts. The problem is, when leaders get democratically elected in Africa, the people are often immensely disappointed with their policies because international financial organisations prevent them from keeping their promises.”
Three-quarters of the CD comprises original compositions written specifically for the album. It will appeal to world-music lovers, featuring artists including Cesaria Evora, Senegal’s El Hadj N’Diaye, Lokua Kanza (Congo), Korean artist BJ Yahng and Hawa from Italy.
The South African song, The Third World Cried Everyday, features Jabu Khanyile and Steve Dyer on guitar and was written especially for the CD.
Perhaps it is fitting that the song sounds like the closing tune of an SABC channel in the 1980s, because South Africa’s debt was accumulated during the apartheid regime.
In the countries where the CD will be released, organisations protesting against debt will benefit from royalties. A portion of the CD sales will be donated to Jubilee South Africa, the partnering organisation involved in the call for debt cancellation.
Jubilee was set up in 1999. Its function was to mobilise communities against apartheid debt and raise awareness about the crippling effect of debt on the economy. Jubilee plans to use the funds for provincial and community-level advocacy campaigns.
“For South Africa, the critical issue of debt cancellation affects the community because 15% of our annual budget goes towards paying debt instead of paying for basic needs like water, health care and poverty allev-iation programmes,” says Miranda Malele, national assistant coordinator of Jubilee South Africa.
She says genuine development cannot take place as long as there is apartheid debt taking away money needed for the country’s poor and unemployed. “We have paid the price for apartheid and now we are paying twice.”
Malele welcomes the advent of the Drop the Debt CD, saying that it is part of an international campaign everyone can participate in. She says most people find debt cancellation a complicated issue but this CD makes it easier to understand. “If the public buys the CD they are contributing directly towards the campaign.”
The CD has been launched in several countries, each with its unique combination of tracks. About 400 units have been sold in South Africa.
Music store owners say insufficient advertising of the album now poses a challenge for them to find alternative ways to boost sales. “South Africans need to support the campaign by purchasing the album, as it directly affects our daily lives,” says Leemor Daniel-Lombard, international coordinator at the CD’s record label, Sheer Sound.