Monday, July 06, 2009

Tunes Review: In the Name of Love - Africa Celebrates U2

U2, Africa Celebrates U2, Bono U2 reimagined and reinterpreted. This project captures Bono's passion for the plight of Africa.

Released over a year ago, this album only recently come to my attention. No big surprise. I rarely find the music I like. It finds me.

You have to appreciate a deeply ethnic vibe to enjoy these U2 covers. U2 offers the complete package lyrically and musically. But sometimes the music, even when you've spun the songs a thousand times, can detract from the meaning; the poetry of the words.

The artists on this album cause the poetry embedded in U2's rock-n-roll message to hover on a plane separate from the music; above it even.

Bono fights against the AIDS crisis, extreme poverty and rampant spread of malaria that vexes Africa. This album is African gratitude. You need to pick it up. You'll love it.

  1. Pride (In The Name Of Love) by Soweto Gospel Choir
  2. Mysterious Ways by Angélique Kidjo    
  3. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own by Vusi Mahlasela
  4. Bullet The Blue Sky by Vieux Farka Touré    
  5. With Or Without You by Les Nubians
  6. Where The Streets Have No Name by Tony Allen
  7. One by Keziah Jones
  8. Desire by African Underground All-Stars Featuring Chosan, Optimus & Iyeoka (Sierra Leone)
  9. Seconds by Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars
  10. Sunday Bloody Sunday by Ba Cissoko
  11. Love Is Blindness by Waldemar Bastos
  12. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by Cheikh Lô (Senegal)

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