Music and Poverty

Written by Eric Olsen
Published August 19, 2002

Via Rock and Rap Confidential:

    An important new film: "The Ultimate Song"

    "If musicians could help put an end to poverty, that would be the
    ultimate song."--Fredo Ballesteros, Boxing Gandhis

    Rock A Mole Productions has just finished a documentary film, The
    Ultimate Song, that highlights the great importance of music in the battle to
    end poverty. The Ultimate Song includes interviews and/or performance footage
    of Ice T, Sara Hickman, Jackson Browne, Tom Morello of Rage Against the
    Machine, Bruce Springsteen, Brother Bank, Marah, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule,
    Krown Ju-Elz, Steve Earle, Kindred, Wayne Kramer, and Brian Blade.

    This is combined with interviews and action footage of the growing poor
    people's movement in the United States. The leaders from the ranks of the
    poor detail the importance of music in their work, how it helps break down
    the isolation of individuals and organizations and how it keeps spirits up
    during trying times.

    The Ultimate Song explores a new relationship between musicians and poor
    people's organizations, where the poverty of musicians and their struggle to
    create is placed on the same footing as the general problems of high rent and
    low health care.

    The Ultimate Song, filled with music from beginning to end, shows how the
    use of culture can help bring about the end of poverty for musician and fan
    alike. It tackles such questions as: "Are Poor People Lazy?," "What Color is
    Poverty?," "Musicians Are (Poor) People Too," "The Power of Music," and
    "What Can Musicians Do?".

    "With our leaflets or our speeches, we can only speak to hundreds or
    thousands of people. Music speaks to millions."--Willie Baptist, Director of
    Education, Kensington Welfare Rights Union.

    A VHS copy of the Ultimate Song will be provided FREE to any musician who
    wants one. If that's you, just email us at rockrap@aol.com with your name and
    postal address. For everyone else, we request a $10 donation. Please send to:
    RRC, Box 341305, Los Angeles CA 90034.

Career media professional Eric Olsen is honored to be the founder and publisher of Blogcritics.org, which, quite frankly, rules - as do his wife and four children.
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Music and Poverty
Published: August 19, 2002
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Writer: Eric Olsen
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