One of the best ways to spread the word about global warming and to gather future support for more sustainable living towards combating climate change is to reach future consumers, namely, global youth culture via music. The Artists Project Earth (APE) and World Bank’s Connect4Climate (C4C) collaboration is doing just that, most recently by joining forces and creating a global music video competition.
This includes, a major launch event featuring Rhythms del Mundo: Africa at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. on December 18, 2012.
Lucia Grenna, Program Manager of Connect4Climate, said, “We are thrilled to be working together in creative partnership with APE and hope that through the combined strength of our networks and the Connect4Climate community we can help reach large global youth audiences to spread the word about climate change. Rhythms del Mundo: Africa resonates with us – not only because of the album’s beautiful music, but more importantly for the powerful mission behind it. In light of the findings of the Turn Down the Heat climate change report just released by the World Bank this week, APE’s efforts towards disaster relief and climate change awareness and education are more critical than ever.
A powerful example of youth empowerment are the young rappers from the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya featured on the Rhythms del Mundo: Africa album in a unique collaboration with Eminem for the remix of ‘Not Afraid.’ The TS-1 rappers know firsthand how climate change and poverty impact their lives, and are using their creative talents and passionate voices to inform and inspire change. This CD makes their voices heard- elevating local voices to a global audience.”
As World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said, “Lack of action on climate change threatens to make the world our children inherit a completely different world than we are living in today. Climate change is one of the single biggest challenges facing development, and we need to assume the moral responsibility to take action on behalf of the future generations, especially the poorest.”
Launched in September 2011 by the World Bank, the Italian Ministry of Environment, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in collaboration with more than 140 knowledge partners, Connect4Climate (C4C) is a global partnership program dedicated to climate change communication, advocacy, and action.
As a follow-up to C4C’s successful photo and video competition on climate change targeted to African youth in the run-up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP17) in Durban in December 2011, C4C launched Voices4Climate- a global competition to showcase the world’s most powerful climate photos, videos, music videos, and podcasts in collaboration with MTV and TerrAfrica. The top music video winner will spend a day with MTV editors in London or New York to prepare their video for MTV’s Voices platform, and the two podcast winners will travel to Doha to cover the UN Climate Change Conference.
A catchy music video called “Me and My Bike” produced by Kenya’s Slum Talent Trust and featuring TS-1, won the youth video award in C4C’s 2011 competition as well as APE’s Youth Award in the ‘One Minute to Save the World’ film competition.
On the upcoming Rhythms Del Mundo: Africa album also include a series of musicial collaborations with Coldplay, Beyonce, Mumford & Sons, and REM, among others, plus high profile western and African musicians including, Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyate, Ali Farka Touré Band, and Rokia Traoré. Sessions also took place in Kenya, South Africa and Swaziland. Members of Miriam Makeba’s band and Senegalese musicians also added their brilliant musicianship to the collaborative tracks.
Check-out the latest Rhythms Del Mundo: Africa music for climate awareness album.
