Eighteen top African musicians, including Salif Keita, Youssou N'dour, Koffi Olomidé, Mahmoud Ahmed and Cheb Mami, have composed and performed a song being launched simultaneously in Africa on Monday to get everyone to fight poverty and HIV/AIDS. We Are the Drums is part of the Africa 2015 initiative UNDP is leading to accelerate attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
Salif Keita, Youssou N'dour, Chiwoniso, Acheng’ Abura, Malouma, Meiway and Baaba Maal were among the many African stars that were in Dakar a few months ago to record the song urging Africans to do everything in their power to halt and reverse the spread of AIDS and halve extreme poverty by 2015. The song is to be launched this week.
The artists had agreed to join the Africa 2015 initiative launched by UNDP to help mobilize support for the Millennium Development Goals. These aims include the reduction of poverty and hunger by at least half by the year 2015, enabling primary education for all, reversing the spread of AIDS and other diseases, and managing the environment for the benefit of present and future generations.
According to Cheb Mami, the famous Algerian singer, “this is an opportunity to bring together Africans from the North, South, East and West, for us to mobilize around the idea that with the talents with which the continent is brimming in every field, particularly in the artistic field, we can and must take our destiny into our own hands over the long term. We cannot accept that AIDS and poverty should create such ravages and be so widespread in our societies.” (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
