Friday, May 8, 2009

Songs from the Heart

I don't know how many of you were listening to NPR this evening but there was one story that moved me. It's been a year since that terrible earthquake in China, and NPR has had a correspondent in the area following various stories. In this one, she interviews people who have put together an album of songs based on children's tunes (and enhanced with electronica and various ambient noise). "Song for Mama" opens with the "beat" of construction, then we hear the mother telling her son, who is living far apart from her, to study and be strong (or something like that). Then we hear the boy's plaintive song to the moon, asking it to carry his love to his mother. I was in tears because it was so lovely. Then, there was an amazing "Tibetan rap." You can hear the full story and the songs at npr.org. The title of the album is "Afterquake" and I've already bought it. Proceeds go to the reconstruction.