Playing for Change

HOST: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English. I'm Doug Johnson. Today, we play music from a CD that brings together more than one hundred musicians from around the world. HOST: Who knew a single idea could result in a musical world union. Mark Johnson's idea, "Playing for Change," is now a CD, a DVD, a documentary film, a nonprofit organization and a company. Faith Lapidus has more. FAITH LAPIDUS: Mark Johnson is a Grammy Award-winning musical producer and engineer. Over the past four years he traveled around the world with recording equipment and video cameras in an effort to unite people through music. He used modern editing technology to combine voices and instruments into a global music experience. His idea started when he heard two religious workers playing music for free in New York City's underground transportation system. He was surprised by the large number of busy people in the subway who stopped to listen. Mister Johnson decided to record musicians around the world to unite people with different instruments and cultures. He believes music has the power to break boundaries. Here is part of the American song "Stand by Me." It includes over thirty-five musicians from countries including the United States, South Africa, Brazil and Russia. The video of "Stand by Me" has received more than eleven million views on YouTube. The CD "Playing for Change" has ten songs performed by a total of more than one hundred musicians from five continents. Mark Johnson made the songs by recording one part of the song at a time. Then he added more musicians and instruments from other countries. Bob Marley's song "War/No More Trouble" includes musicians who have lived during wars and conflicts. The musicians are from Israel, India, Zimbabwe and other countries. The famous Irish singer Bono from the group U2 also performs on this song. Many of the songs on "Playing for Change" are versions of famous older songs. But this song, "Don't Worry," was written for the album by Pierre Minetti of Spain. It includes over twenty musicians from four continents who are connected through the message in the music. Playing for Change is not just about sharing music with the world. Mark Johnson wanted to help the musicians and their communities. So he created a non-profit group, the Playing for Change Foundation two years ago. Last year, he established Timeless Media, a for-profit company that pays for and extends the work of Playing for Change. Mark Johnson writes on the CD: "As a human race we come together for birth, we come together for death. What brings us together in between is up to us. Stop and listen to the universal language of music and bring that positive energy with you everywhere you go." We leave you now with Bob Marley's "One Love" from "Playing for Change." HOST: I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program. It was written by Kim Varzi and Caty Weaver, who was also the producer. Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English. Source: Voice of America