An Album That Saves Lives
Save my Soul is a timeless and intimate reflection of the human condition, set amidst extreme poverty, famine, and disease. This album demonstrates the unique healing power that music plays in human life. Save My Soul brilliantly captures vocal and instrumental expressions of hope and optimism that overshadow the bleak conditions in which the 21 tracks were recorded.
This rare album was recorded entirely impromptu while a group of humanitarians distributed anti-malaria mosquito nets in Zambia. As the group approached remote villages, camped in the bush, attended masses, visited hospitals and clinics, and explored cities, the album's producers recorded the music they heard.
Malaria has killed more people than any other disease, ever. If you are not familiar with the continued widespread threat of malaria, the disease kills 3,000 children every day and more than 1,000,000 children every year. The vast majority are under the age of 5. Malaria infects 500 million people every year. Imagine the economic burden on the healthcare system and the crippling effect on workforces that continually see a rise in incidents of the disease. Malaria actually causes poverty. Yet when you talk in terms of one child dying every thirty seconds, the largest consequence is the loss of opportunity, experience, and most importantly: the future.
Even more troubling, malaria is preventable. Insecticide treated mosquito nets (ITNs) are the most cost effective way to protect oneself from infection.
Nets have a significant record of reducing the incidence of malaria. Once a person receives a bed net, they can use it up to four years. Nets are large enough for several children to sleep under. The insecticide treated mesnetting is hung over beds or places of sleep. The net creates a shield between humans and mosquitoes. Mosquitoes that carry malaria generally strike during the nighttime. Therefore, the use of ITNs greatly reduces the incidence of malaria (studies show up to a 90% efficacy rate).
Unfortunately, lack of financial resources and logistical constraints make it difficult to distribute mosquito nets to those in need. Long lasting ITNs cost only $10. However, an average worker in Sub-Saharan Africa earns less than $1 per day. This is not enough money to provide life-sustaining resources such as food, water, and adequate shelter for a family let alone a mosquito net.
The World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Nothing But Nets, and hundreds of other groups and governments are involved in combating malaria. They are making large strides educating the world about the disease and helping to prevent it. However, more attention and greater financial resources are still needed immediately.
To understand the extent of the problem, one must consider that the Global Fund has approved 2.8 billion dollars in grants over five years in 85 countries to prevent malaria, the White House has set aside 1.2 billion dollars, and the World Bank has pledged 500 million. These public efforts will help; however, a larger push by the private sector is needed to expand and expedite the effort. With your help we can save young lives now. There is no later.
How Your Net Will Be Distributed
For every compact disc sold, we will donate an ITN to the Los Angeles, Watts/Willowbrook Rotary Club's malaria project. In turn this Rotary club will apply for matching grants from their district and Rotary International "helping us double the amount of nets that are distributed!" says LeRoy Jones, President of the Watts/Willowbrook Rotary Club.
The Watts/Willowbrook Rotary club is a secular non-profit organization that has been effectively distributing nets in Africa. The group has committed itself to combating malaria in Zambia over the next ten years. The nets will be distributed in coordination with the Malaria Control Center. The group purchases PermaNet® long lasting insecticide treated malaria nets that are proven effective for up to four years. To follow the progress of your contribution during this campaign, please visit stopthebite.org.
Creation of the Album
The music was recorded while a documentary film crew followed the Los Angeles Watts/Willowbrook Rotary club during its net distributions in Africa. The filmmakers wanted to contribute their resources to help the club's future efforts in combating malaria. This resulted in creating the music cd: Save My Soul – Music to Prevent Malaria.
The CD showcases the talents of many artists whose lives have been directly affected by malaria. For example, if you listen to the track I Will March To Heaven One Day, performed by the school kids of Chifwema village, you can hear the children singing and clapping after a net distribution! The track reveals the sound of the children actually clapping their hands against the bags that the mosquito nets come in. This also occurred during another net distribution at the Bauleni Street Kids orphanage in Lusaka Zambia. This can be heard while the kids sing on the track Praise the Lord.
On several tracks such as Blessed Is He you hear vibrant African choirs singing with impressive natural acoustics inside places of worship.
The album is named after the amazing vocal track Save My Soul performed by a group of children at the St. Catherine's school in the compounds of Lusaka.
The CD also contains traditional African songs such as We Walk Together, performed by authentic tribal dancers in the Livingstone/Victoria Falls area.
The most intimate songs were recorded in the compound of Old John Laing, by children many of whom attested to having malaria 2 or more times (a stunning statistic because most of the singers were under the age of 10). The Girl – She's Becoming a Woman was performed by a group of 20 kids who live in some of the worst conditions in the world. Note the optimism, playfulness, and charisma in their voices. Once this group of street kids started to sing and dance, it was difficult to get them to stop performing what became one of the most memorable and realistic recordings on the album.
Save My Soul – Music To Prevent Malaria is a genuine portrayal of life and music in Africa. It was recorded digitally on location and is now available on this digitally mastered CD. Most importantly this music will save lives.
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