Live 8 at Eden: Africa Calling

On July 2, 2005, when much of the rest of the world was watching U2 preach on bombastically, or the Black Eyed Peas or Dave Matthews Band or Paul McCartney put on an extravagant performance, 5000 people in the south of England were watching some of the most talented African musicians -- those whose lives were more intimately involved in the problems Bob Geldof was trying to fix -- present their cultures and their ideas and their abilities. Yes, the other Live 8 concerts in major cities around the world focused on the plight of Africa, but there was, strangely, a noticeable dearth of African artists, a fact that was finally noticed and so at the last minute a show was arranged in Cornwall, England at the Eden Project, a kind of biome park, featuring some of the biggest of the continent's stars, including Youssou N'Dour, who also performed in London, and who bookends the album Live 8 at Eden: Africa Calling. It is especially the closer, "New Africa," that echoes the message that the artists were trying to convey: that Africa has myriad cultures and musical traditions to share, that they are more than just victims, that they are artists. Zimbabweans Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited supply the lilting "Kuvaria Mukati," while Sudanese Emmanuel Jal raps over live funk instrumentation on "Gua." Angélique Kidjo, another big name on the world scene, adds her mix of soul and Beninese music on "Agolo," but it is, perhaps, the Mozambique-born Portugal-raised Mariza, whose fado, "Barco Negro," is the most affecting of all the pieces, the singer's voice emotional and vulnerable yet very, very sure at the same time. The sound quality of Live 8 at Eden: Africa Calling is pristine, capturing the live energy of the concert, and is an excellent document for those not fortunate enough to be there that this was a very good -- and very pertinent -- show. ~ Marisa Brown|