SOS Planet Earth

A label that calls itself Narada World wouldn't truly be global minded if it didn't show concern about the future of the planet, would it? The charity element alone should draw attention to this all-star gathering of mostly previously released tracks, whose royalties are allocated to several foundations working to bring relief to deprived peoples and areas in third world countries. The 14 tracks draw artists from five continents in a show of global unity. It doesn't get any more inspiring than turning His Holiness The Dalai Lama into a chant artist whose voice resonates over the intense world dance grooves of Chris Hinze on "So Give Them Hope." The best of the previously released songs are "Terre d'Oru (Fields of Gold)," which pits I Muvrini with Sting in a remarkable bilingual effort, and the playful, brassy "Seremos" by "Sergent Garcia." Peter Gabriel's offering is trippy but his vocals in the mix are way in the distance, seemingly by design. The best originals are by Johnny Clegg and "Chouft," a smooth jazz/world beat fusion tune by Seba. ~ Jonathan Widran|