Welcome to the FPB music blog. This week, we take a look at the efforts of musicians around the globe aimed at drawing attention to Haiti following the massive earthquake that hit the Caribbean nation two weeks ago. Leading the charge is Haitian-born rapper Wyclef Jean, whose Yele charity has raised more than $2 million through text messages and the artist’s ability to highlight the issue, as he did during this celebrity telethon:
The charity, however, has recently become the subject of controversy as non-profit watchdog groups like Chairty Navigator examine the financial practices of the organization.
Nevertheless, Wyclef continues to advocate heavily for his countrymen, apologizing for any irregularities.
And there is more good news for fans of hip-hop. The rapper, who also plays guitar, has suggested that the group that shot him to stardom in the mid-nineties, The Fugeees, may reunite to record a track to raise funds for earthquake victims.
Other developments on the music for Haiti front include the Hope for Haiti Now campaign, backed by George Clooney, which has raised $3 million through more than 170,000 downloads of artists like Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Chris Martin of Coldplay and others. You can download tracks from iTunes here.
Caribbean artists are also playing their part. Pop reggae rapper Shaggy has recorded a track with fellow islanders Sean Paul, Sean Kingston and others called “Rise Again”
Lastly, several high profile musicians are on board for a remake of the “We Are the World” campaign that brought global attention to the impact of drought in Africa 25 years ago – this time to benefit survivors of the Haiti quake. The project is being driven by Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie, two veterans from the original version. MTV.com speculates as to which artists are the modern day equivalents of the original USA for Africa players from 1985.
