Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - October 30, 2001
"What's Going On" features nine original mixes of the song by Jermaine Dupri (Original Mix and R&B Mix), Brian Eno, Moby, Fred Durst, The Neptunes, Junior Vasquez, Mike Mangini, and Mick Guzauski.
The artists have participated in recording the classic song by Marvin Gaye in support of a new organization called Artists Against AIDS Worldwide (AAAW).
The goal of the organization is to focus attention on the emergency affecting Africa and other impoverished regions -- the global AIDS epidemic -- which kills over 5,000 Africans daily.
Proceeds from sales of the CD will benefit AIDS programs in affected countries and fund AIDS advocacy campaigns worldwide including, Global AIDS Alliance, Hope for African Children Initiative, Youth AIDS/Africa Alive, and Population Services International. In addition, a percentage will benefit the United Way's September 11th Fund through the end of this year.
"The song we've done is all about mobilization and action, because the missing ingredient has been political will," commented actress/singer Nona Gaye, daughter of Marvin Gaye. "We are all asking -- What's Going On? President Bush and other political leaders have made clear that the answer to the questions is incomplete with out considering Global poverty and AIDS. Those at risk from AIDS in Africa are the very poorest and cannot be forgotten. The congress and the administration should work together to provide $1 billion dollars of emergency money to fight AIDS in Africa."
Bono said during his recent concert in NY City. "And when the dust settles and all this evil has been pushed aside, we can do something in Africa. We've seen what happens when Afghanistan implodes. Can you imagine what will happen if the entire continent of Africa is left to implode?"
In conjunction with the release of the CD, Artists Against AIDS Worldwide is also launching its website http://www.aaaw.org. The site features exclusive behind-the-scenes video of the making of the CD and photos of the artists in- studio, among numerous other features that help site visitors take direct action to help in the fight against AIDS. Visitors to the site can also hear audio clips of all nine mixes on the CD, purchase the CD or make donations to Artists Against AIDS Worldwide. The site also contains the latest facts regarding the AIDS pandemic around the world and information on how visitors can contact President Bush and other world leaders to urge support for debt relief. The site was created with the generous support of technology partners, iXL, VitalStream Inc., and Encode This!.
Additionally, a video featuring many of the artists on the CD will premiere on MTV's -TRL on Wednesday. The video, directed by Jake Scott, reminds people that despite labels and categories individuals use to differentiate one another -- and can blind us to the truth -- we are all human. These labels were incorporated into the performances of many of the artists in the video.
Leigh Blake, founder of Artists Against AIDS Worldwide said, "This song was recorded in NYC on 5th and 7th September. Little did we know what was to follow. In the wake of our suffering, lets not forget the people of Africa, who also suffer terribly everyday, losing 5,500 of its citizens and one child every 30 seconds to AIDS. Lets unite, and create a global community based on safety and healing. They say America doesn't care about the rest of the world. Lets prove we do."
Previously, Blake was also co-founder of the Red Hot Organization and King Cole Inc., which has produced several successful CD compilations to raise money for AIDS research and relief.
The CD's release has been closely coordinated with campaigns of the Global AIDS Alliance to persuade wealthy governments, particularly the US, to do much more to help stop global AIDS and inequity. The CD release is timed with the release of letters from prominent members of Congress and from over 90 civic groups appealing for $1Billion in emergency funds to fight global AIDS. The CD has also inspired a range of allied advocacy groups to reach out to fans by inviting them to discussion and action sessions now planned in six major US cities where Bono and U2 have added "What's Going On?" to their current tour. The meetings are designed to speak with ordinary Americans about AIDS, debt and poverty and explain what they can do to help.
Artists Against AIDS Worldwide
AAAW is dedicated to raising funds and awareness to stop the spread of AIDS especially in Africa. AAAW wants to encourage political leaders to:
* Drop the Debt (give deeper debt relief to the poorest affected countries)
* Treat The People (make anti-AIDS drugs cheaper and more available to the poorest and most vulnerable people in Africa)
* Donate the Dollars (rich nations like the USA should give more to the international fight against AIDS) AAAW combines high profile awareness raising initiatives with the ongoing efforts of AIDS activists worldwide.
About Global AIDS Alliance:
The Global AIDS Alliance is an international collaboration among humanitarian, civil rights, religious, and activist groups. It stands for eliminating the AIDS crisis without delay by mobilizing public opinion, more money, and far better policies against HIV/AIDS and its causes, including extreme poverty. More information on the organization can be found online at http://www.globalaidsalliance.org.
About iXL:
iXL is an industry-focused global consulting and services company. iXL solves fundamental business issues by digitizing and integrating our clients' sales, customer service, training, production and distribution processes to facilitate interactions with all customers, employees and suppliers across all channels. iXL has done this successfully for some of the world's leading companies, including AIG, BellSouth, British Airways, Budget Rent a Car, Chase, Citicorp, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, DuPont, Eastman Chemical FedEx, First Union, Fleet, GE and LloydsTSB via its Enterprise, Travel/Transportation, Financial Services, Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods and Manufacturing groups. For more information, visit http://www.ixl.com.
About VitalStream, Inc.:
VitalStream provides audio and video streaming, advanced media hosting, payment processing, and consulting services. The Company's unique mix of services and technology enable businesses to leverage the global reach of the Internet to distribute their media content to targeted audiences worldwide. For more information regarding VitalStream, Inc at http://www.vitalstream.com .
About Encode This!:
As a leading digital media infrastructure company, Encode This! delivers the industry's most powerful combination of proprietary technologies and complete digital media solutions. Encode This! specializes in encoding, encryption, streaming, hosting and applications for digital media content, providing the highest quality, multi-format, cross-platform services using the most advanced techniques and technologies in the industry. Encode This! can be reached at http://www.encodethis.com .
"What's Going On" is a production of Artists Against AIDS Worldwide.
For more information on Artists Against AIDS Worldwide, please contact Beverly Visty, 213-706-9321; email: Beverly@dharmata.com
For more information on "What's Going On," please contact Miguel Baguer, Columbia Records, Media, New York, 212-833-8562; email: miguel_baguer@sonymusic.com
Online press, please contact Lisa Linder, Columbia Records, Media, New York, 212-833-6666; email: lisa_linder@sonymusic.com
SOURCE Dharmata Public Relations
Web Site: http://www.aaaw.org http://www.encodethis.com
http://www.vitalstream.com http://www.ixl.com
http://www.globalaidsalliance.org http://www.columbiarecords.com
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