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Paste Magazine :: News :: African artists assemble to celebrate U2 on compilation

U2 has been trying to throw its arms around the world ever since the band blew up into unprecedented rock superstars. The group has especially focused its efforts on the plight of developing African nations, from debt relief to AIDS to pervasive famine.

“You can throw pennies at the problem, but at a certain point I felt God wasn’t looking for alms,” Bono told Paste in an article for our “Can Rock Save the World?” issue. “He was looking for action. You can’t fix every problem, but the ones you can fix, you have to.”

That sense of obligation has led the band to plenty of charitable efforts in the past. But now some of Africa’s most accomplished musicians are paying a token of gratitude to U2 for its years of service.

On April 1, Shout! Factory releases In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2. The compilation features 12 artists - each representing a different region of Africa - covering U2 standards. Participating artists include Vieux Farka Touré, Tony Allen and Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars. A portion of the proceeds from the CD benefit The Global Fund, an organization that works in 136 countries across the world to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Shawn Amos and Paul Heck produced the compilation.

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Bono has claimed that U2’s new album is going to be “extraordinary” and that it will sound completely different to anything that has been heard before.

The frontman revealed that the band’s new sound has been inspired by a visit to Morocco last year.

Bono told the Independent: “Normally when you play a U2 tune, it clears the dance floor. And that may not be true of this. There’s some trance influences. But there’s some very hardcore guitar coming out of The Edge. Real molten metal.

“It’s not like anything we’ve ever done before, and we don’t think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either.”

The singer explained that going to a religious music festival in Fez, Morocco helped them write new material. He said: “It was a real humbling thing for a punk rock shouter, listening to these people who just close their eyes for 40 minutes and sing the most sophisticated melodies.”

He added: “We have enough material for two albums but it has to be extraordinary. And I think we’ve got that.”

- Digital Spy

Last year, a special issue of The Independent, edited by Bono, introduced a new way of raising money to fight HIV/Aids. Since then, the (Red) initiative has raised more than $50m and helped more than one million people. In an exclusive interview, Bono tells Paul Vallely why people in rich nations can make a difference to the Aids disaster

(01 December 2007) In a world of calibrated cynicism here’s something unabashedly positive to celebrate today to mark what is the 20th occasion that people across the globe have commemorated – if that’s the right word – World Aids Day. The words come from the man who is now as honoured as a campaigner against extreme poverty as he is as front man for the world’s biggest-selling rock band. “Three years ago,” says Bono, the lead singer of U2, “there was virtually no one in Africa on antiretroviral drugs. Now you’ll have two million by the end of this year.”Two million is, of course, only a fraction of those affected by the disease which has to date killed more than 25 million people – making it one of the most destructive epidemics in human history. Another estimated 40 million people are now living with HIV.

But the international community is, for the first time, showing real signs of progress in combating the disease on a significant scale.That fact is, in no small measure, down to the campaigning of the impassioned Irish vocalist, who has lobbied governments for action and corralled some of the world’s biggest businesses into playing their part – which is why this newspaper, for the fourth time, turns itself (Red) today.

Since it was founded 20 months ago, (Red) has donated an extraordinary $50,005,410 (£24,324,379) to the Global Fund to fights Aids, TB and Malaria. “Do the maths,” says Bono. “It costs about $5 a week to pay for the two pills a day it takes to keep someone with HIV alive.”

Aids is no longer a death sentence. Antiretroviral medication will bring someone who is at death’s door back to virtually full health. Doctors call itthe Lazarus effect.

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Product Red, the brand co-founded by U2 frontman Bono, has raised $50m (£24m) to fight Aids in Africa since it was launched in January 2006.

Armani, Motorola and Apple are among those to join the scheme, donating part of sales to the Global Fund against Aids, Malaria and Tuberculosis.

While private sector contribution has been boosted by the brand, the number of firms signing up remains limited.

In Africa more than 33 million people are living with HIV/Aids.

Other brands to have joined the partnership include Gap, Converse and Hallmark. American Express has signed up but only in the UK.

Treatment

Up to 50% of profits from the sale of selected goods goes to the fund.

Before Product Red was launched by Bono and Bobby Shriver of Debt AIDS Trade in Africa (DATA), private sector donations to the fund had reached just $6m. The current level of donations marks an eight-fold increase.

“Product Red has brought about a major change in the way the private sector contributes to the Global Fund,” said Michael Kazatchkine, executive director of the Global Fund.

“The contribution of Product Red partners have already enabled thousands to benefit from Aids treatments, prevention and care.”

However the amount donated to date is small when compared with what the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated to fight HIV/Aids.

In October the foundation, which had assets in the region of $33bn at the end of 2006, announced it would provide $20m over four years for the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise.

Band dust off rare track for acoustic show

U2’s Bono and The Edge played a surprise gig tonight (November 23) at London’s Union Chapel.

Playing as part of Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions, the duo surprised the audience with a four song set which included rare track ‘Wave Of Sorrow’.

The identity of the ’special guests’ was shrouded in mystery when introduced by host Jo Whiley as “a new band with a lot of potential…Dave the guitarist is very nervous…If he makes a mistake forgive him, he’s new. The singer is very shy.”

The band opened with ‘Zooropa’ track ‘Stay (Faraway, So Close)’ with Bono reading the lyrics off a sheet on a music stand.

The singer changed the lyrics: “You can go anywhere/ Miami, New Orleans, London, Belfast and Berlin” to “ You can go anywhere/ Miami, New Orleans, Belfast and Islington,” which was met by roars of approval from the crowd.

After the track finished The Edge said : “I hope you like our new direction.”

Launching into ‘Desire’, Bono ad libbed parts of INXS‘ ‘Need You Tonight’ into the track. He sang the lyrics “I’ve got to let you know / You’re one of my kind.”

He started clapping before taking out a harmonica to play on the track’s distinctive finish.

Bono introduced ‘Angel Of Harlem’ by saying : “This is our only Christmas song.”

After a false start which saw the singer sing the start of ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ by Bob Dylan over The Edge’s riff, the duo continued.

At one point Bono said : “Merry Christmas Yoko.”

When the song finished the pair shook hands.

Bono then introduced the next track by saying : “So about 20 years ago we started a tune on ‘The Joshua Tree’ and yesterday we just finished it. This song is based on the experiences that my lovely wife Ali had in Ethiopia.

“You forget that this was the land of the Queen Of Sheeba…I was 25 and it was an extraordinary time to be there…It was an overwhelming experience.

“This (song) has never been played before. Just don’t tell Larry (Mullen) and Adam (Clayton) we’re doing it…Oh Adam’s here! This is for you sir.”

They played ‘Wave Of Sorrow’ with The Edge playing the keyboards.

Bono said : “Thanks for being so generous,” and The Edge said : “I hope you didn’t notice there were a few mistakes but I was told that was okay…I felt the love.”

-NME

In Vogue’s holiday issue, actress Penelope Cruz unloads on the paparazzi that fueled the story that she and U2’s Bono were having an affair:

Like when I went on holiday to Bono’s house with his wife and kids… we were holding hands because we’re very good friends, and do you know what the paparazzi did to us? They took photos and cropped out Bono’s wife and children! So they made up a story about us being together, knowing perfectly well that I was there with the whole family.

In fact, her obsessions have been a little more prosaic. Here’s her account of girlish excitement at getting her first call from director Pedro Almodovar:

I became completely obsessed with Pedro. Then he called me when I made my first movie, Jamon Jamon. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was drying my hair in the bathroom, and somebody said, ‘Almodovar is calling.’ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing–I’d dreamed about that moment for so long… Now, he’s like family to me.

Source: Penelope Cruz: Almodovar’s Like Family, and Bono Was With His Family | The New York Observer