Toots Hibbert, Ernest Ranglin & Taj Mahal Join Musicians Around The World To Make a Soulful Noise
Lots of people talk about how music is a “universal language,” but few have put the concept into practice as effectively as the organization Playing For Change. Conceived in 2002 by Mark Johnson and Whitney Kroenke, the original idea was to hit the streets Alan Lomax style with a mobile recording studio—plus some video cameras, which Lomax did not have back in the day. What began as an award-winning documentary, Playing for Change: A Cinematic Discovery of Street Musicians, has evolved into an ongoing creative and humanitarian project that encompasses live concerts, albums, DVDs, and a charitable foundation, all tapping into the power of music to unite people around the world for a good cause and a good time. Among the songs included on PFC3: Songs Around The World, there is a noticeable preponderance of reggae—”if everybody was going to join hands and march through the streets for a cause, reggae would be a good soundtrack for that,” Mark Johnson explained after a recent screening. One of the standouts is this Toots & The Maytals classic, as interpreted by a variety of singers and players both known and unknown—hailing from Japan, L.A., Congo, Jamaica, Harlem, and Italy. The recording, which debuted on the PFC Youtube channel last night, appears on Boomshots today for the first time. “We brought together Toots, Taj Mahal, Ernest Ranglin and many many more musicians [click through the gallery above to see a few of them] to contribute to this worldwide reggae anthem,” writes Mark Johnson. “Turn it up, spread it around and support Playing For Change by purchasing our new album, PFC 3: Songs Around The World“, and sharing it with everyone you can!” Video After The Jump…
