The international musical collective, Playing for Change, will release their second album, PFC2: Songs Around the World on the 31st May 2011.
The band recently uploaded a YouTube video of the opening track from the forthcoming album. Malian singer Baaba Maal, Delta blues guitarist Keb Mo and kora maestro Mamadou Diabate all contribute to the new track. As does tabla player Chandrajit and Jamaican reggae drummer Courtney “Bam” Diedrick. Several Brazilian guitarists drop in and vocals are thickened out by two female singers from Mamallapuram in India.
The band is the brainchild of film maker Mark Johnson who commented, ‘The idea was to find a way to inspire the world to come together . . . To stop the hate’. Playing for Change's 2009 video, ‘Stand By Me’, was an enormous YouTube hit. The 2009 clip alone has been viewed over thirty-one million times. ‘Three Little Birds’ takes much the same approach. The track is a simple feel-good cover of a classic tune. Each musician was filmed on location in their respective countries and has been pasted together in a glossy montage sequence. The 2011 project features over one hundred and fifty musicians from twenty five different countries. Other covers include on the album are pop anthems, ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon and ‘Higher Ground’ from Stevie Wonder.
PFC2 Trailer | Playing For Change from Playing For Change on Vimeo.