2008 Woodie Awards
Musicians, iTunes partner up to help fight AIDS in Africa
Jenny Perry
Issue date: 2/27/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
The band Hanson, made up of brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac, which are famous for their 90's hit "Mmm Bop," took a trip to South Africa and were inspired to help the country with their AIDS epidemic.
"The moment that sparked our journey to Africa came when friends of ours from a Tulsa medical firm were donating technology to a South African hospital to help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS," said Isaac in an interview on the band's Web site, www.Hanson.net. "We were so moved by their example that we were compelled to take action."
Hanson stayed at an orphanage in Mozambique
and was awed by the overwhelming sense of optimism of the people they met, despite being surrounded by disease and poverty.
"We began planning our trip to Africa and certainly the AIDS crisis was in the forefront of our minds, but I think it was the message of hope that led us to Africa," Taylor stated in a press release. The trip led them to see how big the AIDS epidemic really was and how it could be conquered on different levels.
They have released "Great Divide," a charity single which is available now as an iTunes exclusive. The single was released on November 28, to honor World AIDS Day.
"The song sends a powerful message of a cause they fully embrace. Isaac states, "The song gives hope and ability to people to realize little things go a long way." Parts of the song were recorded before their trip to Africa, but "After coming back from Africa, the song came to life. The 'Great Divide' was one of the first songs recorded for the record. We always knew it would play a crucial role in the album, but we did not realize to what degree," said Isaac.
Hanson stated in a press release "We were recently in Africa to see for ourselves the extent of the HIV/AIDS crisis and to work on ideas to help enact a solution. We were inspired by some amazing people including the doctors and nurses at the prenatal HIV Research Unit in Soweto. With the help of a local South Africa choir and a choir in Mozambique we recorded the song "Great Divide." We hope you'll listen to the song, watch the video and help save some lives by doing something as simple as downloading the song from iTunes or buying the t-shirt. All our proceeds from these sales will go to the PHRU (hospital) in Soweto."
After the trip the lyrical content became so much more relevant and real to Hanson. The song is about conquering something big, but they never expected it would be this big of a challenge to conquer; which is inspiring for them.
All proceeds from the song will go to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation, an African organization working to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
"The thing I was struck by from all of those kids in Africa, and really the adults too, but largely the kids, was that there was a since of hope, literally, and a sense of conquering the circumstances they were in. It is so consistent within the country," said Isaac.
Hanson is doing what they can on a personal level and as a band to stop this epidemic in Africa. They want to stop so many kids from being born with the virus and being orphaned by the disease. They know that it might not be possible to find a cure, but they can help others from getting it. Hanson realizes that this is a huge goal, but it is very obtainable to them and they are willing to stick with the cause for a long time.
"We felt like we left Africa with a message we could relate to others - the understanding that you already possess something that can help in the fight against AIDS," Taylor says in a release from their publicist. "It can be as simple as spending 99 cents on a song, or buying formula for an infant so she won't contract AIDS from her mother. It doesn't mean we must all go to Africa. It means we all have a role to play. We should be asking 'Are we doing all we can?'"
They are eager to show that problems get solved by individuals doing what they can to make a difference. Hanson believes that by listening to the song, people are introduced to the issue. Hanson's goal is to make people aware and encourage them to actively commit to the cause.
Isaac said "We have a lot of plans to return to Africa soon, which we cannot really talk about right now, but the 'Great Divide' is merely the tip of the iceberg for us. This is not something we are going to do and move on. We feel the need to dedicate years or decades of our lives to this cause, because it is really important and a lot of things can be done. The doctors that we have met and been working with, have been able to reduce the mother-to-child transmission to only two percent. So, 98 percent of these kids will be living without this virus, which is an amazing milestone."
The single is on their fourth Indie album, titled "The Walk." For Hanson, this album is looking at the state of the music industry and their community. "The Walk is the walk of life," Zac says in a press release about their new album. "People make decisions to go for their dreams, to do something difficult, or they decide to be part of the crowd that watches. You have to make those decisions by yourself." This album will be released sometime this spring.
Their last album Underneath was released on the Billboard Independent Chart at No. 1 and on Billboards Top 200 at No. 25, making it one of the most successful self-released albums in history.
Hanson wants the college communities to pick up on the song.
For more information go to iTunes, or www.Hanson.net.
"The moment that sparked our journey to Africa came when friends of ours from a Tulsa medical firm were donating technology to a South African hospital to help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS," said Isaac in an interview on the band's Web site, www.Hanson.net. "We were so moved by their example that we were compelled to take action."
Hanson stayed at an orphanage in Mozambique
and was awed by the overwhelming sense of optimism of the people they met, despite being surrounded by disease and poverty.
"We began planning our trip to Africa and certainly the AIDS crisis was in the forefront of our minds, but I think it was the message of hope that led us to Africa," Taylor stated in a press release. The trip led them to see how big the AIDS epidemic really was and how it could be conquered on different levels.
They have released "Great Divide," a charity single which is available now as an iTunes exclusive. The single was released on November 28, to honor World AIDS Day.
"The song sends a powerful message of a cause they fully embrace. Isaac states, "The song gives hope and ability to people to realize little things go a long way." Parts of the song were recorded before their trip to Africa, but "After coming back from Africa, the song came to life. The 'Great Divide' was one of the first songs recorded for the record. We always knew it would play a crucial role in the album, but we did not realize to what degree," said Isaac.
Hanson stated in a press release "We were recently in Africa to see for ourselves the extent of the HIV/AIDS crisis and to work on ideas to help enact a solution. We were inspired by some amazing people including the doctors and nurses at the prenatal HIV Research Unit in Soweto. With the help of a local South Africa choir and a choir in Mozambique we recorded the song "Great Divide." We hope you'll listen to the song, watch the video and help save some lives by doing something as simple as downloading the song from iTunes or buying the t-shirt. All our proceeds from these sales will go to the PHRU (hospital) in Soweto."
After the trip the lyrical content became so much more relevant and real to Hanson. The song is about conquering something big, but they never expected it would be this big of a challenge to conquer; which is inspiring for them.
All proceeds from the song will go to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation, an African organization working to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
"The thing I was struck by from all of those kids in Africa, and really the adults too, but largely the kids, was that there was a since of hope, literally, and a sense of conquering the circumstances they were in. It is so consistent within the country," said Isaac.
Hanson is doing what they can on a personal level and as a band to stop this epidemic in Africa. They want to stop so many kids from being born with the virus and being orphaned by the disease. They know that it might not be possible to find a cure, but they can help others from getting it. Hanson realizes that this is a huge goal, but it is very obtainable to them and they are willing to stick with the cause for a long time.
"We felt like we left Africa with a message we could relate to others - the understanding that you already possess something that can help in the fight against AIDS," Taylor says in a release from their publicist. "It can be as simple as spending 99 cents on a song, or buying formula for an infant so she won't contract AIDS from her mother. It doesn't mean we must all go to Africa. It means we all have a role to play. We should be asking 'Are we doing all we can?'"
They are eager to show that problems get solved by individuals doing what they can to make a difference. Hanson believes that by listening to the song, people are introduced to the issue. Hanson's goal is to make people aware and encourage them to actively commit to the cause.
Isaac said "We have a lot of plans to return to Africa soon, which we cannot really talk about right now, but the 'Great Divide' is merely the tip of the iceberg for us. This is not something we are going to do and move on. We feel the need to dedicate years or decades of our lives to this cause, because it is really important and a lot of things can be done. The doctors that we have met and been working with, have been able to reduce the mother-to-child transmission to only two percent. So, 98 percent of these kids will be living without this virus, which is an amazing milestone."
The single is on their fourth Indie album, titled "The Walk." For Hanson, this album is looking at the state of the music industry and their community. "The Walk is the walk of life," Zac says in a press release about their new album. "People make decisions to go for their dreams, to do something difficult, or they decide to be part of the crowd that watches. You have to make those decisions by yourself." This album will be released sometime this spring.
Their last album Underneath was released on the Billboard Independent Chart at No. 1 and on Billboards Top 200 at No. 25, making it one of the most successful self-released albums in history.
Hanson wants the college communities to pick up on the song.
For more information go to iTunes, or www.Hanson.net.
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