# Original Release Date: November 14, 2006
# Original Release Date: November 14, 2006
# Number of Discs: 1
# Label: Hip-O Records
# ASIN: B000J23416
#Producer(s):Kenny Young, the Berman Brothers
Rhythms del Mundo is a nonprofit collaborative album, which fuses an all-star cast of Cuban muscians including Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo of the the Buena Vista Social Club with tracks from US, UK and Irish artists such as U2, Coldplay, Sting, Jack Johnson and Maroon 5 , Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and many others.
Background
Kenny Young, Founder and Trustee of APE, explains how the project emerged: "The project was sparked off by the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The idea came in to do a project with The Buena Vista Social Club to fuse their Latin sounds with Western artists and their familiar popular songs. The project evolved when more environmental disasters struck -- the Asian Earthquakes and Hurricane Katrina. But the big picture was climate change. You can call these natural disasters but after all the research and scientific data, we know that we're at least partly to blame for some of these disasters. Global warming is now in the news daily. If we don't act in the time frame our experts give us, our grandchildren will curse us eternally."
Thom Yorke comments, "We need a law, we need to have the Government put climate change in its place. If you leave industry to sort it out on a voluntary basis that's never going to happen. So everybody, if they've got any concerns about climate, change has to register that concern with their Government officials because it's the only way to go."[1]
Charity
Album proceeds will benefit the environmental nonprofit organization Artists' Project Earth (APE), which raises funds for disaster relief efforts and climate change awareness. The artists on this album fully support the record as a show of commitment to the music and to the cause that it endorses.
Music
The main recording sessions took place in Havana at Abdala Studios from April 2005 to June 2006. While the majority of the vocals remain the same, the musicans of the Buena Vista Social Club took the original orchestration from each song and created something utterly unique, casting their trademark mastery over each track. "Rhythms Del Mundo" includes reworked tracks such as "Clocks" by Coldplay, "Better Together" by Jack Johnson, "She Will be Loved" by Maroon 5, "High and Dry" by Radiohead and "Dancing Shoes" by Arctic Monkeys.
"Rhythms Del Mundo" also includes music by famed Cuban singers Omara Portuondo and the last vocal recording of Afro-Cuban bolero singer, Ibrahim Ferrer, who passed away in 2005. The other Cuban musicians from The Buena Vista Social Club who perform on this album are as follows: Barbarito Torres, Amandito Valdes, Virgilio Valdes, Angel Terri Domech, Manuel 'Guajiro' Mirabal, Orlando Lopez 'Cachaito' and Demetrio Muniz. This project is the brainchild and concept of Kenny Young and the Berman Brothers. The trio also produced the 16 new original recordings on the CD.
Track Listing
1. Clocks - Coldplay - 5:01
2. Better Together - Jack Johnson - 3:27
3. Dancing Shoes - Arctic Monkeys - 2:29
4. One Step Too Far - Dido & Faithless - 3:17
5. As Time Goes By - Ibrahim Ferrer - 3:10
6. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2 & Coco Freeman - 4:53
7. She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5 - 4:05
8. Fragilidad - Sting - 4:17
9. Killing Me Softly - Omara Portuondo (cover song of Roberta Flack) - 4:27
10. Ai No Corrida - Vania Borges feat. Quincy Jones - 4:30
11. Modern Way - Kaiser Chiefs - 3:58
12. Don’t Know Why - Vania Borges (cover song of Norah Jones) - 3:10
13. Hotel Buena Vista - Aquila Rose & Idania Valdez - 3:27
14. The Dark of the Matinee - Coco Freeman feat. Franz Ferdinand - 3:58
15. High and Dry - El Lele de Los Van Van feat. Radiohead (samples) - 5:14
16. Bonus Track. Casablanca (As time goes by) - Ibrahim Ferrer & Omara Portuondo - 3:10
Reviews
AMG rates Rhythms del Mundo: Cuba with 4.5 out of 5 stars and goes on to praise the flawless musicianship, the inspired arrangements and also the timeless quality of some of the tracks [2].
Clocks by RHYTHMS DEL MUNDO feat. COLDPLAY, reached the first place in TUS ELEGIDOS the weekly ranking of the radio station TELESTEREO 88 FM - Lima, Peru.
External links
For more information on the charities that will benefit from this album go to
http://www.apeuk.org/music.htm
http://www.rhythmsdelmundo.com
http://www.myspace.com/rhythmsdelmundo
Under Pressure
Rhythms del Mundo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Um bum ba de
Um bu bu bum da de
Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure - that burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
Um ba ba be
De day da
Ee day da - that's o.k.
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'Let me out'
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher
Pressure on people - people on streets
Day day de mm hm
Da da da ba ba
O.k.
Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Ee do ba be
Ee da ba ba ba
Um bo bo
Be lap
People on streets - ee da de da de
People on streets - ee da de da de da de da
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'Let me out'
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher high high
Pressure on people - people on streets
Turned away from it all like a blind man
Sat on a fence but it don't work
Keep coming up with love
but it's so slashed and torn
Why - why - why?
Love love love love love
Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking
Can't we give ourselves one more chance
Why can't we give love that one more chance
Why can't we give love give love give love give love
give love give love give love give love give love
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Under pressure
Pressure
The lyrics of Rhythms del Mundo’s “Under Pressure” is about the pressures of life that exist in our society. The song opens with nonsensical syllables “Mm ba ba de, Um bum ba de”, that add a sense of chaos to the song. The singer describes the overwhelming feelings of being pressured that push down on them, and how everyone is affected by this as it tears apart families, puts people on the streets, and makes people scream to be let out. The “terror of knowing what the world is about” adds to the sense of hopelessness and desperation that is felt by everyone.
The second verse continues with the same sense of urgency, where the singer describes themselves as “chippin' around – kick my brains around the floor.” The use of these violent words adds to the sense of disorientation that everyone feels. The chorus is repeated with a powerful repetition of “Pressure on people – people on streets.” The song ends with the singer questioning why love is so difficult and why it cannot be given more freely as it has become a “slashed and torn” emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Mm ba ba de
A nonsensical sound used to introduce the song.
Um bum ba de
Another nonsensical sound used to introduce the song.
Um bu bu bum da de
Yet another nonsensical sound used to introduce the song.
Pressure pushing down on me
The weight of responsibility and expectations is overwhelming.
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Others are relying on you, regardless of whether or not you agreed to take on that pressure.
Under pressure - that burns a building down
The intense stress and strain can have destructive consequences, even leading to disastrous decisions and actions.
Splits a family in two
The tension can cause relationships to break down, leading to family members becoming estranged.
Puts people on streets
The economic and social impact of pressure can result in people becoming homeless.
Um ba ba be
Another nonsensical sound used to break up the song.
De day da
More nonsensical syllables used for musical effect.
Ee day da - that's o.k.
Accepting the fact that life can be confusing and difficult but that it's still worth living.
It's the terror of knowing
Feeling a sense of fear or dread about the future and the unknown.
What this world is about
Questioning the meaning of life and the purpose of existence in a confusing and complex world.
Watching some good friends
Observing the struggles of those close to you and feeling helpless to ease their pain.
Screaming 'Let me out'
Expressing a desire to escape the pressure and stress of life.
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher
Finding solace in the hope and promise of a better future.
Pressure on people - people on streets
The domino effect of pressure leading to financial hardship, homelessness, and other social problems.
Day day de mm hm
More nonsensical syllables used to create a rhythmic effect.
Da da da ba ba
More nonsensical syllables used to create a rhythmic effect.
O.k.
An acceptance that things are not always going to be perfect, but that it's still possible to keep going.
Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor
Feeling frustrated and anxious, not knowing what to do or how to move forward.
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Feeling like everything is happening all at once and that life is especially difficult at this moment in time.
Ee do ba be
More nonsensical syllables used to break up the song.
Um bo bo
Yet more nonsensical syllables used for musical effect.
Be lap
A final nonsensical utterance used as a musical flourish and transition to the next verse.
People on streets - ee da de da de
The consequences of pressure and social problems are visible in the form of homelessness.
People on streets - ee da de da de da de da
Repeating the previous line for emphasis and musical effect.
Turned away from it all like a blind man
Feeling helpless and unable to cope or move forward.
Sat on a fence but it don't work
Trying to remain neutral and not get involved, but finding that this approach is ineffective.
Keep coming up with love
Despite the difficulties, maintaining a positive and compassionate outlook on life.
but it's so slashed and torn
Feeling as though love is inadequate and subject to destruction and decay.
Why - why - why?
Asking the eternal question of why things are the way they are and why life is so difficult.
Love love love love love
Repeating the word 'love' in the hopes that it may provide some comfort and solace.
Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking
The stress of life can cause people to behave irrationally and to feel like they're losing their minds.
Can't we give ourselves one more chance
Asking for a second opportunity to make things right.
Why can't we give love that one more chance
Tying the themes of love and hope together and suggesting that another chance at love and compassion is needed.
Why can't we give love give love give love give love
Repeating the phrase 'give love' as a call to action and a plea for greater compassion and understanding.
give love give love give love give love give love
Repeating the phrase 'give love' for emphasis and musical effect.
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
Recognizing that the concept of love may seem outdated or unfashionable in a modern and cynical world.
And love dares you to care for
Love challenges us to care about and connect with others, even when it's difficult or uncomfortable.
The people on the edge of the night
Those who are most in need of love and compassion are often the ones who are marginalized and forgotten by society.
And love dares you to change our way of
Love challenges us to change the way we view and interact with the world around us.
Caring about ourselves
Reframing our understanding of love to include caring for ourselves as well as others.
This is our last dance
A recognition that life is fleeting and that every moment should be cherished.
Under pressure
A final acknowledgement of the fundamental theme of the song: the intense and inescapable pressure of modern life.
Pressure
A repetition of the word 'pressure' as a reminder of the weight of expectation and responsibility that we all carry.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie, John Richard Deacon, Brian Harold May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Meddows Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind