More about: David ByrneDonald-Trump

Remember last month when the President of the United States called a bunch of countries ‘shitholes’? David Byrne remembers, and he’s doing his bit to pay homage to those nations in Africa and the Caribbean who are getting a bad rap under this administration. How? He’s only gone and put together a celebratory playlist.

‘I assume I don’t have to explain where the shithole reference came from,’ Byrne writes in the playlist’s description, on his website.

‘Here’s a playlist that gives just the smallest sample of the depth and range of creativity that continues to pour out of the countries in Africa and the Caribbean. It is undeniable. Can music help us empathize with its makers?

‘For me, Trump is not the issue. We know and have known for a long time that he is racist. That is a fact, borne out by plenty of evidence. It’s not news—we know what he is.

‘What is truly disturbing is the Republicans who go along with this person. Their behavior makes them complicit and the same as he is…exactly the same, no difference. Remember that come voting time.

‘The swells in Davos too—who are happy to get rich off Trump’s policies and are more than fine supporting a racist. None of them has risen to condemn his racism and to say that this man does not represent our values as human beings.

Got that off my chest, now maybe I can listen to some music.

Enjoy.

David Byrne’

The playlist includes tracks from Malian poster Oumou Sangaré (aka ‘The Songbird of Wassoulou’), Staff Benda Bilili (a collective of street musicians from the Democratic Republic of Congo) and even former Haitian President and keyboard whizkid Michel ‘Sweet Micky’ Martelly.

Nigerian legend Fela Kuti also gets a track, ‘Zombie’, in the collection. Listen to the playlist on Byrne's website

David Byrne is on tour from next month, commencing on the East Coast of the US in March before heading to a couple of dates in South America, then two summer festivals in Denmark and Croatia.

March
03 - COUNT BASIE THEATRE RED BANK, NJ
04 - F.M. KIRBY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ART WILKES-BARRE, PA
06 - CENTER FOR THE ARTS BUFFALO, NY
07 - HERSHEY THEATRE HERSHEY, PA
09 - PALACE THEATER WATERBURY, CT
10 - ULSTER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER KINGSTON, NY
16 - LOLLAPALOOZA CHILE SANTIAGO, CHILE
18 - LOLLAPALOOZA ARGENTINA BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
June
06 - ROSKILDE FESTIVAL ROSKILDE, DENMARK
25 - INMUSIC FESTIVAL ZAGREB, CROATIA

More about: David ByrneDonald-Trump