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Red Hot
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Great Music, Safe Sex


Great Music, Safe Sex

Red Hot is a New York not-for-profit production company which has been “fighting AIDS through popular culture” for over 20 years. Having generated over $10 million through charity CDs and events, Red Hot donates direct to organisations all over the world, raising awareness on AIDS/HIV and supporting communities through health and social programmes. Red Hot’s huge success owes a lot to their musical savvy. Their albums combine credibility with mass appeal – artists involved include global heavyweights, alternative popsters and voices from the underground. Their cross-cultural and genre-busting collaborations, written and recorded exclusively for Red Hot, have married creativity with the cause. With a new album, Red Hot + Rio 2, about to be released, Mondomix caught up with one of the organisation’s music masterminds Béco Dranoff.

 

 

 

Red Hot has become a phenomenally successful organisation. How did it start out?

 

Béco Dranoff: Red Hot was founded in 1989 by John Carlin, a New York art critic and entertainment lawyer who wanted to get involved and raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic that was rampant in the arts world. The first project released in 1990 was Red Hot + Blue, an ultra modern tribute to Cole Porter and his very smart songs. That project included original recordings by acts like U2, k.d. lang, David Byrne, Annie Lennox, Salif Keita, Tom Waits and many more. There was a also a huge prime-time TV special with amazing music videos for each song. Red Hot + Blue became a worldwide hit and the template for many music charity projects that followed.

 

 

 

 

 

Tom Waits - It's All Right With Me from Red Hot + Blue (video directed by Jim Jarmusch)

 

 

 

It’s over twenty years since Red Hot began. How would you say things have moved on in the campaign for AIDS/HIV awareness?

 

BD: Since Red Hot + Blue things have changed a lot on one hand and very little on another. HIV/AIDS is not seen any more as a death sentence - it is perceived now as a chronic disease that is manageable. This is true. But it's also true that it is still a very dangerous and deadly disease that can be easily prevented through information and awareness. So the exposure in the media and arts brought by Red Hot projects and other campaigns have helped diminish the stigma attached to the issue but people around the world are still getting infected in large numbers. That's why the participation of artists is so important to keep raising the flags to young people that may think about safe sex and other measures not to get infected.

 

 

 

 

 

 Un Ange En Danger - MC Solaar + Ron Carter from Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool

 

 

 

Apart from your CD series, what other activities is Red Hot involved with?

 

BD: Red Hot is transforming itself to continue its awareness and fund raising mission using all the new digital platforms. We have a very small team of young people that are devoted to working Red Hot into the social media sites, YouTube and developing more focused out-reach programs. We are also looking for brands and sponsors to join forces in Red Hot projects from the get-go. We are exploring other forms of revenue, like synchronization of our music in film, TV and advertising, that's a great way to raise funds to charities and get exposure for the projects.

 

We’ve also co-produced performances. Red Hot + New Orleans (1-2 December 2010) was the latest concert in our ongoing collaboration BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music). It was curated by Paul Heck, one of the long time Red Hot producers. We had two amazing sold-out shows featuring Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue as music director and house band, with featured artists like Dr John, Irma Thomas, Ivan Neville, Kermit Ruffins, Marc Broussard and Mannie Fresh. BAM felt like Mardis Gras in NYC. Super cool.

 

 

 

Red Hot has raised over 10 million dollars. Can you tell us about some of the charities and projects you have supported?

 

BD: There is a large list of charities and projects that Red Hot Organisation has donated to around the world. We try to revert the funds to countries related to the music in each project (African, Latin, Urban, etc). We also ask the participating artists to suggest their favorite charities to receive donations for specific projects. The general guideline is to donate to NGOs that propose a plan or need funding for a targeted action. Red Hot's last project - Dark Was The Night - a huge indie rock record that included artists like Feist, The National, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, and Dirty Projectors raised over a million dollars by itself. Funded projects from that album included Camp Amerikids, After Hours and Partners In Health (recommended by The National, The Daptones and Arcade Fire respectively). We hope Red Hot + Rio 2 will do the same (and more...).

 

 

 

 

Dark Was The Night – trailer

 

 

 

Your next release is Red Hot + Rio 2. Which artists are involved and how did the project came together?

 

BD: Red Hot + Rio 2 will be released worldwide on 28 June 2011 on E1 Entertainment. It is a sequel of sorts to the first Red Hot + Rio project released in 1996 which was a tribute to the 60s Bossa Nova sounds that swept the world - and still do. On the first Rio we had the participation of amazing artists like Sting, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, George Michael, Tom Jobim, Everything But The Girl, Cesária Évora, Milton Nascimento, David Byrne and many more. That project was extremely successful and brought Brazilian music to a younger generation.

 

 

 

 

 

Marisa Monte and David Byrne – Waters of March (Aguas de Março) from Red Hot + Rio

 

 

 

Now, 15 years later we are releasing the Rio 2 project focusing on the Tropicália movement that followed the Bossa wave. Today, Brazilian music is maybe even more popular and relevant to the young global audience. Also, the Tropicalista prism overall was that all arts, cultures and means of communication would be global and shared. Today this is all a reality.

 

 

We produced a double CD with over 32 amazing original recordings including music from Devendra Banhart, Seu Jorge, Beck, Of Montreal, Mayra Andrade, Bebel Gilberto, Prefuse 73, Vanessa Da Mata, Madlib, Joyce, Os Mutantes, Aloe Blacc, Céu, Mia Doi Todd, Carlinhos Brown and many more. There are some great collaborations and surprises including a beautiful cover of Caetano Veloso’s ‘O Leãozinho’ by Beirut and Javelin’s track with Tom Zé...This album is like an indie rock/pop meets Brazil 2011 musical event and we feel people will enjoy the music a lot!

 

 

 

Beirut - O Leãozinho from Red Hot + Rio 2

 

 

You’ve touched on so many music styles so far: country, alternative rock, Afrobeat, bossa, jazz, blues...what’s next for Red Hot?

 

 

BD: We have many cool surprises in store. We don't like to break the news before the time, but we are developing three new concept albums for 2012. All the past and current info on Red Hot projects can be found on our site www.redhot.org. We also urge people to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter to receive the latest Red Hot news.

 

 

 

Red Hot + Rio 2

Red Hot + Rio 2 is out 28 June 2011

 

 

www.redhot.org

 





Jody Gillett



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