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'Rhythms Del Mundo': Pop Music Gets Worldly

<em>Rhythms Del Mundo</em> co-producer and curator Kenny Young.
Rhythms Del Mundo co-producer and curator Kenny Young.

Best known for writing the hit '60s song "Under the Boardwalk," Kenny Young has worked in the music business his whole life — originally as a songwriter and performer, but more recently as the producer and curator of releases aimed at raising awareness of global issues. In the '80s, he co-founded the Earth Love Fund, an organization dedicated to saving rainforests, and he produced two ELF albums: Earthrise and Earthrise II, which featured the likes of U2, Elton John, REM, Queen and Paul Simon.

Young's latest project, Rhythms del Mundo, combines Cuban sounds with well-known musicians to create a unique fusion of pop and world music. For the series' first release, the Cuban band Buena Vista Social Club laid down new instrumental tracks that blend and engage with popular songs from Sting, Coldplay, Radiohead, Jack Johnson and more. All profits from the album's release go toward supporting Artists' Project Earth, a fund designed to help halt global climate change. The CD was co-produced with The Berman Brothers and Ron Oehl.

Copyright 2007 XPN

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David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.