Women Singers, Songwriters and Poets Break the Silence With Congo Benefit CD

Washington, DC – September 19, 2008
Grammy winner Irma Thomas, Americana singer
Neko Case, and pop icon Susan Cowsill join forces with noted women singers,
songwriters and poets to benefit rape victims in the Democratic Republic of
Congo. Contributors include Eliza Gilkyson, Caroline Aiken, Karen Protti-Bailey,
Claire Holley, Kim Carson, Theresa Davis, Mary LaSang, Ruby Rendrag, Gospel
Gossip, Sonia Tetlow, Herman Put Down the Gun, Karen Garrabrant, Dede Vogt,
Caroline Herring, Janet Bean, and Leilani Rivera Bond

Women
singers, songwriters, and poets have joined forces and donated 20 tracks for a
limited edition compilation CD to raise awareness about violence against women
in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "Congo's Angels" is scheduled for release
during Break the Silence Congo Week, October 19-25. Congo Week is a global
initiative led by students throughout the globe to raise awareness about the
escalating violence against women and children in the Congo and provide support.
Students and community organizers in at least 100 countries and 1,000 campuses
are expected to organize an activity or event in solidarity with the people of
the Congo.
 
On Monday, September 22, 2008
from 10 AM, a press conference will be held at the National Press Club in
Washington, DC to launch the countdown to Congo Week.

 
All
proceeds from the sale of "Congo's Angels" will go directly into a special
account, designed to offer transparency in accounting. Friends of the Congo (www.friendsofthecongo.org),
a U.S. based tax-exempt non-profit, will manage this account. No monies, except
minimal distribution costs, will be taken from sales.
 
Carrie Crawford,
Chairperson of Friends of the Congo pledges, "All proceeds from Congo's Angels
will raise awareness, fund independent media, and support women and girls in the
Democratic Republic of Congo."
 
CDBABY has waived their percentage of
sales from Congo's Angels as a gesture of solidarity with Congo Week.  The CD
manufacturer, Oasis, has given a deep discount for the production of Congo's
Angels.  Atlanta based Earthshaking Records donated studio and production time
for the mastering of Congo's Angels.  A group of emergency room doctors in
Brainerd, Minnesota donated toward the environmentally friendly packaging of
Congo's Angels. Earthshaking Records donated studio and
production time for the mastering of Congo's Angels.  A group of emergency room
doctors in Brainerd, Minnesota donated toward the environmentally friendly
packaging of Congo's Angels.
 
1.1 million people are displaced in North
and South Kivu provinces and living in unspeakable conditions in refugee camps.
200,000 women and children have been raped and brutalized. It is estimated 1,200
people die every day, and it could be stopped tomorrow with enough international
will say human rights groups.
 
Anneke van Woudenberg, the Congo
specialist for Human Rights Watch, has urged independent journalists to explore
the reasons behind the violence. "Things have gotten worse in the last few
months," she said. "We desperately need firsthand reports of what is happening
here."
 
In response to his story and the plea from Human Rights Watch,
women artists from the shores of Hawaii to the banks of the Mississippi Delta
immediately offered the gifts of their art and song. From a Hawaiian hula master
to a Grammy-winning New Orleans soul singer, and a rising Americana singer, the
compilation is a "celebration of compassion, love and understanding," says
Producer Sonia Tetlow.
 
Distribution details will be announced in the
coming weeks at the Friends of the Congo website.
 
The complete track
listing for Congo's Angels follows:

Track
Listing for "Congo's Angels"

"Wawona Morning/ Night"
Written by S.
Cowsill & R. Broussard as Coco Bunny Music/Being Heard, BMI
from the
album 'Just Believe It'
Susan Cowsill – vocals, electric guitar
Russ
Broussard – drums, percussion
Chris Knotts – electric and acoustic guitars

Rob Savoy – electric and acoustic bass
susancowsill.com
 
"Tender Mercies"
Written and performed by
Eliza Gilkyson as 2004 Gilkysongs, BMI
from the album "The Land of Milk and
Honey"
Provided courtesy of Red House
Records
redhouserecords.com
elizagilkyson.com
 
"Another Man Done Gone"
Traditional with new
lyrics by written by Irma Thomas and Scott Billington as Irma Jackson
Music/Black Skillet Music, BMI
from the album "After the Rain"
(11661-2186-2)
Provided courtesy of Rounder Records
Irma Thomas –
vocal
Dirk Powell – fretless banjo, electric guitar
Sonny Landreth – slide
guitar
James Singleton – arco and pizzicato acoustic bass
Stanton Moore –
drums
Produced by Scott
Billington
rounder.com
irmathomas.com
 
"Inside Out"
Written by Caroline Aiken &
Gary Moore as Glutton for Publishment Music
Performed live with Atlanta's
DOGHOUSE
Caroline Aiken – guitar, vocals
Val Dempsey – guitar
Ted Hoyer
– drums
Terry Frye – bass
carolineaiken.com
 
"What I Know for Sure"
Written by Brian
Perry & Angela Herbert as First Go Round Music, BMI
Karen Protti-Bailey –
Vocals
Brian Perry – Guitar
brianperry.com
 
"Visit Me"
Written by Claire Holley, as
Claire Chamblin Holley/ Olivia's Attic Music, ASCAP
from the album
"Hush"
Claire Holley – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar,
Electric Guitar,
Keyboard
Greg Leisz –  Pedal Steel
Domenic Genova: – Bass
Nic Brown – 
Drums
claireholley.com/
 
"It's Not A
Big Deal"

Written by Kim Carson as 2008 Kim Carson, BMI
from the
album "Calle de Orleans"
Provided courtesy of Bank Street
Records
 kimcarson.com/
 
"Wawona
Afternoon"

Written by S. Cowsill, R. Broussard  and M. Meaux as Coco
Bunny
Music/Being Heard/Blue Snake Music, Administered by Bug Music, BMI

from the album 'Just Believe It'
susancowsill.com
 
"For The Women of the Congo"
Written and
performed byTheresa Davis as 2008
myspace.com/theresadavis
 
"The Tigers Have Spoken"
Written by Neko
Case and The Sadies
Nedotykomka, SOCAN/ASCAP and Sadies Music,
SOCAN
Performed by Neko Case
from the album "The Tigers Have
Spoken"
Provided courtesy of Anti- as
2004
anti.com
nekocase.com
 
"Apollo"
Written by Mary LaSang, as
2008
Mary LaSang – vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, keyboards
Ron Hotstream
– acoustic, electric guitar
Chris Bailey – drums
myspace.com/marylasang

 
"W-26"
Written by Ruby
Rendrag as ARC Music
from the album "Wartime Favorites"
Ruby Rendrag-
guitars and vocals
Allen Maxwell – bass
Chad Gilmore – drums
Harvey
Jones – mandolin
rubyrendrag.com
 
"Wire"
Music by Gospel Gossip, Lyrics by S.
Nienaber
from the album "Sing Into my Mouth"
Provided courtesy of Guilt
Ridden Pop as 2007
Sarah Nienaber – vocals/guitar
Justin Plank –
bass
M. Oliver Moltaji – drums
Deanna Steege – keyboard,
synth
guiltriddenpop.com
gospelgossipband.com
 
"Come Back"
Written by Sonia Tetlow as
Sonicgrrl Music, BMI 
Performed by Herman Put Down the Gun
Sonia Tetlow –
mandolin and vocals
Linda Bolley – drums, guitar, vocals
Lee Kennedy –
bass
myspace.com/hermanputdownthegun
 
"You are Not Alone"
Written by Karen
Garrabrant as 2008
Performed by Karen Garrabrant, Theresa Davis and Amanda
Kail
myspace.com/nerakg
 
"Time Will
Tell"

Witten by Dede Vogt as NikiViki Music, ASCAP
Dede Vogt –
vocals/mandolin
daemonrecords.com/dede/index.htm
 
"Fair and Tender Ladies"
Written by Caroline
Herring as Zelleria Music, ASCAP
(For Natasha Trethewey, Thea Bowman, and
Mantie Greer)
from the album "Lantana"
Provided courtesy of Signature
Sounds Recording Company
Caroline Herring – Vocals, Guitar
Rich Brotherton
– Guitar, Bass
Glenn Fukunaga – Upright Bass
Danny Barnes –
Banjo
signaturesounds.com
carolineherring.com
 
"The Purple Heart"
Written by Janet Bean and
the Concertina Wire a 2002 janet beveridge bean s 2003 thrill jockey records,
BMI
from the album "Dragging Wonder Lake"
Provided courtesy of Thrill
Jockey Reocrds
thrilljockey.com/artists/?id=10025
 
Ná Hókú o Ka Lani – Hawaiian translation "The Stars of Heaven"
Written by Leilani
Rivera Bond as 2000 by Leilani Records/Leilani Rivera Bond
from the album "Ná
Hókú o Ka Lani"
Provided courtesy Poki records
Makaha Sons – Background
Vocals
tropicalmusichawaii.com
leilanirivera.com
 
"Wawona Night"
Written by S. Cowsill &
R. Broussard as Coco Bunny Music/Being Heard, BMI
from the album 'Just
Believe It'
Susan Cowsill – vocals, electric guitar
Russ Broussard –
drums, percussion
Chris Knotts – electric and acoustic guitars
Rob Savoy
– electric and acoustic bass
susancowsill.com

"Congo's Angels" was produced by Sonia Tetlow and
Georgianne Nienaber for Friends of the
Congo.

 
—————
About
Friends of the Congo (friendsofthecongo.org)

The Friends of
the Congo (FOTC) is a 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt advocacy organization based in
Washington, DC. The FOTC was established at the behest of Congolese human rights
and grassroots institutions in 2004, to work together to bring about peaceful
and lasting change in the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly
Zaire.

About Congo Week (www.congoweek.org)
Congo Week is a
global initiative led by students to raise awareness about the situation in the
Congo and provide support to the people of the Congo.

Sonia Tetlow is the formerl singer/ guitarist
for the Atlanta punk rock trio, STB (Sonia Tetlow Band), which released two
critically acclaimed independent albums, "Spit" and "Swerve." Tetlow played bass
guitar in the cowpunk rock band Cowboy Mouth from mid 2004 through May 12, 2007,
and now fronts the Atlanta based Herman Put Down the Gun. She has also played
back-up for Paul Sanchez and Susan Cowsill. www.myspace.com/soniatetlow

Georgianne Nienaber is an investigative
journalist, author, and writer who has written extensively on Africa. She is
currently residing part time in southern Louisiana and immersing herself in the
deep, rich culture of the
southland.
 

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