Rachel Black's Song - Sweet New Orleans
In her new single, Sweet New Orleans, singer/songwriter Rachel Black asks the question, "What kind of a country tells a population that they're not worth saving?"
Rachel Black, a student at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, was horrified by the images of trapped New Orleans Katrina victims. Rachel Black commented: "I channeled my outrage into a song that would quote the words of the Greek philosopher, Pericles, who championed the concept of democracy. He told how no one is kept in political obscurity because of poverty...that's why our constitution is called a democracy."
Since its release on February 10, the song has flooded the Internet airwaves, showing up on both sides of the Atlantic. A new fan in England emailed: "Your music made me cry."
Sweet New Orleans is a protest song in the great tradition of the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War protests of the 1960s. But this is a new generation, with questions for a government that failed its most vulnerable citizens in a time of crisis.
Rachel, who just turned 21, grew up in the Washington D.C. suburbs. She has never considered herself particularly "political," but could no longer remain silent as she watched the suffering.
All she ever wanted to do was make music. Now she is also making waves. Listen to Sweet New Orleans, as well as a selection of other songs, at her website rachelblack.com.
