Thursday 5 May 2011

Polio

Here's a song to encourage parents to vaccinate their children against polio.

This isn't a government health information campaign, but a song by a street band Staff Benda Bilili from around the zoo in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo. They all have polio, so know that of which they speak.


Before elections in 2006 they sang 'Allons voter' (Let's vote), which led to a 70% increase in turnout. They were allegedly ripped off by a UN agency that took credit for the song.

It's an interesting example of work for change by people often regarded as powerless. Mick Marchington would be proud.


Mark Kermode reviews a documentary about the band that won a prize at the Cannes Film Festival:

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