by Laura Eschbacher, Communications Intern

Remember when the Hanson brothers—Isaac, Taylor, and Zac—made it big in the 90’s with the infamous “MMMBop?” Did you know that they are still producing rock albums that go straight to the top of the independent charts? U2’s singer Bono, an avid One Campaign supporter, once called Hanson’s music “genius.”
And who knew that they spent time in South Africa and Mozambique giving concerts to benefit children living in poverty and suffering from AIDS? Hanson was drawn to Africa after one visit because of the overwhelming message of hope they got from the people there. It was hope that inspired their world-wide charity performances of “The Walk Tour,” which came to a close last November.
In 2007, the Hanson brothers (and their wives and children) began touring the United States, walking one mile barefoot with their fans before each concert. Their aim was to demonstrate what life is like without the basic things that most people take for granted, like shoes—a reality many Africans who live in poverty face. During “The Walk Tour,” Hanson partnered with TOMS Shoes, an American company who donates one pair of shoes to children in Africa for every pair sold by their company. In 2008 they took this tour around the world.
“We want to inspire others to look for simple tangible ways to make a difference. It is easy to be halted by the great hurdles of poverty and AIDS, but making an impact can begin as simply as giving someone a pair of shoes, or buying a song. —Taylor Hanson
Hanson included children they met in Africa on some of the tracks of their latest album. In their song “Great Divide,” a school choir from Soweto, South Africa provides back-up vocals, singing “Ngi Ne Themba,” meaning “I have hope.” The song was released on iTunes and all proceeds were directed towards research and prevention of AIDS in Africa. Hanson has also published a book that chronicles their experiences with the tour, which will raise further funds for African charities.

Hanson may have dropped from the mainstream, but they still exist. And this time around, they have a deeper purpose for their music, something quite apparent in their lyrics:

“I find hope and it gives me rest
I find hope in a beating chest
I find hope in what eyes don’t see
I find hope in your hate for me
Have no fear when the waters rise
We can conquer this great divide.”

Buy a Pair of TOMS Shoes (and send a pair to Africa).
Help Hanson make a difference in your own way.
Listen to “Great Divide” — under the picture, click “Listen to samples.”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 4:02 pm and is filed under Get Involved. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.