Beats for Bangladesh: A Benefit Album in Solidarity with the Garment Workers of Rana Plaza

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Beats for Bangladesh: A Benefit Album In Solidarity with the Garment Workers of Rana Plaza is a benefit album that has brought together South Asian artists from across the United States and beyond with the goal of raising awareness about the working conditions that Bangladeshi workers continue to endure and to raise funds to support these workers.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/ObOViJsUO8M[/youtube]

Presented by the music blog Mishthi Music, the album has been executive produced and curated by world renowned producer/artist, Brooklyn Shanti, and political activist/writer Tanzila ‘Taz’ Ahmed. 100% of the proceeds from the album, which are tax-deductible, go to the on-the-ground organization Bangladeshi Center for Worker Solidarity through the Washington DC based 501c3 organization International Labor Rights Forum.

Personal note from Brooklyn Shanti:
For the past three weeks, I have been moving between LA, NY and DC tirelessly to bring this project together in an effort to raise awareness for the working conditions of Bangladeshi garment workers, who contribute labor for approximately $20 billion in revenue for the fashion industry in the West. A majority of the workers are women who work in horrid conditions for $.20 (twenty cents) a day. A majority of the consumers are North Americans. The garment factory which collapsed in Rana Plaza is the worst disaster of its type in history. On the day of the collapse, workers were aware of the conditions of the factory, however were *forced* to work by owners, under pressure of meeting deadlines for corporations in the West. Many of these corporations have not signed any agreements which promise to improve conditions for these garment workers, some have yet to even issue statements in reaction to this tragedy. This is not the first incident…rather the fourth in recent months. If we can collectively take a moment to reflect upon our consumer behaviors and second guess the value of the goods we purchase and weigh it against the lives lost and the human cost associated with supporting the brands who demand “loyalty” and money from us…we will have reached a starting point for continued dialog. What’s the price of a soul?

For more information and to support the cause, log onto BeatsForBangladesh.org