Greg Barz, associate professor of ethnomusicology in the Blair School of Music, was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional World Music Album category for his album Singing for Life: Songs of Hope, Healing, and HIV/AIDS in Uganda.
Singing for Life, released last February by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, features uplifting music from Uganda compiled by Barz. The CD shares the Singing for Life title with a 2006 book he wrote about the role music and storytelling is playing in efforts to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Proceeds from the CD’s sales go to two agencies in Uganda, Meeting Point and the Integrated Development and AIDS Concern (IDAAC).
“I am thrilled about this recognition for what was already one of the most meaningful projects of my career,” says Barz. “Music is a key weapon in the fight against AIDS in Africa, and the music on Singing for Life is also just really great African music.”