Change! Economy Voodoo - new song launched

national | arts and media | press release Tuesday February 17, 2009 15:42 by Eanna Dowling

Musician and community activist Eanna Dowling has just launched his latest song. Change! Economy Voodoo is a blast of defiance in the face of the collapse of the prevaling world order. Have a listen on www.myspace.com/eannadowling

Change! Economy Voodoo
Upbeat song addresses the economic collapse

Youghal based musician and community activist Éanna Dowling has just released his latest record. Change! Economy Voodoo is a blast of defiance in the face of the collapse of the prevailing world order. Embracing a DIY low budget ethos, the track was recorded on a laptop at home. It’s a sprightly, energetic, positive upbeat song, featuring a spoken word description of the challenges facing the world, and a commitment to positive action to respond to the economic collapse.

“The economy voodoo of the financial and political elites mesmerised many people for a long time,” says Éanna, “The political and media focus is on the economy now. But we all know that the economy is but one of the challenges we face. The planet is in peril, our communities are under threat. Our future quality of life depends on our collective ability to balance economic, environmental and social concerns.”

Controversially, the song addresses the possibility of social unrest. “Have we come to the time when every beer bottle becomes a petrol bomb for the change?” asks the narrator. When asked about this, Mr. Dowling says: “There is a strong and deepening sense of anger throughout the world at the betrayal of ordinary decent people by the political, financial and PR elites. I don’t advocate a violent uprising, but every day I meet people who wonder if it’s going to happen. Revolutionary activity without a strategy to make things better is futile, like a tormented teenager smashing a fist against a wall to let off steam. The anger is real, it needs to be expressed, but we need positive collective action.”

Éanna emphasises local community engagement and co-operation, and ongoing dialogue as the only way forward. “We need to work together to keep our spirits up, to source our food and fuel locally and to transform our anger and despair into positive action.”

As Ireland and other countries face the prospect of massive unemployment and years of reduced affluence, Change! Economy Voodoo sounds the call for positive personal action to address the failures of the collapsing world order. Change! Economy Voodoo is available online through www.myspace.com/eannadowling