Musicians lobby G-8 leaders with protest songs

[June 12, 2013]  LONDON (AP) -- Sting, Green Day, Ed Sheeran and Mumford & Sons are among musicians raising their voices against poverty by re-recording classic protest songs.

The agit8 project, which hopes to influence leaders at next week's G-8 summit in Northern Ireland, is backed by the One Campaign set up by U2 front man Bono.

It wants G-8 leaders to help boost African food production and improve transparency in international aid.

The songs, available online from Tuesday, include Sting performing The Police track "Driven to Tears" and Sheeran's version of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War."

"Love, Actually" director Richard Curtis has made a short film on the theme of music and protest. It will be projected onto the side of London's Tate Modern gallery on Tuesday through Thursday evenings.

___

Online:

http://www.one.org/protestsongs/ 

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.