On January 29, 2002 President George W. Bush delivered his State of the Union address in which he coined the term "Axis of Evil" for Iran, Iraq, North Korea "and their allies".
Norwegian producer Erik Hillestad was struck by that term and how these countries were labeled enemies. He felt that the stigma attached to the countries identified as the "axis of evil" was just one side of it and as a result decided to unite "East" and "West" through song, in the form of lullabies.
His intent was to record traditional lullabies from the contries that were now perceived by some as enemies. Over a few months, Hillestad had compiled the lullabies he intended to record, however it took him more than a year to gather the western artists. Many managers and artists declined, fearing the project was "too dangerous" to get involved.
The result is 14 beautiful, haunting duets, each paring an artist from countries including Palestine, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba with US artists. The duets are soothing and peaceful: no hatred or evil. Hillestead proves our so-called enemies possess a remarkable capacity for love and warmth in the tradition of their lullabies. This album provides an eloquent reply to Bush's war-mongering rhetoric.
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