The Third World Sings

Since 1964, Operation Beaver has been a program operated by Frontiers Foundation, an Aboriginal non-profit organization. OB started out as a work camp, but over the years since it's branched out into educational and housing construction activities to benefit Native communities. One aspect of the program has been to bring people from other nations over to Canada to work alongside Natives, and in 1974 OB released this album on its own Beaver Records label, featuring songs performed by several musicians associated with the program.



The Third World Sings was recorded at Sound Canada Studios in Toronto. There are five different acts featured on the album, so I chose one song by each. The Conklin Minstrels were a Metis family (William, Roy and Deloris Tremblay), and their number "Machimanitohyassis" (English translation: The Brave Who Travelled The World) is a country-ish number with nice harmonizing on the choruses. "Burung Kakatua" is a jaunty Malaysian children's song by Mr. and Mrs. Mustapha Besar, while "The Northern Memories" is a straight-up country song written by Al Osler and performed by Fred House with Ken Stoltz and The Nightlife Band. "Georgina" is an absolutely gorgeous Zambezi love song by Jim Chigwedere (Beaver Records also released an entire album of his entitled Jim Chigwedere And his Zambezi Valley Songs that I also have and will post sometime soon). And "Bonsoir Dame" is a fairly traditional Caribbean steel drum tune by Geoff Jones and Jerry Jerome and The Cardells, who were featured here back in July.

Machimanitohyassis - The Conklin Minstrels
Burung Kakatua - Mustapha Besar
The Northern Memories - Fred House w. Ken Stoltz and The Nightlife Band
Georgina - Jim Chigwedere
Bonsoir Dame - Geoff Jones w. Jerry Jerome & The Cardells

Note: These songs have been archived at It Came From Canada.