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Indonesia Tsunami: Fears of new wave As Anak Krakatau Volcano Seethes; Soundtrack Of The 'Me Too' Movement; Rap, Hip Hop Bring New Life To Protest Anthems; Singing For Others Who Need A Hand. Aired 2:30-3a ET
Aired December 24, 2018 - 02:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:30:18] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Live with your world headlines, I'm George Howell. This is CNN news now. After the deadly tsunami that hit Indonesia, that nation's president is now ordering authorities to buy new early warning detectors. Joko Widodo has been touring the area hit by the tsunami. It hit parts the Sumatra and Java without warning killing at least 281 people. Reuters is again calling on Myanmar to free two of its journalists.
The news agency released a statement ahead of an appeal hearing on Monday saying the journalists were reporting the truth while covering a massacre of Rohingya Muslims. The two were sentenced to over alleged position of classified materials. The U.S. President Donald Trump says that he will replace his Defense Secretary James Mattis on January 1st. That's two months before the Pentagon Chief had planned to leave. The president is reportedly angry over news coverage about Mattis' resignation.
Mr. Trump has now named Patrick Shanahan, Mattis' deputy as the acting Defense Secretary. At this point, little progress is being made reported on this budget talks that continues at the U.S. Capitol. President Trump, his incoming acting Chief of Staff says it is possible that partial government shutdown could go beyond Friday and on into the new Congress. The issue the president's demands for a five billion dollar border wall which Democrats are denying.
That's your CNN news now. Our CNN special program, music that makes a difference is next. You're watching CNN, the world news leader.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hi, I'm John Vause. Great to have you with us for this CNN special music that makes a difference. In so many ways, 2018 was a journey into uncertainty. Around the world, old alliances and friendships strained divisive leaders rose up with a message of us against them. But this also was a year when so many performers found their voice. A voice to call out the wrong, the immoral, the unjust to put to music and into song the suffering and pain, the inequalities which otherwise may have gone unnoticed.
So 2018, we saw the rebirth of the political protest song and for the most part the inspiration and the focus was just one man.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America is governed by
Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism. You know what I am, I'm a nationalist,OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who really are the monsters? Maybe it's time to stare straight in the mirror. Is anybody there?
VAUSE: President Trump gone 2018 by calling some predominantly black nations shit hole countries. Trump denied saying it but comment said (INAUDIBLE) on immigration. The response from so many musicians was swift and harsh calling Trump a racist, a xenophobe reminding him that we're all sons and daughters of immigrants and vowing never to forget what he said.
SHAWN CARTER, MUSICIAN: Everyone feels anger, but after the anger is really hurtful because like looking down on a whole population, the people. And you're so misinformed because these place have beautiful people and have beautiful everything like this is the leader of the free world speaking like this. But on the other side, this has been going on. This is how people talk. This this is how they talk behind closed-doors.
WILL.I.AM, MUSICIAN: There's shit hole communities in America that, you know, that need help and likewise around the world. But I'm an opportunist and my heart is in the right place. So I don't like to get discouraged by, you know, division and skepticism without being an agent of change.
VAUSE: Folk singer Joan Baez has made a career out of protest songs as she set out this year on her farewell tour. She had some harsh words for the guy she calls nasty man.
JOAN BAEZ, MUSICIAN: It's a lot of evil. I won't say somebody is evil. I won't say somebody is evil, but I can certainly say the results of the 40 years of conservative think tanks which really brought us to where we are, and I think Trump is just a pimple on the pumpkin. You know, and I don't think they even bargained forgetting anybody was that ill because he really is ill.
[02:35:14] VAUSE: The reggae band that sang doesn't like anything about President Trump's immigration plan.
TRUMP: Yes, sir. We have barbwire going up because, you know what, we're not letting these people invade our country.
VAUSE: Trump vowed to close down the southern border as a caravan of migrants slowly approached on foot.
QUINO MCWHINNEY, MUSICIAN: I'm appalled every that some of the things that President Trump is using some of the political ploys that he uses to get his base rallied up at the expense of human beings, people that are really suffering. People that are really need help. And, you know, the reason we did this song is to show solidarity with them.
VAUSE: Legendary rapper Chuck D lashed out at Trump supporters tweeting anyway you frame it, he is the king devil. Bruce Springsteen called Trump dangerous and damaged at his core. But the president did have at least one big name supporter in the music industry even though it was fleeting.
KANYE WEST, RAPPER AND MUSICIAN: Trump is on his hero's journey right now and he might not have expected to have a crazy mother like Kanye West run up and support. But best believe, we are going to make America great. There was something about when I put this hat on it made me feel like superman.
TRUMP: And it's true, Kanye West, what he did was pretty amazing yesterday.
VAUSE: Taylor swift who for years has feuded with Kanye broke her political silence in 2018, and it was no surprise that she railed against Trump-backed candidates during the U.S. midterm elections.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The superstar writing I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for all Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Instead, Taylor is endorsing the Democratic candidate.
TRUMP: Let's say that I like Taylor's music with about 25 percent less now. OK.
VAUSE: [INAUDIBLE) put down their margaritas and picked up a mic to rally the vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Better days are ahead. I wish you all you love and luck and there'll be a party Tuesday night I promise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hands in the air. Let's rock. (INAUDIBLE) November 6th, vote, vote, vote, vote.
JOHN LEGEND, MUSICIAN: Our democracy is at stake in this election. The government we have today does not reflect the will of the people. It does not reflect our values.
VAUSE: Democrats won the House. Republicans increased their majority in the Senate setting up a divided Congress for the next two years. A division in the country which left legendary blues man Charlie Musselwhite longing for better days.
CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE, MUSICIAN: I just hope it's a bump in the road and that people will wake up and will get back to a civilized society where everybody treats each other like they like to be treated, the golden rule.
VAUSE: Thirty Seconds to Mars released an album simply titled America. Lead singer and academy award winner Jared Leto crisscrossed the country to promote it and on that tour he found reason to hope.
JARED LETO, MUSICIAN: The idea of the American dream, the idea of America, the possibility that we can leave this country in a better place for our children and our children's children. I think people still held onto that acknowledging that we're in really difficult times, but looking forward and hopeful that things can be different.
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[02:40:20] VAUSE: Students there from New York's music, art, and design academy, they found their voice in 2018. That's part of a song called Let's Rise, a call to take a stand against gun violence. All part of a new era of student protest born of the tragedy of yet another school shooting in this country, 17 dead in February at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, their voices were loud. There their words were blunt.
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EMMA GONZALEZ, MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH STUDENT: Politicians who sit in their guided House and Senate seats funded by the NRA telling us nothing could have ever been done to prevent this. We call B.S.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Marjory Stoneman Douglas School is where this call of shots fired and active shooter right now. That's the way they're treating it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Carmen (INAUDIBLE) Peter Wang.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what we can do and so I'm here to do it. One of my best friends was killed in gun violence right around here, so it's important to me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The march is not the climax of this movement. It is the beginning. It is the springboard off of which my generation and all who stand with us will jump into a safer future.
COMMON, MUSICIAN: I've never been a part where the kids were the leaders. And the more and more I look back at history I see how many things were led, revolutions change, and progress was led by young people. I recognized that some of the greatest leaders we looked at were young people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will take action every day in every day and every way until they simply cannot ignore us anymore. Today, we march, we fight, we roar. We prepare our signs. We raise them high. We know what we want. We know how to get it and we are not waiting any longer.
JENNIFER HUDSON, MUSICIAN: But we are here for a reason. We all got a story. We all got a purpose and we all want what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to educate ourselves on which politicians are truly working for the people and which ones we want to vote out because at the end of the day, bullets do not discriminate. So why should we?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We refuse to be ignored by those who will not listen. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We deserve to feel safe in our own schools. The
time for change is now.
VIC MENSA, MUSICIAN: And it kind of felt like a rage against the machine at the Capitol building in its own way. This is a powerful event, a powerful moment in time and I believe that this won't stop here that this will continue and go where it needs to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: MSD strong.
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VAUSE: When we come back, the Me Too movement becomes an artistic inspiration, but when the music stops, we hear some incredibly personal and painful stories from some high profile female performers. Also, ahead of America's civil rights movement has always had a sound track of its own, but in 2018 they were singing from the same page about cops killing black men and a corrupt system which they say turns a blind eye.
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VAUSE: Amanda Palmer's powerful women's anthem Mr. Weinstein will see you now. Harvey Weinstein wasn't just a T.V. and film producer, he was a master of the universe at Hollywood. He can make or break a career on whim. That is until his arrest back in May, on charges of sexual assault. A judge recently ruled that the case will move forward and head to trial.
The Grammy's paid tribute to the MeToo movement with white roses and an emotional performance of pray by assault survivor, Kesha.
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CYNDI LAUPER, AMERICAN SINGER AND SONGWRITER: I can't, then I burned my training brought the first women's demonstration, that's how I grew up. I thought that things would change, but things haven't really changed and we all have our stories but you always felt like people coming after you would have it easier, but, no, here we are. I think sisterhood is a powerful thing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am proud of who I am. No more monsters, I can breathe again.
TONY BENNETT, AMERICAN SINGER: If a woman is a big star, she should make as much money as anybody if not a little more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you were wrong and now the best is yet to come because I can make it on my own.
LISA LOEB, AMERICAN SINGER AND SONGWRITER: Well, I think the music industry through their songwriting and through the work that they make has been speaking out for a long time. But I'm so happy that everyone is joining together.
Plus, people look to musicians. They look to entertainers to see what they're thinking.
STING, MUSICIAN: I think men have messed up. And so, we want women to be empowered. We want women to be economically -- you know, equal to men. And I think that's the key to a lot of -- a lot of this problem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope you find your peace, falling on your knees, praying.
VAUSE: Grammy-nominated singer Halsey, gave a moving speech at one of this year's women's marches in New York City. She delivered a free verse poem reach outing her experiences with sexual assault, feelings of powerlessness.
HALSEY: Listen, and then, yell. At the top of your lungs, be a voice for all of those who have prisoner tongues. For the people who had to grow up way too young, there is work to be done, there are songs to be sung, Lord knows there's a war to be won. Thank you for having me.
VAUSE: Turned up at volume this year's women's march.
HALSEY: I sing for the relentless.
VAUSE: She vowed that the voiceless would be quiet no more.
HALSEY: Oh, I can't keep quiet. No, oh, one more man lying. No.
VAUSE: Women across all musical genres released a flood of MeToo inspired recordings in 2018.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got a mind that still must take, and I got a right to speak my mind.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My body, my choice, my rights, and my voice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I will stand beside my sisters, and all persistent resistors to say I knew it would come true and I'll say darling me too.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:49:58] VAUSE: America's struggle with racism has always had a soundtrack. Songs like Of Freedom can be traced back to the days after emancipation. And where, where the civil rights movement be without Motown? And now, rap and hip hop are expressing the feelings of racial discrimination. Overwhelming felt by African-Americans every day.
DONALD GLOVER, AMERICAN ACTOR AND SINGER: Look what I'm whipping now. This is America. Don't catch you slipping now, look how I am living now, police be tripping now.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: And in America, just being black means the chances you will be shot and killed by police are three times higher compared to someone who is white. And in America, when it comes to serving time, a black man is six times more likely to be sentenced today prison than a white man. Which may explain why African-Americans who make up just over10 percent of the entire U.S. population account for almost 40 percent of all inmates in federal prison.
LENNY KRAVITZ, BAHAMIAN-AMERICAN SINGER AND SONGWRITER: .45 caliber in my face. Shot him in the head because of his race.
BLACK EYED PEAS, AMERICAN MUSICAL GROUP: So forget about the statue of General Lee, because the status of blacks are generally going to end up in some penitentiary.
ICE CUBE, AMERICAN RAPPER, WRITER, AND ACTOR: Good cop, good cop, where is your dignity? Where's your empathy? Where is your sympathy? Bad cop, where's your humanity? Good cop, is that just a fantasy?
MEEK MILL, AMERICAN RAPPER, AND ACTIVIST: Oh, say can you see, I don't feel like I'm free. Locked down in my cell shackled from ankle to feet. Judge banging that gavel turned me to slave from a king.
If somebody like myself who is doing so good for myself. I'm not involved in crime. I have been working, I employ people, I pay taxes. If probation can stop me down and bring me back to a state penitentiary without committing a crime, what could it do to these other kids that are trapped in these environments, surrounded by crime and violence? They don't stand a chance.
BEN HARPER, AMERICAN SINGER AND SONGWRITER: Trigger happy police is just -- it -- I would like --if a goal is a change within the system, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
HARPER: That should be paired with a shift in consciousness. And how those are implemented culturally and within a police force, that's beyond my job description and above my pay grade. But both -- but it's crucial that we keep the dialogue alive, otherwise it's stagnant.
TOM MORELLO, AMERICAN MUSICIAN, SINGER, SONGWRITER, AND POLITICAL ACTIVIST: Don't lie to me, don't lie to me. The poor go to war, there's no war on poverty. Don't lie to me, don't lie to me. Brown versus Board never gave us equality.
The murder of African-Americans by the police is this American is baseball or apple pie. What's new is now we're seeing it on cellphones regularly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fight for my life like a mother --. Fight for my life like a mother -- Mike Brown. Because I refuse to be the next (INAUDIBLE).
MORELLO: The lyrical theme that goes through this (INAUDIBLE) Underground Record is social justice ghost stories. The idea that the heroes and martyrs, and those murdered by injustice in the past can inform the present and shine a beacon light to hopefully create a more humane and just future.
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VAUSE: And after the break, the music and the stars making a very real difference in the lives of those who survived California's fire emergency.
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VAUSE: It will be a long road to recovery for many parts of California left devastated by the worst fires in the state's history. But that journey will be a little easier after some celebrity giving. It's hardly unique for the rich and famous to dig deep after a natural disaster.
In 2018, some of the big names helping out like Miley Cyrus, are among those who are the victims, those who lost their homes.
VAUSE: Paul Simon is calling an end to his decades-long career. After each show on his farewell tour, he has donated $25,000 to a local environmental charity.
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PAUL SIMON, AMERICAN SINGER-SONGWRITER AND ACTOR: I really think that the number one priority for all of us should be the environment. I think we've damaged the environment to a degree that's so dangerous that we might be talking about an extinction of life on the planet.
VAUSE: 2018, saw some of the deadliest and most devastating wildfires in the Western U.S. Neil Diamond, saying to firefighters, (INAUDIBLE) put on a benefit concert.
SIMON: Thank you all. I look -- I think I want to take you all home, I want to give you a kiss. I want to make near for you.
Sweet Caroline, the times never seem so good.
AMERICAN CROWD: So good, so good. So good.
BRAD PAISLEY, AMERICAN MUSICIAN AND SONGWRITER: The way that this community was just devastated by this mudslide and everything that happened, those -- I'm -- tonight, I'm reminded of those feelings in a -- in a good way in that.
I don't feel as helpless now, and I feel like we're finally doing something. I know it's not enough to fix hardly anything that went wrong. But at least we're doing something and I feel good about that.
VAUSE: Music superstars, Bono, Rihanna, and Chance the Rapper had been raising millions so kids around the world get a chance of going to school.
And for 25 years, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has been working to find a cure for HIV.
ELTON JOHN, ENGLISH SINGER, PIANIST, AND COMPOSER: If there was some humanity in the world, we could just end this right now. And it's the only disease, a major epidemic in our lifetime we can get rid of.
We're not talking about diabetes, not talking about cancer. I'm not talking about malaria, we're talking about AIDS. AIDS can go.
VAUSE: Other musicians making difference this year, Blake Sheldon, establishing a cancer research program at Oklahoma's Children's Hospital. Demi Lovato, offering free therapy sessions and wellness workshops during her new tour. And Cardi B, giving away winter clothes in her native New York City.
CARDI B, AMERICAN RAPPER: We got to set an example for our kid -- for the kids in the future. You know, you know, sometimes people think that we just be -- we just be doing the messed up things. But we really, really, really -- we care for our kids.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: And that was the music which define a year of MUSIC THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE. I'm John Vause. Thanks for watching. As always, the news continues right here on CNN.
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