Outspoken on issues of contraception and Gay and Lesbian rights, as
well as the role of the Church, Robinson continues to be an important symbol for Ireland growing succes.
Bryan Adams
Airing 02nd March 2007
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| Riz Khan talks with Bryan Adams |
With a distinctive voice and catchy lyrics, this rock'n roll icon's music has won him fans around the world. He tours extensively, making time for charity, and has excelled in another art: photography. Riz Khan interviews Canadian based rocker Bryan Adams.
Bryan Adams has a way of connecting with his fans with songs that are pure rock infused with boundless energy. When he sings, the crowd roars.
Despite his Canadian roots, Adams did his growing up around the world as he moved from country to country with his diplomat family. That in part has shaped his view on charity and fundraising, something he has often built into his touring and performing schedule.
Adams also became a staunch advocate in the battle against breast cancer after losing a close friend to the disease. He has even used his significant talents as a photographer to raise money for the cause, including a book featuring portraits of high profile American women.
Bryan Adams continues to tour to places other Western rock stars haven't even considered … and points out that there's still a lot more world out there for him to see.
Youssou N'Dour
Airing 09th March 2007
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| Riz Khan and Youssou Dou |
Riz Khan interviews Senegal-born vocalist Youssou N'Dour. To his fans he's already a music legend and his rich African sound has led top Western artists to seek him out for collaborations. His music provides a voice for the traditions and stories of Africa and often touch on social issues in his homeland.
Yossou N'Dour first began performing at the age of twelve, playing with a variety of groups in his hometown, Dakar, in Senegal. He went on to form his own band as a teenager and experimented by fusing traditional African music with rock elements. N'Dour's work became popular around the world during the 1980's and this led to collaborations with Dido, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen to name just a few.
In 2005 he received a Grammy award for Best Contemporary World Music Album. The title track of that album - called Egypt - expressed his devotion to the Muslim faith.
As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador he's been active in addressing social causes in Africa for many years using his music as the vehicle for his message.
Jeffrey Sachs
Airing 16th March 2007
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| Riz Khan and Jeff Sachs |
Riz Khan interviews economist Jeffrey Sachs. He's courted by activist music stars such as U2's Bono for his work in helping the world's poor.
Time magazine has described him one of the world's most influential people in recent years, and he has advised governments all over the world on economic reform. He believes we can end global poverty in our lifetime.
His day jobs include heading up Columbia University's Earth Institute and the UN Millennium Project, aimed at reducing extreme poverty, disease, and hunger by the year 2015. Jeffery Sachs believes that so much is possible with the right will, as he explains in his best-selling book, The End of Poverty.
Many argue that his greatest skill is making the complex world of economics accessible to ordinary people while his passion for stating his case has won him many high level friends from Bill Clinton, the former US president, to the UN's Kofi Annan.
He has proved himself. In the mid-1980s, he stabilised Bolivia's economy with a policy package that lowered the country's inflation rate from 40,000-per cent to nearly zero. But his critics believe his cure-all arguments would be impossible to implement. That certainly wouldn't stop Jeffery Sachs from trying.