Call Heard Round the World
Caedmon's Call brings sounds from the Third World to its next album—but more importantly, they're trying to make a difference in some of those poor nations.
by Michael Herman and Russ Breimeier | posted 7/26/2004
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Folk rock band Caedmon's Call has made a career of touring America and connecting with audiences. But over the last year, they've taken their music beyond the usual Stateside borders, witnessing first hand the poverty and oppression in countries like Brazil, Ecuador, and, most recently, India. That last trip awakened the band to the ugly truth of caste discrimination and religious persecution. We talked with lead singer Cliff Young, drummer Todd Bragg, and percussionist Garett Buell about their experience and how it plays into the band's forthcoming album.
From left: Todd Bragg, Jeff Miller, Garett Buell, Danielle Young, Andrew Osenga, Cliff Young and Josh Moore stand in front of an abandoned mission outside of Otavalo, Ecuador.
Can you start by giving us some background about the current religious climate in India?
Cliff Young Hinduism is just crushing India today—the caste system in particular is killing the country. The Brahmans, the upper caste, represent about 25% of the population, and they have all the power and the money. At the other end of the spectrum are the Dalits, referred to as "the unborn." They also make up around 25% of the population.
Todd Bragg Hinduism is why the Indians are so peaceful. They believe that everything they do is going to come back to haunt them some day. So they're always trying to make peace to make up for their past.
Young Christianity is nothing new to southern India, going back to the Roman Catholic Church and the work of Mother Teresa. But northern India is another story because the radical Hindus control it. Gandhi supposedly eliminated caste discrimination, but he didn't eliminate the system. The problem is that discrimination is inherent in the caste system that is taught by Hinduism.
The upper caste children in northern India wear school uniforms, but the Dalit children go to school wearing rags and dirty clothes. They have to go sit at the feet of the upper caste students—they aren't allowed to sit at desks. The Dalits even drink out of their own clay cups that they have to break when they're done, in case an upper caste might accidentally drink from it.
Now the gospel has come to northern India, and the Dalits who have been taught all their lives that they are absolutely worthless are suddenly hearing that God loves them. Most of the Hindu gods carry weapons and are about destruction and fear. There is no god of love, so this is a revolutionary concept for the Dalits—to learn that they don't have to live that way. India is on the verge of genuine revival because of it.
The rest of the country can't be looking on that too kindly, right?
Young Yeah, as a result, they've passed an anti-conversion law in northern India [prohibiting conversion] from Hindu to Christian. Most people don't realize what kind of persecution is going on over there. Churches are being burned and believers are being killed for their faith. There are actually Hindus faking conversion and then killing everyone in line with them to be baptized. It's unbelievable! Obviously the Christian believers over there are pretty radical. There's no grey area—if you're a believer, you really are one.
What led to your passion and involvement in this matter?
Young For a long time, we've been supporting a pastor friend from India who's actually one of the few Dalits in the United States. He talked to me about the discrimination that still goes on in his country today through the caste system, in the form of the oppression and persecution of Dalit believers. It was a real eye opener for me, so the rest of the band and I started talking about getting involved. And now we're working with a group called the Dalit Freedom Network, based in Denver, Colorado.
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