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Since its inception over a decade ago, Essential Records' folk-rock group Caedmon's Call has had a heart for overseas outreach. The band recently returned home after a month of visits to India, Ecuador and Brazil. The trips were ministry and research focused as the group incorporated local Christian musicians in the writing and recording of its fall 2004 studio album. With this release, the band seeks to raise awareness in the global church of injustices occurring in each of these countries.

"For ten years it's been amazing to hear people say, 'That song really touched me,' or 'That song changed my life,'" explains Caedmon's lead vocalist Cliff Young. "With our fall release, we're going into a time where I hope there could be whole communities in India and Brazil and Ecuador that will say, 'This CD changed my whole village.'"

The band sought to capture the stories of these people by visiting them in person and writing songs based on their experiences. During their recent trip to India, the band not only gathered song material for the Oct.-slated release, members also performed puppet shows for village children, led worship for crowds of more than 8,000, and wandered through the poorest of living conditions to touch the hands of the people.

The group worked with two organizations offering aid to India: Peace Gospel Ministries and the Dalit Freedom Network - a ministry to the country's lowest caste of people - along with Compassion International in Ecuador and Brazil.

While in India from March 12 - 30, Caedmon's experienced first hand that Dalits are severely oppressed by the Hindu caste system and forced to remain as impoverished outcasts to society. Daily life for a typical Dalit consists of menial tasks such as washing soiled clothing in the riverbanks, and many of the women are forced into prostitution. Because of an ancient Indian value system that teaches: "All men are created unequal," a Dalit faces potential death if they attempt to stray beyond their entitlement.

Timothy Kasbe, a leader of Dalit Freedom, an outreach to the Dalit people, served as a guide for Caedmon's Call while in India. "Their fate scripted by the Hindu law, Dalits would be lucky to earn $1 per day to load thousands of bricks from dawn to dusk," explains Kasbe. "Caedmon's trip to visit the Dalits in India and to be with them at this time will be remembered for generations to come. Practical outreach like this gives them hope for survival in the midst of their plight."

Long-known for their multi-layered world percussion sounds, Caedmon's Call brought along a portable recording studio to capture the musical textures of areas like Bombay, Delhi, Arga, and Lucknow. They also purchased native Indian instruments to add to the recording.

Through a partnership with Compassion International, band members also traveled to Ecuador and Brazil in April for a week-long exploration of several Compassion International sites. Compassion forms partnerships in these countries with local churches that are active and focused on caring for the spiritual, physical, economic and social needs of children who are trapped in poverty.

While in Ecuador, the group visited Cliff and Danielle Young's sponsored child Gisella at her home, dined on guinea pig (a local delicacy), and shared music with several families. They also delivered food and supplies to various villages and recorded local musicians inside an old abandoned Mission.

In Brazil, the band gathered the percussive rhythms that have become signature of Caedmon's Call. There, they also visited Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza, two areas overflowing with destitution.

"We went to the top of a building and all you could see for miles were slums," recalls percussionist Garett Buell. "It was incredible to see such immense poverty. We'd take a child outside and he'd point to a blue door amongst the rubble and say, 'That's where I live.' Despite their poverty, the children were happy and devoted to music. They had the best time playing instruments and we all jumped up to join in with them. On these trips, we've really been able to see the impact of what sponsorship means and how important it is to make a difference."

For detailed journal entries and photos of the band's travels, visit their website at www.caedmonscall.com. For more information on Caedmon's Call, please visit www.essentialrecords.com.

Nashville-based Essential Records was founded in 1992 to provide relevant music from a God-centered perspective. Essential Records is part of the Provident Label Group, distributed through Provident Music Distribution and through partnerships with BMG.