Earnings of Christian album to help poor in India

Earnings of the Christian album, "CompassionArt: Creating Freedom From Poverty", featuring 14 songs by 19 of the biggest names in contemporary Christian music, will be directed to the charities in India.

The multiartist project was first initiated by English Christian rock band, Delirious? whose tour to India inspired to fight poverty and disease around the world.

"I remember going to India for the first time and being completely shocked, like being hit over the head with a baseball bat," says Martin Smith, the group's lead singer and songwriter.

"I realized that people lived on the same planet as me with completely nothing. That set a massive thing off in me, feeling like I couldn't just get on a plane and do nothing."

The album, which was released on Jan.27, is a compilation of songs written by some of the popular artists including Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Stephen Curtis Chapman, CeCe Winans, Israel Houghton and TobyMac.

They waived all fees including royalties so their joint contribution can help the CompassionArt and the 16 charities it has selected.

The proceeds of the last album, Kingdom of Comfort which was released on April 1, 2008, was used to build a medical centre in Prem Kiran, Mumbai.

The centre, says Martin, will help save the lives of mothers and children trapped in the commercial sex trade.

"This represents a new life for them, leaving behind prostitution, learning a domestic trade, studying, and tasting for the first time in their lives a commodity we don't even know we have. Freedom," said Martin.

"It's not rocket science is it? Or clever or even spiritually heroic. Just being human I think, just loving your neighbour. The Gospel of Christ is simple.

"As I stood before 30 prostitutes and their kids I had a smile the width of India and thought to myself how much fun I'm having even before I leave this planet."

Delirious? last year announced that 2009 will be its last performing year as a band. It was part of the Joyce Meyer's 'Festival of Life 2009'at Bangalore.