THE LEAD RUSH
Flavorlab Score for LEAD RUSH by Pure Earth
Project
Sometimes a job comes along that sparks our creativity, introduces us to new music a world away and has potential of making a difference in people’s lives. Lead Rush, a documentary from Pure Earth, a global nonprofit that addresses toxic hot spots on the planet, was one of those jobs.
Lead Rush tells the story of Senegalese village’s struggle to diagnose and then address widespread and catastrophic poisoning. Due to exposure from the informal harvesting of lead from car batteries.
Process
Hence, It’s a heavy tale to tell and we wanted to serve the film’s mission: to educate and ignite interest. Obviously, music from the area was a must for the score. We were familiar with classic Western African drumming styles, but this job gave us an opportunity to dive into the patterns and the rhythms of this part of the world. Two legends — drummer/composer Doudou Ndiaye Rose and singer/instrumentalist Baaba Maal — were our chief teachers and inspirations. If you’re not familiar with their work, we highly recommend you check them out.