It's the end of a momentous year, and I'm looking at our schedule and feeling pretty darned good about the programming we've been presenting… I gotta say, Global Are Us! We've got music documentaries from places like China, Brazil, South Africa, and India, to name a few-- all of them top notch, engrossing and enriching. The video premieres have been full of great music and creative visuals. We managed to produce an extraordinary video for Amnesty International, and in the process met some truly unforgettable people.  You can look forward to seeing interviews with Emmanuel Jal, Lila Downs, Jorge Nasser and Chico Cesar soon.  Our Music for Human Rights special, and our Best Video Finds of 2008 are now available online and on the air.  We're planning a festival of the best of Music and Culture on New Year's Eve continuing into New Year's Day, so if you like to keep your celebrations domestic, let the world come to you at its entertaining best; just stay tuned to Link TV.

But there's so much more we want to bring you, and as we continue our mini-pledge, I want to thank all of you out there who sent in pledges of support even in these financially shaky times, and remember if you haven't already, time is running out to make it tax deductible for this year! Your contribution will go directly to Music and Cultural programming, allowing us to seek out and present even more of what we call this "world of creativity."

This week we are showing Democracy in Dakar about the role that Hip Hop culture played in the last presidential election in Senegal. Even if you are not a fan of Hip Hop I think you will find this to be a meaty, thought provoking documentary, particularly in the light of the recent US election. Our own ambivalence toward the US system was in full evidence prior to November 4th.  There were fears of vote tampering, election rigging, and the campaign itself had many of us tearing our hair over any number of issues-- whether it was smear tactics or the unbelievable fixation of our media on trivialities… or our fears that the media itself was a pawn of darker forces.  So it is fascinating to get this insight into what was happening on the ground in Senegal through the eyes of MCs both established (Xuman, DJ Awadi) and on the rise.  Perhaps it will stimulate you into researching the track record of the current president there; or maybe get you wondering about the nature of power; how one gets it, and how one keeps it.

This kind of documentary that straddles entertainment and issues, is typical of Link TV.  I hope you'll take a moment to make a pledge while our Music and Culture mini pledge is still running, and show that you understand and support this very important and unusual programming.

This week we are showing director Mika Kaurismaki's love letter to Brazilian choro, Brasileirinho. Choro is an endearing form of acoustic urban folk music with a soft, sweet sound. Its roots go back to 19th century Rio, when musicians started to blend indigenous, Afro-Brazilian and European music into a new genre. In this film you are going to meet some amazing players: guitarists, mandolinists, singers, and more. You'll get a terrific insight into this music, where it has been, and where it is going.

By the way, if you are wondering why there is a scene with a manicurist that opens the film, consider this: many guitarists rely on their fingernails to get just the right sound on their instruments. If a nail breaks, it's almost as bad as breaking a string. Thankfully, nail salons these days are adept at creating strong nail extensions, and finding a good place can generate quite a buzz amongst a surprising number of guitar virtuosos. So no, those men were not getting a manicure!

You aren’t going to find "Brasileirinho" on any mainstream channels -- it's only here on Link TV. So I hope that during this month's mini-pledge you'll show your support for the "World of Creativity" that Music and Culture brings you every day. Just lift your gaze to the "Pledge Now" button at the top of the page, click on it, and show your support. Thanks!

This coming week we'll be kicking off our first Music and Culture mini-pledge. Link will be spotlighting our movies, documentaries and world music blocks for the next month; it'll be a great lead-in to the *Big Holidays* and New Year's Eve. In addition to that, we have two new music blocks that are debuting, plus our "Best Videos Finds of 2008" program, AND two productions in affiliation with Amnesty International coming up: a very cool special called "Music for Human Rights", and our music video "The Price of Silence." Both productions will be streamed online, as well as broadcast.  You can see "The Price of Silence" starting Friday, December 5th, and on Tuesday, December 9th, you can download both the song and the video at iTunes. Once you see the video, I predict you will want to see and hear it again!

We hope that with this barrage of great entertainment, you'll be inspired to make a contribution to Link TV. We have a goal to raise $100,000 through this mini-pledge. We know that times are tough, but in this season, when we all think back on the past year, and make our wishes for the future, remember all the great songs and stories that Link has brought into your home. In a world of tumultuous changes, Music and Culture is the Good News -- that people the world over have an instinct to communicate and create that is stronger than alienation and destruction. When you give during this mini-pledge your gift will go directly to bringing you more of this especially affirmative, uplifting and artful programming. If you're reading this, just lift your gaze to the "Pledge Now" button at the top of the page, click on it, and show your support.   Thanks!