Columnist George Luke points out Garth Hewitt got to Dalits before Caedmon's Call

JOURNALIST and columnist George Luke wrote recently in the Culture Vulture column in Christian Herald about the tendency for Christians to claim to be the first with an idea when in fact others have got there before them. Luke particularly singled out the 'Share The Well' album by American CCM band Caedmon's Call which features collaborations with musicians from Ecuador, Brazil and India and songs highlighting the suffering of India's Dalit community under the caste system. Wrote Luke, "According to a press release, 'Share The Well' is the first album of its kind in Christian music. From that statement, it's obvious that Caedmon's Call (or whoever writes their press releases) have never heard of a little English festival called Greenbelt, or of a bloke by the name of Garth Hewitt. If they had, they would know that Garth has been championing the Dalits' cause in song for quite some time and that he recorded an album called 'The Dalit Drum' about three years ago, collaborating with Dalit musicians to address the same subject."