The late Michael Jackson is helping U.S. soldiers in Haiti deliver aid and start to rebuild the earthquake-shattered nation.
Soldiers working with the 82nd Airborne Division in Port-au-Prince are using Jackson’s music along with other American and Haitian pop songs to calm crowds during aid distribution missions.
One of the soldiers, Spc. Max, said he hit upon the idea of using music for crowd control during an aid distribution mission last month.
The Haitians were trying to push ahead in line for aid,” he said.
“I put my iPod into the sound system and played some songs and the people were calmer,” he said. “It reduced tension within the crowd. The next day we went out and it got the same effect.”
Max said his unit told Army leaders in Haiti about the effectiveness of music for crowd control and that its use is spreading.
Michael Jackson songs are, by far, the most popular with crowds, Max said. The Haitians try to mimic Michael Jackson’s dance moves and incorporate some hip-hop steps, he said.
Source: Stripes
