Walking With The San by Charlie Simpson & San Bushmen -- Record of the Week!

Earlier this week notjustmum stumbled upon a telly programme that has become a 'must watch' in our house and provided some very heartwarming entertainment.

And none more so than the episode we saw on Wednesday when 'Singing in the Rainforest' on Watch took us to Namibia to meet the San people along with Busted's Charlie Simpson and his mate Alex Davies.

Now, apart from the Thunderbirds movie theme, Busted mean absolutely nothing to me. At all. But from the start of the programme, Charlie made an immediate impression.

And this continued throughout the programme. He really had compassion, care and concern for the San people. We learnt how they have had to change their traditional way of life -- hunter gatherers -- as conservation restricts hunting and that they survive on deliveries of grain. Compared to the Panamanian tribe we saw in the previous episode enjoying a session with the Happy Mondays (seriously), these people looked poor and hungry. They are small and slight and their diet poor. But... what happy, lovely people.

The former Busted frontman tapped into all this with great skill. The climax of each episode of 'Singing in the Rainforest' sees the UK band or artist collaborate with the indigenous tribe they spend a week with and Charlie's effort is the best of the series. By a mile, really.

Charlie was accompanied on the trip by his old school-chum and post-Busted bandmate Alex Davies, and the pair really endeared themselves to the San as well as prove very, very accomplished writers, players and performers.

We were told that, as well as the song being able to highlight the changes and threats the San face, proceeds from sales of the song would be given to aid the San. Needless to say we have purchased from iTunes. But not just because of the aid it provides: it's a really good song on so many levels.

I will not dismiss Charlie Simpson quite so readily in the future and, in fact, am about to listen to his second solo LP 'Long Road Home'.

Buy and download 'Walking with the San' from iTunes.