Hiding Morse Code In A Pop Song

How the Colombian army sent a hidden message to hostages, by hiding Morse code within a pop song:

With the help of a military policeman skilled in Morse, they coded the message: "19 people rescued. You are next. Don’t lose hope." It was a signal to boost morale and indicate that help was nearby. Portela wrote the song and the lyrics with composer Amaury Hernandez, creating a thinly-veiled ballad about life as a hostage: "In the middle of the night / Thinking about what I love the most / I feel the need to sing… About how much I miss them." He even added the lyric, "Listen to this message, brother," just before the coded message kicks in. The code sounds like a brief synth interlude just after the chorus...

The song was played on over 130 small stations and heard by 3 million people. Though most Colombians in major cities would not even recognize the song, it became popular in the rural areas controlled by the FARC. By December 2010, "Better Days" was echoing across the jungle. And the plan worked.

"We know of hostages who heard the message and were able to escape and provide information that led to the release of more hostages," says Colonel Espejo..

One former hostage was able to confirm the song’s effectiveness, according to Col. Espejo. He told Ortiz of a clandestine operation that resulted in the release of Private Joshua Alvarez. In his military psychological evaluation, Col. Espejo says that the soldier spoke of hearing "the code hidden in the song," and revealed how the message was passed from soldier to soldier. The song was even enjoyed by the FARC, who were oblivious to its secret message.

(Via Bruce Schneier.)