Tag: activism

By Agence France-Presse
Sunday, August 21st, 2011 -- 10:20 am

LAHORE, Pakistan — Against a backdrop of militant bombs and bullets, wealthy young Pakistanis are turning to the beat of modern music to help bring social change to their troubled Muslim nation.

"I love how when you enter the place, you're completely transformed," said DJ Faisal Big at a recent all-night rave in a brick factory courtesy of London's Ministry of Sound.

"It doesn't feel like Pakistan -- definitely not the Pakistan you see on the media."

The one-off Ministry of Sound event cost $100 dollars, an expensive night out in the impoverished country -- but the mini-revolution has spread far beyond the brick factory doors.

Organisers persuaded the famous London nightclub, billed as the home of dance music and celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, to send over a DJ to lead a club for one night only.

The youth music scene in a deeply conservative Islamic state, dogged by deadly Taliban and Al-Qaeda attacks, is opening up to new influences -- offering anger-release and a space for political expression.

The cultural capital of Lahore is centre-stage for young people looking to modern music for a break from stifling militancy and political crises.

(more:)

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/08/21/young-pakistanis-turn-to-music-to-beat-bombers/

Bob Marley's song, "High Tide or Low Tide" has been released by "Save The Children" to raise awareness and much needed funds for East Africa's desperate situation, for the groundbreaking new "I'm Gonna Be Your Friend" campaign. This campaign is getting the support of many musicians, including Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, U2, Eminem, Beyonce, Elton John, Coldplay, Robert Plant, Kanye West, Britney Spears, Madonna, Brian May, Sting, Rhianna, Jennifer Lopez, and many more. There are millions of lives facing starvation and lack of clean water in East Africa, and if we don't act tens of millions of children will die. On the "Save The Children" website, it says, "Bob's music has always conveyed a message of  unity and love. And this is a message needed now more than ever."

"High Tide and Low Tide" was specially chosen by the Marley family for the resonance of the single’s lyrics, “I’m Gonna Be Your Friend”. In a statement Rita Marley said, "Not one child should be denied food nor water. Not one child should suffer. Along with Save the Children, we must stand up together as friends to put a stop to this, to feed our children and to save their lives." Justin Forsyth, CEO of Save the Children said, "Save the Children, along with other aid agencies, is already supporting families with food, water and medicines. But the crisis is getting worse by the day and millions of children are facing starvation. We can stop this happening. But we need to act now. Every day counts. Please help us by downloading this powerful single and let’s stop this catastrophe getting any worse."

To help out, one can do the following:

• Go to Bob Marley's Facebook page and join the network that has swelled to hundreds of thousands of people.

• Download the song from iTunes, or other music outlets, the proceeds will help the cause.

• Donate to the East Africa Appeal on ImGonnaBeYourFriend.org

• Watch the accompanying short film by award-winning director Kevin MacDonald.

• Spread the word: Tell friends and family about this campaign and ask them to help.

Rapper will.i.am has launched a campaign called "i.am.FIRST: Science is Rock and Roll" to promote science and technology, and has used his own money to air a special on ABC highlighting a robot competition called "My Robot is Better that Your Robot". The musician has been teaming up with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization started by Dean Kamon, inventor and entrepreneur, to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology.

Check out FIRST's website by going to usfirst.org.

The special will air on Sunday, August 14th on ABC, and will feature young people in a competition centered around robotic technology, and hopes to spark the imagination and creativity of young people to get interested in science. In a PSA (watch below), he and other musicians, such as Steve Tyler of Aerosmith to Jack Black, point out how the smartphones we rely on so much these days were invented by geeks and nerds and we should embrace and celebrate science. There will also be performances by the Black Eyed Peas, Bono, Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber. 

For more information, check out i.am.FIRST's site by going here:
http://iamfirst.dipdive.com/

MTV has announced it will be adding a new category for videos that featured a positive social message or raised awareness of issues that are important to today's youth for this year's Video Music Awards show. The new category, called "Best Video With a Message", is in recognition of the many artists that have come out recently with gripping videos that centered around key issues for many young people today, and spoke out against bullying, discrimination against gays, and promoted self-empowerment. Some of the socially active artists have been Pink, who recently came out with a powerful video "F***** Perfect", which dealt with female self-empowerment, and Rise Against did "Make it Stop (September's Children)", a video speaking out against gay teens being bullied at school.

Stephen Friedman, MTV's president, said in a statement, "During the past year, we've seen a remarkable number of artists use their music to explore deeply personal experiences and issues they were passionate about to create powerful videos that resonated with and inspired millions of their fans." The videos that were nominated are:

Eminem and Rihanna - "Love the Way You Lie"

A video that illuminates the pain and perils of domestic violence.

Katy Perry - "Firework"

Celebrating the spark and originality in all of us.

Lady Gaga - "Born This Way"

Mother Monster gives birth to a world free from prejudice, judgment and self- doubt.

Pink - "F****** Perfect"

Pink lets out a cry of reassurance for anyone who's ever felt less than perfect.

Rise Against - "Make it Stop (September's Children)"

Rise Against reminds LBGT teens pushed to the edge that "It gets better".

Taylor Swift - "Mean"

Taylor cautions negative naysayers that being mean gets you nowhere.

To check out the videos and to VOTE for the best "social activist" video, go the MTV website by clicking here.

(Photo cedit: Kevin Winter)
MusiCares, an organization that is part of the Grammy foundation which "provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need", honored Neil Young with their "Person of the Year" award for his philanthropy work and musical legacy. Neil Young and his wife Pegi opened the "Bridge School", an "innovative organization educating children with severe speech and physical impairments", and hold benefit concerts every year to raise funds for the cause.

Many artists showed up to pay tribute to Neil Young and MusiCares, from Sheryl Crow to Elton John, and performed some of his biggest songs. The concert was filmed last January in LA, and is currently playing on VH1 Palladia in HD. It will also be available on Blu-ray DVD soon, and proceeds from the sale will go to MusicCares for their work in helping musicians in times of financial and medical distress.

For some great pictures of the event go here, and here is a video of Lady Antebellum singing "Only Love Can Break Your Heart".