Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Police Drummers Band Together for Peace in Sudan

 "Borrowed" from Paste Magazine. 

Drummers, placed at the back of the stage, typically get the least glory of all the band members. But with Sudan365 Beat for Peace campaign, drummers are stepping into center stage to highlight the perilous situation in Sudan. They’re calling on world leaders to spend the next year working to prevent civil war from being unleashed there again.

Drummers from Pink Floyd, Elbow, Radiohead, The Police and Faithless appear in a YouTube video alongside beatmakers from 18 countries, exemplifying myriad styles and musical traditions.
The film was organized by Faithless drummer Jamie Catto, who told the BBC, "The drum is the oldest communication and music device. It’s something anyone can join in with. Anyone can add a beat to show that everybody in humanity feels that making sure horrific atrocities and millions of murders don’t kick off again in Sudan – to make sure it is a priority.”

Despite the recently-passed five-year anniversary of the signing of a peace deal in Sudan, where civil war raged for 22 years, millions are still displaced in camps in the western region of Darfur, and conflict is on the rise as next January’s referendum on southern Sudanese independence approaches.
In addition to calling on world leaders to take action, Sudan365 has invited concerned members of the citizenry to upload videos of their beats for peace, allowing anyone with a computer to show solidarity with the people of Sudan.

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