Refugee Voices

Music Week September 2005-09-21 Review under New Releases

2005-11-03T18:25:45+01:00

Recorded last December at the Royal Albert Hall, Voices for Darfur features a selection of concerned celebrities pooling their talents with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra in a charity event to raise funds for the victims of the conflict in Darfur, Sudan. For that reason, it is obviously an incredibly worthy purchase, and it has also the advantage of drawing some excellent performances from a stellar cast, most of whom elected to perform classic American songs. Mick Hucknall sings I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Alison Moyet tackles Alfie and Jocelyn Brown reigns in her diva tendencies for a restrained Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye. With Willard White, Ruthie Henshall and Barbara Hendricks also playing major roles, the only reservation is that there is not much for the younger music fan, save for Franz Ferdinand’s live take on Matinee – a bonus track not actually from the concert – and Blue’s Antoni Costa performing Van Morrison’s Moondance with obvious nervousness.

Andreas Fischer

2005-11-03T16:17:19+01:00

Honest intentions

Very often, participating artists abuse charity and fundraising events for their own PR purposes. The involvement with a good cause can easily be printed in capital letters over one’s latest album. It makes an excellent sales enhancing argument. With “Voices for Darfur”, a concert joining Mick Hucknall, Chrissie Hynde, Alison Moyet, Jocelyn Brown and other Stars in London’s Royal Albert Hall in December 2004, it is a completely different story. One can feel the honesty of the project, the performers’ clear intention to draw attention to refugee crisis in Sudan, long ignored by Western countries.

The “Voices for Darfur” DVD lines up a number of stars, who, leaving their ego aside, agreed not to perform their own hits but instead present a choice of songs, smooth jazz and evergreens, adequate for the evening and cause. Apart from Yusuf Islam maybe, who was amongst the audience, then offering his services and unable to withhold from making a speech full of pathos before proceeding to sing “The Little Ones”.

This much too obvious speech was an exception though, the rest of the evening one witnessed relaxed stars having fun in travelling through the music of Cole Porter and Burt Bacharach. And, as horrific the situation they are denouncing may be, very often the performers criticise in an intelligent manner our civilisation for turning its eyes from the crisis. Sir Willard White’s version of the Anatevka song “If I Were A Rich Man” is fully appreciated. There are real problems in the world.

The goal of the event is clear: the audience is in the focal point, the organiser wanting to thank them for their (financial) involvement and interest. To raise awareness for forgotten or ignored humanitarian disaster is what this technically high quality DVD achieves with excellence.

Apart from the excellent 5.1 soundmix and the successful optical translation, it is the bonus material that really convinces. The bonus material added to the concert puts the reason for this DVD explicitly into focus: amongst others a BBC feature on Sudan, observation of the daily lives of refugees as well as horrifying eye-witness accounts.

the « Social Times », Monday 10/10/05

2005-11-03T15:59:27+01:00

“Voices for Darfur” DVD released

The fundraising concert held by the United Refugee Agency last December is as of now available on DVD. The profit made via sales of the DVD, released by EMI, will yet again go to the emergency programme of the UNHCR in Darfur/Chad. Initially, the concert featuring 14 top artists performing for free had already raised 350.000 US$.

It is amazing what one can achieve “with a little help from my friends”. An impressive sum of 350.000 US$ for the persecuted men, women and children of the Darfur region of Sudan. Now you wonder how such amount was raised in one night by UNHCR last December? 14 of top international artists performed for free for this noble cause at the Royal Albert Hall – and now this concert, praised by the audience for its brilliant atmosphere, has just been released by EMI on DVD. All profits will go to the emergency programme of the UNHCR in Darfur/Chad.

And these additional funds arrive just in time. The UN Refugee Agency has not yet received the needed funds for this region’s aid programme of its donor countries. Meanwhile the suffering of the people of Darfur of Sudan continues. Only recently, 34 men were killed in a refugee camp and it’s surrounding villages in a vicious attack. Men on horseback stole cattle, killed and burnt down shelters. The High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, has called upon the Sudanese government to assume its responsibility to protect Darfur’s internally displaced population.

The brand-new DVD of the London concert is called “Voices from Darfur” and contains tracks from a series of artists, such as Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, Mick Hucknall from Simply Red, Antony Costa of Blue, Moloko singer Roisin Murphy, Ruthie Henshall, Greek opera star Mario Frangoulis, bass baritone Sir Willard White and UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador Barbara Hendricks. The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra accompanied the artists.

Additionally to the concert, the DVD features songs by Sade, David Gray and Franz Ferdinand. Sade recorded her first song in 4 years “Mum” especially for “Voices for Darfur”. You can also find a special message from Franz Ferdinand and backstage footage of all the artists.

The conflict in Darfur has displaced over 2 million people inside the region and driven about 200.000 to seek refuge in neighbouring Chad where UNHCR is looking after them in twelve refugee camps.

The DVD released by EMI is as of now available in all shops. All profits will go to the emergency programme of the UNHCR in Darfur/Chad.