Taking ‘refuge’ in music concerts

The Asian Age.

Entertainment, Music

In an attempt to unite people in welcoming refugees, these performances will take place as part of “Give a Home”.

Indian Ocean

Brace yourselves as bands like Indian Ocean, Parvaaz, Fossils, Skrat, Ritviz, Jessie Ware, Hot Chip, Kate Tempest, The Naked and Famous, The National, Oh Wonder and Zero 7 amongst many others are going to perform in people’s homes in over 200 cities. In an attempt to unite people in welcoming refugees, these performances will take place as part of “Give a Home”, a global concert series being organised to mark World Refugee Day.

“Apart from helping the cause by doing our bit by spreading the word and raising some funds for the cause, we are also keen on exploring a new way to reach out to fans and give them a new experience of hearing us live at home,” says Rahul Ram from the band Indian Ocean.

A collaborative effort of Amnesty International and Sofar Sounds, the series will take place on 20 September 2017 and will bring both established and emerging artistes together with refugees and local communities in over 300 shows in more than 60 countries.

Salil Shetty, secretary general,  Amnesty International, says, “Music and art have always been powerful partners to the cause of justice because they share an ability to stir something deep within us. They help us look beyond borders and see what unites us.” Rahul adds, “Our song Roday, from the album Tandanu, was about displacement. We haven’t performed the song live too many times, so we’ll perform it at our concert.” In India, the concerts will take place in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune. 

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