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Heartfelt Music |
Photo © Glenn Ivers
People everywhere wish for safety, happiness, and connection, those with plenty and those deprived of basic needs alike. We have a natural tendency to respond to beauty with delight, to open up and reach out of even seemingly impossible conditions. Samite Mulondo realized this thanks to his music while visiting several war-stricken countries in Africa.
Samite, a Ugandan-American performing artist whose songs of simple joy and peace have entranced listeners around the world, returned to Uganda in 1997 with a documentary film team. Along his way home he stopped in Liberia, Ivory Coast and Rwanda to see for himself if the dismal picture of these countries painted by the western media was accurate. He found that in spite of staggering losses, the survivors of Liberia's civil war, Rwanda's genocide and decades of civil strife in Uganda were full of hope and caring for themselves and each other with great resourcefulness and dignity.
When he sang his songs of peace for the people, young and old responded with songs, dances and instrumental performances that had an immediate, positive impact on everyone present. A village of seemingly sad inhabitants would transform person by person to his flute or thumb-piano music. Before too long someone would offer their own song. Sometimes elders who haven't played in years would take out their dusted instruments to everyone's delight. Samite recalls, "When I returned to Africa I saw how refugee children in Liberia, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, and Uganda became alive when I sang to them. I looked into the eyes of these children and saw their spirits lifted with just one song and realized that music is a powerful healing force."
This led to the creation of "Musicians for World Harmony" formed by like minded individuals to bring the magic of music to those who have suffered, and to inspire local musicians in refugee camps and resettlement communities to play for their people. This winter the group will be travelling to Africa once again. They will be participating in a series of free concerts for peace. "After years of war and despair, it is time to celebrate the peace that has come," says Samite. The group will also be visiting child soldiers who are being rehabilitated, as well as children in orphanages. "Through music, we hope to recover their songs, which is the key to recovering their spirit, their feeling of belonging among their people, and their sense of self-worth," Samite explains.
For further information
Website: musiciansforworldharmony.org
E-mail: info@musiciansforworldharmony.org
Address: P.O.Box 892 Ithaca, NY 14851
Samite, a Ugandan-American performing artist whose songs of simple joy and peace have entranced listeners around the world, returned to Uganda in 1997 with a documentary film team. Along his way home he stopped in Liberia, Ivory Coast and Rwanda to see for himself if the dismal picture of these countries painted by the western media was accurate. He found that in spite of staggering losses, the survivors of Liberia's civil war, Rwanda's genocide and decades of civil strife in Uganda were full of hope and caring for themselves and each other with great resourcefulness and dignity.
When he sang his songs of peace for the people, young and old responded with songs, dances and instrumental performances that had an immediate, positive impact on everyone present. A village of seemingly sad inhabitants would transform person by person to his flute or thumb-piano music. Before too long someone would offer their own song. Sometimes elders who haven't played in years would take out their dusted instruments to everyone's delight. Samite recalls, "When I returned to Africa I saw how refugee children in Liberia, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, and Uganda became alive when I sang to them. I looked into the eyes of these children and saw their spirits lifted with just one song and realized that music is a powerful healing force."
This led to the creation of "Musicians for World Harmony" formed by like minded individuals to bring the magic of music to those who have suffered, and to inspire local musicians in refugee camps and resettlement communities to play for their people. This winter the group will be travelling to Africa once again. They will be participating in a series of free concerts for peace. "After years of war and despair, it is time to celebrate the peace that has come," says Samite. The group will also be visiting child soldiers who are being rehabilitated, as well as children in orphanages. "Through music, we hope to recover their songs, which is the key to recovering their spirit, their feeling of belonging among their people, and their sense of self-worth," Samite explains.
For further information
Website: musiciansforworldharmony.org
E-mail: info@musiciansforworldharmony.org
Address: P.O.Box 892 Ithaca, NY 14851
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