Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Faithless drummers back Sudan365 campaign
London: Today (9th January 2010) world famous drummers are supporting a new global campaign for Sudan - Sudan365 (http://www.sudan365.org) - calling on global leaders to take urgent diplomatic action over the next 365 days to prevent all out conflict returning to Sudan.
Celebrity drummers - including Phil Selway of Radiohead, Jonny Quinn of Snow Patrol, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd, the renowned Egyptian drummer Yehia Khalil, Egyptian music star Mohammed Munir and Mustapha Tettey Addy from Ghana who has been drumming since the 1970s - have come together to create a global 'beat for peace' for Sudan.
"I wanted to be involved in this project because I think music is such a powerful way of bringing people together. Of course, I'm biased in thinking that what's underpinning it all is always the beat - always drummers! Hopefully this film will show that together people can make a huge noise and through this film I hope people's focus will be brought back to what is happening in the Sudan over this very important next year," said Phil Selway of Radiohead who is supporting the campaign.
The drummers appear in a music film which was the brainchild of Jamie Catto - the drummer of Faithless who was behind the hit global music project '1 Giant Leap' - and produced by Emer Patten and the team at Splinter Films, the specialist music film company who have produced concert films for Beyoncé, Foo Fighters and Kings Of Leon among many others.
"This campaign is unprecedented. It's incredibly exciting. Thousands of drummers from some of the most famous drummers in the world to community groups across five continents have come together to create a global beat for peace in Sudan. The next 365 days will be critical for the people of Sudan. And this global drumbeat is a cry for positive action from world leaders to prevent conflict from returning," said Jamie Catto, founder member of 1 Giant Leap and Faithless.
The film features a drum beat for peace starting in Sudan and being picked up and passed on like a baton between drummers in over 15 countries around the world including Brazil, Mexico, US (NY and LA), UK, France, Spain, Senegal, South Africa, Ghana, Egypt, Mali, UAE, Japan, Russia and Australia.
"It is fantastic to join so many drummers from around the world. Sometimes the spoken word is a barrier but here we are coming together with so many drumming styles, so many instruments, so many sound colours, for a great cause, and we are delighted that we can communicate and hopefully make a difference to so many people through the beat of the drum," said Dame Evelyn Glennie, the award winning percussionist who is featured in the film.
The film will be launched on www.sudan365.org on January 9th 2010 and appear on the front page of YouTube. Campaigners will be asked to upload pictures and videos of themselves joining the 'beat for peace'.
On the 9th January 2010, thousands of campaigners will also gather in 15 countries around the world to screen the film and join the beat to call on world leaders to prevent a return to severe and widespread conflict in Sudan.
"We are very proud to be a part of this cause for the Sudan. We think that music is the best way to unify a common message, and that message is peace," said Ojos de Brujo, a famous Spanish flamenco group who are featured in the film.
"Sudan has experienced too much pain and suffering in the last three decades. Now is the time to make sure that the future is one of peace and prosperity for all those in Darfur and the rest of Sudan. Music is an incredible force for positive action and this global beat for peace calls on world leaders to act now to stop a disaster later." Mohammed Munir, Middle East musician & drummer