We have posted about Playing for change already twice, here and here, and this is third one, but I wanted to post this one all along, but the video was not available. I found the video, original full version here, of the Omagh Community Youth choir performing ‘Love Rescue Me’ and as I said last time it is meant to be brilliant and It Is. Daryl J Simpson, choir director and founder, also talks about his reason for founding the choir and how music has brought people together for generations.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1ohx398P7I[/youtube]

Its our world, share music n care for all.

Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music.

Started by Mark Johnson, it covers 10 year journey of Mark and team around the world to bring people together through the power of music and creating a unique composition of songs like “Stand By Me”, “One Love” and their first original song “Don’t Worry”, which is another favorite of mine. Though I like them all, their composition, of even the classics, with musicians from around the world singing make them more interesting and that much more powerful in conveying the message of peace and love. Its an inspiring piece of work in the world we live in today.

To post it on Dublin Metblogs, it had to have some Dublin/Irish connection :), which was not over hard to find, today they released a new song “War/No More Trouble”, starting in Israel, going through Congo, South Africa and various other places around the world, ending with Bono (U2) singing in Dublin, Ireland; and some other Irish musicians part of it are:

Cathy Jordan

Liam O Maonlai

Omagh Community Youth Choir – their cover of “Love Rescue Me” is meant to be very good (not out yet)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgWFxFg7-GU[/youtube]

The foundation provides supplies, resources, educational programs etc. to musicians and communities around the world. Check their youtube channel for more videos. Or have a look at their journey here.

Don’t Worry by Pierre Minetti, Barcelona.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAjFnJuk1Aw[/youtube]

Everywhere you go around the city, you’ll see now of the Christmas lightings and trees and decorations. There were Christmas songs belting through the sound system from Brown Thomas but unfortunately now this may be shut because the Dublin City Council deemed it noise pollution blah di blah. I mean, c’mon, this is pretty much part of Grafton Street Christmas tradition – to walk past BT, admire their beautifully decorated windows (with overpriced items that I could never afford, but that’s not the point) and sing/hum along to the Christmas carols!

Please don’t spoil this festive cheers by being so uptight about this. I don’t know of anyone who complained about the music and as far as I know, it actually puts people in Christmassy mood. More than the weird Christmas tree on O’Connell Street that the city council was raving over.

And staying with the topic of music, watch this video by Playing for Change. I know it’s not Dublin-specific, but it emphasises music as an universal language that links people together. Including Dubliners, and you and me who live in this city.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM[/youtube]

There are a few reasons why I think it’s appropriate to post this video here today. First and foremost, it’s a beautiful song that’s produced using recordings from all over the world, harmonised together so elegantly that it resonates with everyone. Secondly, this organisation aims to promote peace through music, and this is one endeavour that I’m whole-heartedly supporting. Thirdly, I think we can all do with a good reminder that no man is an island and we have wonderful people, friends and family, that stand by us every day, every step that we take. (Quite nicely, it was Thanksgiving yesterday in the US, so what are you thankful for this year?)

We need more positive actions like this.

In the past week, we’ve seen chaos in the Middle East (so much so that it’s nearly business-for-usual that doesn’t quite raise the eyebrows anymore), military coup in Thailand and most shockingly the violent attacks in Mumbai that left over 100 people dead and a few hundred more injured. At the moment there are some progress made in containing the attacks and I hope there will not be anymore unnecessary casualties.

But it begets a few questions. Why are men still using violence in order to achieve what they want? How come, through the ages and civilisations, are there still systems and governments that don’t work that the people felt they need to speak out radically? And why are men not searching for better middle grounds to their ideologies, and at times agree to disagree, or able to disagree without being disagreeable?

Sure, there are no simple answers to these. I long for the ideal world, but hey I also often live behind a rose-tinted glasses, Pollyanna world. I’ve tried stepping out and look at things with more cynicism and skepticism, but I didn’t (and still don’t) like what I see.

Oh well, this is something best left to philosophers to debate.