D'Banj, Soweto Gospel Choir, others for ‘Radio Everyone’

3 Aug 2015 - 11:44

Nigerian artists D’Banj and 2face signed to become part of the Radio Everyone project. The project, which aims to reach seven billion persons in seven days, is part of the Global Goals campaign and partners the Global Citizen Festival.

D'Banj

Radio, adjudged to be the most accessible of media, is being used by the project to spread the message of Global Goals by the UN. The notion is to end ‘extreme poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change for everyone by 2030.’

The project’s soundtrack is written by singer/songwriter Peter Gabriel and will be recorded with the Soweto Gospel Choir based in South Africa. Speaking about working with the choir, Gabriel said, ‘It's a buzz to work with the Soweto Gospel Choir again. This may be the fourth time we have worked together, and there has not been one occasion when I haven't been really moved listening to their beautiful and soulful voices.’

Several stations will carry Radio Everyone’s message, with South African Broadcasting Association distributing content to 15 countries. Germany’s Deutsche Well will do same for its partners in six languages. 97.2 Big FM in India, UK’s BBC Music, USA’s WNYC & Public Radio International, Italy’s Radio2Rai and Nigeria’s Ray Power FM are involved as well.

These stations will carry Radio Everyone content from 26 September to 2 October. Radio stations from around the continent are welcome to carry content. And so far, stations from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia and The Gambia have signed up to join the campaign.

‘Our aim,’ Richard Curtis, the man behind Radio Everyone said, ‘is to gather an amazing volume of extraordinary radio content about The Global Goals and then pulse it across the world to everybody on the planet that listens to radio.

‘We want to do this in the seven days after the Goals are adopted by 193 world leaders at the United Nations. By getting The Goals into people’s hearts and minds – and ears! – we can inspire the next generation of Global Citizens to be the first generation that ends extreme poverty, the most determined to tackle inequalities and the last to live with the effects of climate change.’

Along with Gabriel artists to be featured include India’s AR Rahman, the aforementioned Nigerian artists, as well their compatriot the rapper Ice Prince.

Watch Richard Curtis speak about Radio Everyone below: