African artists to debut song of peace

25 Aug 2015 - 10:13

Top musicians drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria and Mozambique will on 21 September lend their voices to the Peace Day celebrations in Kigali, Rwanda. The artists - Wangechi (Kenya), Maurice Kirya (Uganda), Ali Kiba (Tanzania), Ice Prince (Nigeria) and Dama Do Bling (Mozambique) - will debut the new song, ‘Peace Anthem’, which was written by South African musician Zwai Bala and produced by the Coke Studio Africa that has been in production on location in Kenya since 12 May 2015. The five artists recently collaborated with American RnB singer Ne-Yo during the Coke Studio music show in Kenya.

Knowless Butera during a live performance. Photo:www.igihe.com
Artists during Coke Studio session. Photo: www.the-star.co.ke
The African Children's Choir. Photo:www.africanchildrenschoir.com

The project, dubbed Peace One Day, will bring together thousands of young people from Rwanda and across the Great Lakes region of Africa to inspire them to take part in and become the driving force behind the vision of a united and sustainable world, using Peace Day as a catalyst for action. Collaborations from local dance groups will highlight the possibilities that can come from working together while other high-profile regional acts will come together in Kigali to demonstrate how music has the power to transcend borders and differences and bring people together.

Among those set to perform at the event are Rwandan songstress Knowless Butera, Urban Boyz, Innoss’B, Krest Crew, Jabba Junior and the African Children’s Choir. Peace One Day was founded by Jeremy Gilley an actor turned filmmaker, who in the late 1990s became preoccupied with questions about the fundamental nature of humanity and the issue of peace.

The event aims at institutionalizing 21 September and making it an annual day of global unity and a day of intercultural cooperation. In 2014, the organization launched a three-year project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region of Africa for Peace Day. More details in the video below.