Stars make history with Palestine song

31 May 2011

Oneworld
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Stars make history with Palestine song

First popular single to support Palestinian freedom struggle

Leading international musicians today announced plans to make history with the first popular song to support Palestinians’ struggle for justice.

The song, ‘Freedom for Palestine’, is performed by musicians calling themselves OneWorld. Faithless/Slovo star Dave Randall was inspired to write and produce the single after a trip to the West Bank.

OneWorld includes Randall, Jamie Catto (1 Giant Leap), Maxi Jazz (Faithless), LSK, Harry Collier (Kubb), Andrea Britton, Sudha (Faithless), Andy Treacy (Faithless/Moby/Groove Armada), Attab Haddad and Joelle Barker.

The track brings together leading members of seminal dance act Faithless for the first time since the band officially split up in April.

Dave Randall said,

“As a child growing up in Britain, the struggle against apartheid in South Africa seemed a long way away until I heard the song 'Free Nelson Mandela' by The Special AKA. Now, apartheid in South Africa has fallen, but something very similar remains in Palestine - as I discovered when I visited Gaza and the West Bank recently. What I saw convinced me that it is time for a new generation of musicians from around the world to stand up for Freedom for Palestine.”

Many commentators – including Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former US President Jimmy Carter – have drawn a parallel between Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land with South African apartheid.

The song also features the Durban Gospel Choir and members of the London Community Gospel Choir.

During the last year Faithless, Massive Attack, Elvis Costello, Gil Scott-Heron, the Tindersticks, the Klaxons and the Gorillaz Sound System have all cancelled gigs in Israel over increased repression of Palestinians.

The news comes as British foreign secretary William Hague today backed US president Barack Obama’s call for an independent Palestinian state.

It also emerges only days after Israeli troops shot dead at least 13 Palestinians in protests over the occupation.

The single will be available for pre-order from 31 May, one year on since Israeli commandos killed and injured many activists in a raid on a flotilla of ships delivering aid to besieged Gaza.

The music video – which features the artists recording the single, as well as comedian Mark Thomas, rapper Lowkey and poet Michael Rosen, the former children’s laureate – will be made publicly available on YouTube on the same day.

Chart release will be on 3 July.

The track is being remixed by notable dance producers including Phil Jones from Specimen A.

It is backed by the anti-poverty charity War on Want and proceeds from sales of the song will go to support its projects in Palestine.

See also www.freedomoneworld.com