The Newswire : The Memnosyne Institute, and Gua Africa for the Sudanese refugees →

When Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier turned international hip-hop star and peace activist through his founding of Gua Africa, a London based non-profit which provides educational programs for those affected by war and displacement in East Africa offering education to refugees who have survived war and genocide learned about the urgent need to assist Sudanese refugees to flee to South Sudan and Kenya, he immediately began working to connect with others around the globe to help him. Emmanuel Jal, Mary Ann and Joshua had originally committed to intending to bring the first African location of The Memnosyne Institute’s “School Out of A Box” prototype, (the first is in the Yucatan) providing a space for students to pursue online high school and college education via online education, to be located next to where he had built a library for recovering child soldiers.

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Musix : MELANIE WIEGMANN & CARL CARLTON + THE GREAT BAND →

Two people have really sought and found each other. On "Glory Of Love", the musical global player Carl Carlton and singer Melanie Wiegmann do business together both privately and professionally. And their new interpretations of classics by Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and The Velvet Underground sparkle with wit, harmony and passion. How this dream pairing came about, the two tell in the musix interview.

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Dan's Papers : Joan Baez Shares Wisdom at HamptonsFilm SummerDocs Closer (by Bill McCuddy) →

Folk icon and activist Joan Baez is ready for her close-up. At a Hamptons Film Festival’s SummerDocs screening in East Hampton Sunday night, August 13, she was joined by fellow music legend Laurie Anderson and director Karen O’Conner for a packed A-list screening and conversation about Joan Baez I Am A Noise (co-directed by Miri Navasky and Maeve O’Boyle).

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Kait 8 : Rosanne Cash to host Sunken Lands Songwriting Circle →

The Sunken Lands Songwriting Circle will be held in Riceland Hall at the Fowler Center, located at 201 Olympic Drive on Saturday, Aug. 12. This event will be hosted by Rosanne Cash, along with performers Rodney Crowell and Sarah Jarosz. “My father’s music began in the sunken lands in the Arkansas Delta and the gumbo soil stayed with him his entire life. I am excited to return to Arkansas to honor and continue his legacy,” said Cash. “I am especially excited to be joined by Rodney and Sarah, along with John Leventhal. They are masterful songwriters, and I look forward to an unforgettable evening.”

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Deadline : Sarajevo Opening Night: Bono Makes Surprise Appearance As U2 Doc ‘Kiss The Future’ Opens Fest (by Zac Ntim) →

Bono made a surprise appearance at the Sarajevo Film Festival this evening, where he accompanied the crew behind the U2-inspired Bosnian war documentary Kiss The Future, which opened the festival. Bono was joined by his U2 band member The Edge on the red carpet at Bosnia’s National Theatre alongside CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour, who also features in the doc, during which she recounts her time as a young reporter covering the Bosnian conflict.

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Harper's Bazaar : 32 Rare Photos of Jane Birkin Through the Years Remembering the inimitable singer and actress (by Brittany Natale) →

Describing Jane Birkin an icon is a given. The British-born actress and singer appeared in countless films, wrote several albums worth of songs, acted on stage, and threw herself in political and social activism. Birkin passed away earlier this year at the age of 76, but she will forever be an inspiration.

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Music in Africa : BIMAs 2023: Angélique Kidjo, Letta Mbulu and PJ Powers to receive Lifetime Achievement awards Ano Shumba's picture (by Ano Shumba) →

African musicians and social activists Angélique Kidjo (Benin), Letta Mbulu (South Africa) and PJ Powers (South Africa) will be honoured with Lifetime Achievement awards at the 2023 Basadi in Music Awards (BIMAs). "I am very honoured to be receiving a Basadi in Music Award from South Africa,” Kidjo, a five-time Grammy Award winner, said. “South Africa has a special place in my heart since I first heard about Miriam Makeba when I was young. She was a role model and then a mentor. It is important to celebrate women in music so that many young singers can be inspired to pursue their dream.”

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American Songwriter : Glen Hansard Announces New Solo Album ‘All That Was East Is West of Me Now’ (by Lorie Liebig) →

Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard will share his first new music in four years this fall. His fifth studio album, All That Was East Is West of Me Now, is set for release on October 20 via ANTI Records. The nine-track project was born from five intimate, unpublicized concerts that the Grammy-nominated artist played in his local pub in November 2022. “I told no one. We set up in the corner and played to the locals, some of whom were only half listening,” Hansard says in a statement.

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Smercornish : Joan Baez in Ukraine: A New Voice of Hope July 31, 2023 (by Irwin Redlener) →

UCAP board member Joan Baez & UCAP co-founder Karen Redlener in Warsaw at a program supporting refugee children from war-torn Ukraine [...] "Joan Baez meets dozens of children, mostly 5 to 15 years of age, in the sunshine of a beautiful summer’s day. They sing to her, and Joan sings to the kids. They are dancing and laughing – and finally surround Joan, enveloping her with hugs. An extraordinary moment." Karen Redlener said.

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Interview Jane Birkin - Toast to Freedom →

Throwback on the interviews we did with the #ToastToFreedom artists for Amnesty International..
Here is #JaneBirkin :
"People have far more power if only they know it. I have always believed that if millions of people sent letters that chockablock the front doors of some ministers, some presidents, and just by the sheer weight of the letters, of the appeals, then they would have to look."

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