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Robert Plant, Tinariwen Record Exclusive Tracks for British Red Cross


Patrycja

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Thought this deserved its own thread to focus attention on such a worthy cause:

Robert Plant, Tinariwen record exclusive tracks for British Red Cross

Iconic vocalist Robert Plant and critically acclaimed world music group Tinariwen record exclusive tracks for The Long Road, a ground breaking concept record, created with the British Red Cross, who support refugees and asylum seekers here in the UK and through the International Red Cross network.

Robert Plant records new version of Elbow track ‘The Blanket Of Night’, which tells the tale of refugees attempting a treacherous journey to seek asylum in the UK

Watch video interview with Robert Plant, discussing his involvement in The Long Road below.

 

The Long Road will spotlight real-life experiences of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and across the world. Brit Award winner Ethan Johns, who has worked with the Kings of Leon, Laura Marling and The Vaccines, is producing the record. 

The record will be released 4 March 2016 and is available to pre-order today. To pre-order, please visit: http://smarturl.it/LongRoad 

Robert Plant, who recorded a version of Elbow track’s ‘The Blanket Of Night’, which tells the tale of refugees attempting a treacherous journey to attain asylum in the UK stated: ““We have a worldwide international catastrophe - talking about it is one thing, doing something about it is another. The position we are in, it’s paramount we all do our best one way or another to help.”

Grammy Award-winning group Tinariwen have also contributed to the record, recording a new track titled, ‘Silence’. Tinariwen’s founder Ibrahim Ag Alhabib was a refugee himself as a child and was forced to flee his home in Mali after his father was executed in the 1963 uprising in Mali.

For more information about the project please visit: www.longroad.uk

Show your support on social media with the hashtag - #thelongroadep

http://www.music-news.com/news/UK/94097/Robert-Plant-Tinariwen-record-exclusive-tracks-for-British-Red-Cross

 

 

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Hey Deb! :wave: you're welcome (you, too, annie :) ).

Just wanted to emphasize this point which is in the pre-order link above - All profits from this release go to the British Red Cross to help support refugees and asylum seekers in the UK:  http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Refugee-support. Check it out.

Also, the powers that be ought to be informed that the www.longroad.uk link is not working (at least for me, maybe someone else can confirm). 

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I got through on the http://smarturl.it/LongRoad  link is this correct. The other links don't work.

 

By the way the other artists are talented as well so am really looking forward to hearing it all in full.

 

By the way CD vinyl and download options all seem to be available.

I'm not sure whether they are supposed to be directing us to the same site. The link you list is to purchase the album, but I thought that the www.longroad.uk link was a separate one that gave more info about the artists and project? Maybe you're right and it's one and the same...

Yes, there are good options available, including the limited edition red vinyl.

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The Long Road link is now up and running: http://www.thelongroad.uk/ although it seems they're ironing out the connection to the Kartel Music Group site where you can purchase the album. 

In the meantime...

Can a pleasing photo garner more attention for the cause? Let's see:

RP_recording_Elbow_song_The_Blanket_of_N

http://classicrock.teamrock.com/news/2015-12-09/robert-plant-records-song-to-highlight-refugee-plight

 

Some extra info about the artists involved in this HuffPo piece:

Robert Plant Records Elbow Track 'The Blanket Of Night' For Refugee Crisis Album 'The Long Road'

 The Huffington Post UK  |  By Caroline Frost
 Posted: 09/12/2015 14:00 GMT Updated: 09/12/2015 14:59 GMT        
 

One of rock's most celebrated voices has lent itself to a new record inspired by the plight of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and across the world.

Led Zeppelin's distinctive frontman Robert Plant has recorded a new version of the 'Elbow' track 'The Blanket of Night', as part of 'The Long Road' album, created with the British Red Cross. 

 robert plant

Robert Plant has contributed to the album with a track by 'Elbow'

The song, originally penned by Guy Garvey, tells the tale of refugees attempting a treacherous journey to seek asylum in the UK.

Robert, voted the greatest of all lead singers by Rolling Stone magazine in 2011, explains of his involvement in the project: “We have a worldwide international catastrophe - talking about it is one thing, doing something about it is another. The position we are in, it’s paramount we all do our best one way or another to help.”

---

Welcome to our CULTURE OF KINDNESS section - our Huffington Post UK page dedicated to all TV shows and films that have kindness at their core, that celebrate warmth and generosity between people, and give a voice to those whom we often overlook. See what other treasures we've found here...

---

Other artists on the album include Grammy Award-winning group Tinariwen and spoken word poet Scroobius Pip. Tinariwen have recorded a new track called ‘Silence’. Tinariwen’s founder Ibrahim Ag Alhabib was a refugee himself as a child and was forced to flee his home in Mali after his father was executed in the 1963 uprising in Mali.

tinariwen

Tinariwen's founder was a refugee himself, from wartorn Mali

'The Long Road' will also see previously announced artists including spoken word poet Scroobius Pip, songwriter-producer Kindness and the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars record tracks inspired by the experiences of refugees. Several tracks featured on the release have involved musicians working with a refugee helped by the British Red Cross, to tell their story of being forced to flee their home and seek safety in the UK.

Ayman Hirh, a refugee who fled Syria, when the fighting broke out in 2012 inspired Kindness’s track. He said: “I hope that my experience and the album will encourage people to think about the reasons people like me are forced to leave home.”

The album is produced by Brit Award winner Ethan Jones, who has worked with the Kings of Leon, Laura Marling and The Vaccines. The record, released on 4 March 2016, is available to pre-order today. For more information please visit: http://smarturl.it/LongRoad

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/12/09/robert-plant-elbow-refugee-crisis_n_8757960.html

 

It's great that this is appearing in a variety of media outlets.

ngg39yk7_tnvowiw95pyfjzgzaslhylddxjppe5b

http://www.robertplant.com/#news

 

 

By the way, on Robert's site in the description for album it is written: "Robert recorded a version of UK band Elbow's track ‘The Blanket Of Night’, which tells the tale of refugees attempting a treacherous journey to attain asylum in the UK stated:" It should read: "Robert, who recorded... UK, stated: '..." It's completely irrelevant to anything other than my batty nature about such things. It's mental, really... Please excuse me. I can't help it...

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I'm 'loving' the editing features that made this photo show up on a completely different post last night and then deleted from this intended one. Anyway, this makes sense now and is the way it ought to look :) 

 

The Long Road link is now up and running: http://www.thelongroad.uk/ although it seems they're ironing out the connection to the Kartel Music Group site where you can purchase the album. 

In the meantime...

Can a pleasing photo garner more attention for the cause? Let's see:

RP_recording_Elbow_song_The_Blanket_of_N

http://classicrock.teamrock.com/news/2015-12-09/robert-plant-records-song-to-highlight-refugee-plight

 

Some extra info about the artists involved in this HuffPo piece:

Robert Plant Records Elbow Track 'The Blanket Of Night' For Refugee Crisis Album 'The Long Road'

 The Huffington Post UK  |  By Caroline Frost
 Posted: 09/12/2015 14:00 GMT Updated: 09/12/2015 14:59 GMT        
 

One of rock's most celebrated voices has lent itself to a new record inspired by the plight of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and across the world.

Led Zeppelin's distinctive frontman Robert Plant has recorded a new version of the 'Elbow' track 'The Blanket of Night', as part of 'The Long Road' album, created with the British Red Cross. 

 robert plant

Robert Plant has contributed to the album with a track by 'Elbow'

The song, originally penned by Guy Garvey, tells the tale of refugees attempting a treacherous journey to seek asylum in the UK.

Robert, voted the greatest of all lead singers by Rolling Stone magazine in 2011, explains of his involvement in the project: “We have a worldwide international catastrophe - talking about it is one thing, doing something about it is another. The position we are in, it’s paramount we all do our best one way or another to help.”

---

Welcome to our CULTURE OF KINDNESS section - our Huffington Post UK page dedicated to all TV shows and films that have kindness at their core, that celebrate warmth and generosity between people, and give a voice to those whom we often overlook. See what other treasures we've found here...

---

Other artists on the album include Grammy Award-winning group Tinariwen and spoken word poet Scroobius Pip. Tinariwen have recorded a new track called ‘Silence’. Tinariwen’s founder Ibrahim Ag Alhabib was a refugee himself as a child and was forced to flee his home in Mali after his father was executed in the 1963 uprising in Mali.

tinariwen

Tinariwen's founder was a refugee himself, from wartorn Mali

'The Long Road' will also see previously announced artists including spoken word poet Scroobius Pip, songwriter-producer Kindness and the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars record tracks inspired by the experiences of refugees. Several tracks featured on the release have involved musicians working with a refugee helped by the British Red Cross, to tell their story of being forced to flee their home and seek safety in the UK.

Ayman Hirh, a refugee who fled Syria, when the fighting broke out in 2012 inspired Kindness’s track. He said: “I hope that my experience and the album will encourage people to think about the reasons people like me are forced to leave home.”

The album is produced by Brit Award winner Ethan Jones, who has worked with the Kings of Leon, Laura Marling and The Vaccines. The record, released on 4 March 2016, is available to pre-order today. For more information please visit: http://smarturl.it/LongRoad

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/12/09/robert-plant-elbow-refugee-crisis_n_8757960.html

 

It's great that this is appearing in a variety of media outlets.

ngg39yk7_tnvowiw95pyfjzgzaslhylddxjppe5b

http://www.robertplant.com/#news

 

 

By the way, on Robert's site in the description for album it is written: "Robert recorded a version of UK band Elbow's track ‘The Blanket Of Night’, which tells the tale of refugees attempting a treacherous journey to attain asylum in the UK stated:" It should read: "Robert, who recorded... UK, stated: '..." It's completely irrelevant to anything other than my batty nature about such things. It's mental, really... Please excuse me. I can't help it...

 

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A behind-the-scenes photo from Robert's twitter (via BRC) and extra album info :). Go get it!: http://www.thelongroad.uk/

CVyK612UsAA_RIR.jpg:large

(I'm trying to post just the tweet without the media or the link itself, alas...)

 

From Amazon:

Track Listings

Disc: 1

  1. Tinariwen - Kek Algahalam Mas Tasossam (Why Is The World Silent)
  2. Scroobius Pip Ft. Didier Kisala - Who Are You?
  3. Sierra Leones Refugee All Stars - World Peace

Disc: 2

  1. Robert Plant - The Blanket of Night
  2. Kindness - A Retelling of The Hardest Story I'd Ever Heard
 

A ground-breaking concept album based on the real-life experiences of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK is being created by top musicians and the Red Cross. The Long Road album will see artists pair up with people who have been forced to flee their homes and seek safety in the UK to tell their story. Brit Award winner Ethan Johns, who has worked with the Kings of Leon, Laura Marling and The Vaccines, will produce the album. "This is a very special opportunity to create an album with a narrative that helps more people understand the realities of being a refugee and the journeys people go through," said Johns. "Music is one of the oldest forms of storytelling, and these are important stories to be told."

Kindness's Adam Bainbridge, whose grandmother, Amina Desai, was South Africa's longest serving female Indian political prisoner for her defiance of the apartheid regime, approached the Red Cross when he heard about the project. Adam is working closely with Ayman Hirh, a refugee who fled Syria when the fighting broke out in 2012. He said: "I've seen with my own eyes that anyone's life can be turned upside down overnight; that expressing an opinion can be enough to make life unliveable in the place you call home, and eventually force you to leave it. So when I was told about the project, I had to be involved. Getting to know Ayman has been fantastic and I'm looking forward to telling his story in the studio."

British Red Cross refugee support manager Andy Hewett said: "We wanted to find a way to shatter some of the stigma attached to refugees and asylum seekers and challenge people's misconceptions. With the tragedies we see unfolding in the Mediterranean and around the world every day as people flee their homes, it is vital to try to illuminate this issue and bring home the reality of life as someone forced to leave everything they have behind." All proceeds will go to funding the British Red Cross's refugee work in the UK. The Red Cross communications team will be supporting the launch activity working alongside music PR specialists.

 
 
 
 
Vinyl:
 
CD:
 
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  • 1 month later...

Some additional details behind Kindness's contribution to The Long Road project:

Listen To Kindness' Heartfelt Response To The Refugee Crisis

"A Retelling” is based on the stories of Ayman, a Syrian refugee.

By Moya Lothian-McLean

Listen To Kindness' Heartfelt Response To The Refugee Crisis

 Photo by Martha Thisner

As the refugee crisis continues, musicians are increasingly beginning to devote airtime to it. M.I.A recently expressed her frustration through the scorching "Borders," and now a collective of British musicians have teamed up with humanitarian organization the Red Cross for a concept album titled The Long Road, which aims to convey the harrowing experience of seeking asylum to the general public. Featuring an eclectic line up of artists that includes Robert PlantTinariwen, and Scroobius Pip, the first track to surface from the collaboration comes courtesy of introspective pop purveyor Kindness, and is titled "A Retelling."

 

Kindness told The FADER: "Late last year my mum told me about a project she'd heard about at her work—she's a family tracing co-ordinator for the British Red Cross. The Long Road is a collaboration between musicians and refugees, who have told us their stories in their own words. In each case, the artist's task was to try and capture some of the urgency, or reality of those events and histories and put it to music. I met Ayman, who is originally from Syria, in London, and we spoke for several hours about the last few years of his life, and what it's meant for him and his family, some of whom are still living in Syria, and coping with life surrounded by an ongoing daily conflict.

"In short, as the first wave of pro-democracy protests were happening in Syria in 2011, Ayman and his friends believed they had an obligation to be present, and to document the uprising as it happened. In doing so, Ayman and his friends became targets for the government, and were now hiding from the police. It's telling that under certain circumstances, picking up a digital camera can be as provocative as any weapon. Ayman was providing footage on the ground to certain global news outlets, such as Al Jazeera.

"His eventual escape from Damascus, and that he found himself living alone in Glasgow without his wife and two baby boys, are stories too long and nuanced to capture here, but there were a few small personal moments from his story that have really stayed with me. Ayman's freezing on the plane at Heathrow, unable to process the idea he'd made it to safety. His boys, who remember nothing of their lives in Damascus, who now speak with Glaswegian accents. His wife, unable to process the pain of seeing images of their flat, now left in disarray by the police, their wedding albums trampled underfoot...I hope that projects like these, using the strength and power of a story sourced directly from the individual, become more common. Thanks to Ayman and his family for sharing their story with me."

Listen to "A Retelling" above before its release on February 5. The Long Road will be released on March 4—grab it over on the Red Cross website.

 

Posted: FEBRUARY 03, 2016

https://www.thefader.com/2016/02/03/kindness-a-retelling-refugee

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On 12/11/2015 at 7:10 AM, anniemouse said:

I wonder if Who are you is the classic Who track. Is the Kindness track brand new as I cannot find any reference to it anywhere. This is a big deal on it's own.

I have a lot of time the Red Cross.

Here's an article that focuses on another artist's contribution to this compilation and answers your question about the song:

Rapper Scroobius Pip: Red Cross album will transform view of refugees

Lizzie Edmonds 11 hours  ago

23ScroobiusPip0802a.jpg

Inspiration: Ramelle and Scroobius Pip 

Rapper Scroobius Pip says he hopes his latest record, inspired by the story of an African woman seeking asylum in the UK, will help transform perceptions of refugees.

The spoken-word poet is one of several artists, including Robert Plant, to work on charity record The Long Road for the British Red Cross.They use real-life stories of survival from refugees as inspiration.

It is produced by Ethan Johns, who has worked with Kings of Leon, Laura Marling and Kaiser Chiefs.

Pip, real name David Meads, wrote his track Who Are You?, featuring singer Didier Kisala, after meeting Ramelle, a refugee who was forced to flee the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2003.

Ramelle, 34, said her father was a political activist and one night “people came and they did some nasty stuff. I don’t want to go into too much detail about it, but I lost my mother and was separated from my family”.

After initially being declined asylum, she was told to leave the UK but then jailed for five months for obtaining a false passport. The Red Cross helped her with her case and she was granted refugee status in 2010.

Ramelle now works as a carer after passing a biochemistry degree at Nottingham Trent University. “It has taken 10 years for me to be strong enough to tell my story,” she said.

“I was very scared but I wanted to help other people in my situation. I wanted to show them a positive story. It was empowering and like the best therapy I could get.”

Pip said that at first he was nervous about the project because “I have a lot of problems with the idea of modern charity.

"I think people do  it to look like a good person or for publicity reasons. But I was struck by how amazing Ramelle’s story was.”

The Thurrock rapper said: “I want to change people’s minds — realign their perceptions of the situation and of refugees.” Eurostat figures show asylum applications to EU nations doubled from 626,000 in 2014 to 1,221,855 last year.

All proceeds from The Long Road, released on March 4, go to British Red Cross UK Refugee Support Services. Pre-order at thelongroad.uk

http://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/rapper-scroobius-pip-red-cross-album-will-transform-view-of-refugees-a3175376.html

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  • 4 weeks later...

Some more info about Ayman Hirh and his family whose plight Kindness has recounted above and recorded for the forthcoming album:

Powerful Street Art Mural Documents Family's Escape From Syria

Ayman Hirh fled Damascus with his wife and two young sons in 2011.

03/01/2016 10:59 am ET

Lee Moran Trends Editor, The Huffington Post

A striking street art mural in England documents a family's escape from war-torn Syria.

The poignant portrait of Ayman Hirh, who fled Damascus with his wife and two young sons in late 2011, was painted by London-based graffiti artist PANG on a wall in Camden in northern London.

Hirh decided to leave his country after a crackdown on demonstrators in which nine of his friends were killed, reports the British Red Cross.

He added his own hand-written and thought-provoking message just below his portrait in PANG's piece.

"I was a successful businessman, selling marble and granite across Syria and living with my wife and two sons in the Jobar district of Syria's capital Damascus," he inked on the wall.

56d591c61e00008700703183.jpeg?cache=rr68

British Red Cross/Andy Oliver/GoffPhotos.Com

Ayman Hirh stands in front of the striking mural that he created with London street artist PANG

"Every night before we go to sleep, we remember our home. I love my flat in Damascus more than Buckingham Palace," he added.

The British Red Cross commissioned the artwork in a bid to raise the public's awareness about the plight of refugees. The U.K. is planning to take in 20,000 more Syrian refugees by the end of 2020. Eleven million people have been displaced by war in Syria and 4 million have left the country since 2011.

Hirh arrived in England with his family on Jan. 1, 2012, and now lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he's studying English and business part-time at Edinburgh College.

It was "great to meet PANG and share my story," Hirh said in a statement. "I hope that my experience will encourage people to think about the reasons people like me are forced to leave home before they judge us," he added.

56d5a3861e0000b300703193.jpeg

British Red Cross/Andy Oliver/GoffPhotos.Com

Ayman Hirh hand writes out his poignant messages on PANG's street mural in north London.

PANG said it was "an honor" to be asked to create the artwork. "I hope that it spreads the message that refugees are all individuals, like you and me, who have no choice other than to seek sanctuary in the country that they arrive."

Hirh's story has also inspired a song called "The Retelling" by the British musician Adam Bainbridge, known by his stage name, Kindness. It appears on an album coordinated by the British Red Cross called "The Long Road." 

Released on Friday, the album highlights migrants and refugees' experiences in the U.K. -- and also features music by rock star Robert Plant, hip-hop artist Scroobius Pip, and bands like Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars and Tinariwen.

 

The British Red Cross is also asking famous artists, celebrities and members of the public to design postcards portraying the themes of home, hope or humanity.

They will then be auctioned online, with all proceeds going to the organization's Syria Crisis Appeal. The deadline for submissions is March 7. 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/street-art-refugees-london_us_56d57e29e4b0871f60eca190

 

I really like that postcard design idea and that everyone can participate.

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Speaking of Tinariwen, they've also released a snippet on their Facebook about their part in The Long Road:

 

 

Quote
The Long Road project We are proud to be one of the artists contributing music to this important project, The Long Road, raising awareness of the plight of refugees. We need to open our eyes and take notice of the world around us. Pre-order your copy of#TheLongRoadEP here http://smarturl.it/LongRoadAmazon
+IO:I
 

https://www.facebook.com/tinariwenmusic/?fref=ts

 

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Listen to an excerpt of Robert's contribution, "The Blanket of Night" (Elbow), on his Facebook:

 

 

Quote

Tomorrow, The Long Road, an EP featuring Robert covering 'The Blanket Of Night’ by Elbow, is released into the world.

The EP will be available on iTunes, CD, and Limited Edition Red vinyl!
Find out more and pre-order a copy here -http://www.thelongroad.uk/

All profits from this release go to the British Red Cross refugee services.

https://www.facebook.com/robertplant/

 

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3 hours ago, Patrycja said:

Listen to an excerpt of Robert's contribution, "The Blanket of Night" (Elbow), on his Facebook:

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/robertplant/

 

Haunting and beautiful, Robert's voice is indeed getting better with age. Though I notice he somewhat changed his vocal approach and phrasing around the time of Raising Sand. I wonder if he retained a vocal coach?

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