Mentored by Grammy winner Ricky Kej, 24 refugee musicians in India came together for ‘Shine Your Light’. The song, ‘Shine Your Light’, features Ricky Kej, several other well-known Indian musicians, and 24 refugee musicians.
Shine Your Light (Song By Refygee) Feat. Ricky Kej, Aditya Narayan, Neeti Mohan and Salim Merchant Language: English File Format: jpg Original Image: ; Refugee musicians join composer and Grammy-award winner Ricky Kej, to produce a song of hope and kindness. The #RickyforRefugee initiative launched in June to mentor 24 budding refugee musicians. Their song, Shine a Light, will launch on 14 October.
“Appreciate, love each other, be kind to each other, we need to help and support, because love is our treasure,” he intones.
A few bars later Aura, a refugee musician from Myanmar, belts out the chorus, swaying to the beat: “It is time, it’s our time, let’s do it, it is time to shine a light…”
The pair are among 24 refugee and asylum-seeking musicians finding their groove again in India with the help of composer and Grammy award winner Ricky Kej.
In collaboration with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in India and the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace (MGIEP), Kej launched the #RickyforRefugee initiative in June to mentor the budding refugee musicians and give them the opportunity to showcase their talent.
Best known for his hit album ‘Winds of Samsara’, Kej also rallied support from the Indian music industry with artists like Neeti Mohan, Salim Merchant, and Aditya Narayan lending their voices to the song – Shine Your Light.
“When the refugee musicians heard the finished song for the first time their eyes were filled with tears,” said Kej.
The song, performed in four different languages (English, Dari, Farsi, and Pashto), invites listeners to celebrate our shared humanity. For Rahmatullah, whose budding career in classical music was interrupted when he was forced to flee his native Afghanistan, it has offered a chance to get back to music.
“The collaboration with Ricky has motivated me to restart and pursue my singing more passionately,” he said.
For Aura, it was a master class in songwriting.
“Although I am familiar with composing and singing songs, this mentorship has taught me the process and structure of song production in its entirety.”
About UNHCR:
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established on 14 December 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee issues. It strives to ensure that everyone has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with the option to voluntarily return home when conditions are conducive for return, integrate locally or resettle to a third country. UNHCR has twice won the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1954 for its ground-breaking work in helping the refugees of Europe, and in 1981 for its worldwide assistance to refugees.
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