School children participated in recording Kenji’s song “Who I want to be”
[From Ohfunato City-my stricken home town]
– East Japan Great Earthquake & Tsunami Disaster-
Children from Sakari Elementary School
The Tyler Foundation, NPO in Tokyo, which has been working on Shin On! Tohoku Children’s Support Program recorded the music for CD at Sakari Elementary School on August 23. The Tyler Foundation has supported children in both practically and emotionally at the stricken cities. They especially try to encourage children and dispatch own Smile Ambassador to elementary schools, kindergartens, and nursery schools in seaside areas.
Here is a report from the Tyler Foundation’s very own Smile Ambassador, Gaetano Totaro, who has been working hard as part of their Shine On! Tohoku Children’s Support Program. He has visited Sakari Elementary School several times and school children call him as ‘Guide-san’ because of his name ‘Gaetano Totaro’ sounds like it.
School kids in Tohoku got a summer break in August, so we visited daycare centers, kindergartens and special events. The Smile Ambassador performed twice during the Ofunato Tanabata Festival. Banks and shops on the local shopping street were all destroyed. Now this small shopping center became the center of Ofunato community and commerce. Some even call it the Shotengai.
The music was composed by Mr. Mark Ferris, the vice-chairperson of the foundation. He selected Kenji’s poem ‘Who I want to be’ for his music, because he wishes people around the world can put more attention to Tohoku in Japan which are now trying hard for reconstruction.
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| Mr. Mark Ferris selected Kenji’s poem ‘Who I want to be’ |
School children sang a part of words ‘That’s for I want to be’ in a chorus with modulating their voices for effect. 80 children from 4th to 6th grades participated in singing. And also children from 1st to 3rd grades additionally participated for a promotional video tape recording. ‘Who I want to be’ will be finished under a Japanese singer as the lead vocal part.
A number of musicians around the world, such as John Charles Julian Lennon and Max Alfred “Maxi” Priest, will participate to the CD and totally 12 songs will be recorded.
John Charles Julian Lennon (born 8 April 1963) is an English musician, songwriter, actor, and photographer. He is the older son of John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia Powell,. Beatles manager Brian Epstein was his godfather. He has a younger half-brother, Sean Lennon. Lennon was named after his paternal grandmother, Julia. He remains close friends with his father’s former band mate Paul McCartney.
Julian directly inspired three Beatles songs, “Lucky in the Sky with Diamonds”, “Hey Jude” and “Good Night”. He is also devoted to philanthropic endeavors; most notably his own White Feather Foundation and the Whale dreamers Organization, both of which promote the co-existence of all species and the health and well-being of the Earth.
Max Alfred “Maxi” Priest (born 10 June 1961) is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with a R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre as well as being one of the most successful reggae fusion acts of all-time.
A memorial sales event will be performed in Tokyo on September 30.
＜Reference＞
http://www.tohkaishimpo.com/
http://www.iwate-np.co.jp/
http://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.tylershineon.org/ja/
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