I wanted to send a shout out to one of our favourite bands, Luc and the Lovingtons! They are in the process of making their next album, and need support! If you haven’t heard of these guys before, go check them out on youtube! Also check out some of the previous posts about them right here on SuperForest (here! & here!)!
Here is a link to short video they also put together! HERE! At that link you can also donate anything you are willing to make their second album come to life! Thank you so much SuperForest! Your love spurs on more love, and there is no better way to do this than support these cats.
“Tonight is not about despair, it’s not about depression… it’s about inspiration and hope.” –Sir Ken Robinson
Last Sunday I had the privilege of attending the 2010 Freedom Awards benefit hosted by Free the Slaves — one of the largest anti-slavery abolitionist organizations fighting modern slavery around the world. It was a night overflowing with joy, inspiration, music, laughter and a rampant sense of global community. I am honored to have attended as an official reporter for SuperForest, to capture and share the incredible stories of hope from all the presenters and award winners from the night. What follows are my impressions from the event. (I apologize for not posting this sooner, an emergency root canal took me offline most of the week).
First, the festivities got under way with musicians parading down the aisles playing large traditional African instruments. Which then led into a soulful, on your feet stomping, hand clapping, arms waving performance by the Agape International Choir.
The constant highlight of the night for me was the always wise, effortlessly brilliant and outrageously funny Sir Ken Robinson — who served as the Awards show host. He set a pitch perfect tone between the gravity of the cause at hand and the levity of coming together to celebrate, elevate and energize the fight for universal freedom for all men, women and children. He also went on an incredible stand-up routine rant about the shift in information in the age of instant media. He spoke of his schoolboy days in university, where a full day (i.e. waking up at the crack of noon, then spending a hard 3 hours in the library before winding down with a cold beer) involved spending 15 hours in the library (“remember those things” he quiped) looking for three references. ”Nowadays,” he joked, “you can read 150 billion pages in 15 seconds. And if it takes any longer, we get irritable: come on, I haven’t got all… minute!”
“The point,” Sir Robinson continued, “is we can use the power resources at hand to spread the word about slavery and bring it to a stop.” He mentioned how in 1790, nothing brought a quicker end to the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade than the widespread release of the following image.
Once people in Europe and America saw the sardine-packed state in which Africans where transported, the inhumanity of slavery in the Americas became unconscionable. But very few people talk about slavery today, many don’t even know it exists. And yet there are over 27 million people worldwide who are slaves right now. Think about that. An estimated 12 million slaves were shipped to the Americas in the 300 years of the Trans-Atlantic slave Trade. Right now there are more than twice that number. It is our job to spread the message however we can. As Sir Ken proclaimed, “It’s not just about giving physical freedom, it’s about freeing the mind. “
“A nation of well informed people who have been taught to noble and pride their rights, cannot be enslaved. It’s in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins.” -Benjamin Franklin
Four Awards were given out, each to outstanding individuals working to free slaves in their home countries. Academy Award Winner Forest Whitaker and Actress Camilla Belle presented JEEVIKA from India with the Harriet Tubman Award. Michael Beckwith presented Roger Plant from the UK with the William Wilberforce Award. Meredith Artley, the Vice President and Managing Director of CNN.com and actor Vincent Kartheiser from “Mad Men”, presented Anne Keehn with the Anne Templeton Zimmerman Fellowship. Actors Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher presented Tina Frundt from the U.S. with the Frederick Douglas Award.
(Side note: as Thanksgiving approaches, I plan on dedicating this months weekly Inspiration Information posts to this year’s four outstanding Freedom Award winners. So stay posted as every thursday I highlight in depth these crusaders in their fight against ending modern slavery.)
Interspersed throughout the inspiring speeches by the winners and the emotional documentary videos showing their work in the field, were several phenomenal musical performances, including the crowd favorite of Jason Mraz and the Agape Children’s Choir singing Luc and the Lovington’s “Freedom Song”. (watch the little boy on the far left, he was dancing to his own drummer)
After the awards show, the party continued in the Freedom Rocks outdoor tent where food, drinks, shirts, photographs all went toward raising money and awareness for Free the slaves foundation. People let their dreadlocks down, drew finger paint across their cheeks and get funky to intimate music performances by the Makepeace Brothers, Luc and the Lovingtons, Rocky Dawuni and Mr. Jason Mraz. I got to reconnect with Conor, Aidan and Finian of the MakePeace who I hadn’t seen since our jam session at Zero One on Kauai 6 months ago. And lucky for me, they just finished recording their new album that day and handed me a hot pressed copy for my drive home.
Everyone was laughing, happy, motivated, uplifted. To say the night was a tremendous success doesn’t do the spirit of the event justice. People were inspired to be the change, to fight against slavery and make a difference. And to top a near perfect evening off, as I was leaving the event, I bumped into my hero Ken Robinson and had the loveliest chat about teaching, education, and hawaii. I even got a picture!
All in all a fantastic event for a great cause. For anyone interested, I recommend checking out FreetheSlaves.net . And in the coming days, stay tuned for lots more inspiration information about the freedom fighters of modern trafficking and how you can get personally involved.
“Come on along, I know you wanna feel our song. We got some life to bring, we got some joy in this thing.”
Today I wanted to share a musical treat from Leaders Causing Leaders with you! You may remember Luc & the Lovingtons from an interview SuperForest got with them not too long back. (Check it out here!) Luc is the writer of my favourite song, “Freedom Song,” which is now the anthem of Free the Slaves, and heavily featured on SuperForest (like here and here!)
There are so many amazing things about these guys that I was just ubber excited to be seeing them live. It was a great experience, and I hope you enjoy the short video I recorded of them! I wish I had gotten more, but I was busy just enjoying their music and being with friends.
OH! Be sure to check out Luc’s dance moves, he’s got some goodies!
As some of you might be aware SuperForester Jason was in Ghana this summer. You may have even noticed that he went with Free the Slaves, the same organisation SuperForest is teamed up with! (For SuperForester Tawney’s posts on Free the Slaves click here! and here!) If you paid even more attention you might now that Luc and the Lovington’s song, “Freedom Song,” has been travelling the globe bringing a sense of excitement and relief to those not as lucky as us. SuperForester Heather recently posted about the song in fact, so go read up about it here! Now when Jason travelled to Ghana he discovered something wonderful: children, who had been recently saved from slavery, knew every line and note of the Freedom Song. But why should I waste my own words when you can see it for yourself and have SuperForester Jason explain the experience to you himself? Well that actually sounds awesome, so I will do just that!
Absolutely wonderful. Personally tears came to my eyes as well when I first watched this. Not only that, but the love that Jason was shown by the children who all wanted to be held and play. So beautiful. Take the chance now to go check out more about Free the Slaves by checking their website out now! I hope this leaves you smiling, perhaps a little saddened, but mostly inspired and hopeful. We all can make a difference, and we all know here at SuperForest that it starts with a please and then a thank you, then perhaps an exchange of smiles.
Have a beautiful day SuperForest!
Love,
Mathew
P.S. Be sure to check out SuperForest’s interview with Luc and the Lovingtons by clicking here!
P.P.S. SuperForester Hana passed this lovely video along to me via the comments. It is a song Jason wrote for the kids in Ghana, and a beautiful continuation of an already beautiful story. Keep the love alive, and Thank YOU Hana!
I’ve always been at awe in the way this website’s positive forces have a way of attracting the very best people into our lives. Today, I have the honor of introducing a handful of those people to you. First off, we have the incredible SuperForester Jeremy. I was introduced to Jeremy through a very close friend of mine, and though I have never had the pleasure of meeting him in person, his kindness and sincerity are something you feel right away. Even at a distance. And despite there being no need for proof of this kindness and sincerity, we see it visible in several of the projects he’s been working on including “Globalize This” and “I Am the Homeless”.
Second, we’ve got Luc and the Lovingtons. Most of us were introduced to their talent and their global message of love and hope through SuperForester Jason and his cover of “The Freedom Song“. To be honest, that was pretty much all I knew about them. That was until just recently when a couple days ago, both SuperForester Jeremy and Luc and the Lovingtons came blazing into my life. I received an email from Jeremy telling me he would be helping out the group at an event and thought we SuperForesters might be interested in teaming up with them. He then connected me with Felipe Canete (who both sings and plays acoustic guitar for the group), I introduced him to SuperForest, and KAPOW! Soon after, I received a response. Luc and the Lovingtons would be happy to collaborate with us and said they’d be happy to give us an interview.
Later that evening, SuperForester Jeremy was on the scene during the preparatory meetings for their next event and was able to record a video for us! Jeremy is in the blue polo and he asks the gang questions ranging from the bands beginnings, their connection with Mraz, their Freedom Song, and about their next show! (Which merits it’s own post.)
Check it out, the playlist below contains all three parts:
Like I said, SuperForest attracts the very best. :)
I’d like to extend a very big thank you to Luc and the Lovingtons for the interview and for simply being the wonderful people that they are. Their message is not only noble and genuine, but it is entirely shared with the SuperForest community and I know it’s a little early, but I have a good feeling we’ll be able to share and create wonderful things together. And of course, a huge thank you goes out to SuperForester Jeremy who was quick on his feet to make this interview happen and was kind enough to spend time editing and uploading them for us.
More info about the Freemont Love Fest 2010 is to come!
Oh, this makes me jump high! I can’t stop dancing… :)
Spread love, smile, make music. Show the world that you care.
Share the best of you with everyone.
Wishing you a lovely day,
E.
SuperForest is a positivity blog.
SuperForesters are all over planet Earth, all united in exploring how to redefine "environmentalism" and "sustainability" to encompass every aspect of our lives.
Everything you find on this website has been personally created to uplift and inspire you.
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