Playing For Change Releases Remake of Peter Gabriel’s “Biko” in honor of Black History Month and Gabriel’s birthday
FEATURING PETER GABRIEL, ANGELIQUE KIDJO, SILKROAD’S YO-YO MA, MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO AND MORE
VIDEO TO STREAM ON ROLLINGSTONE.COM
Los Angeles, CA — February 12, 2021 — Playing For Change is proud to announce the release of its latest Song Around The World, “Biko,” a remake of the 1980 classic by English rock and roll hall of fame musician Peter Gabriel. The song and video, produced by Sebastian Robertson and Mark Johnson, features Peter Gabriel joined by Beninese vocalist and activist Angélique Kidjo, Silkroad’s Yo-Yo Ma, bass legend Meshell Ndegeocello and more than 25 musicians from seven countries including South Africa, India, Spain and the USA. The video will stream exclusively on RollingStone.com for 24 hours beginning Friday, February 12th at 10 a.m. EST, followed by a release on the Playing For Change website at 11 a.m. EST on Saturday, February 13th—Peter Gabriel’s birthday.
“Biko” Song Around The World first premiered in December 2020 as part of Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice, a virtual concert and fundraising event organized by Playing For Change in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund in honor of the United Nations 75th anniversary. The moving performance was introduced by Nkosinathi Biko, son of the deceased anti-apartheid activist and subject of the song Steve Biko. Peace Through Music, produced by Playing For Change, Sebastian Robertson and Blackbird Presents, featured more than 200 musicians including Aloe Blacc, Annie Lennox, Becky G, Brandi Carlile with Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana, Gary Clark Jr., Jack Johnson, Jim James, Keb’ Mo’, Keith Richards, Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Rhiannon Giddens, Ringo Starr, Robbie Robertson, Robert Randolph, Run The Jewels with Josh Homme, Sheila E., Skip Marley and Cedella Marley, and The War and Treaty.
Contributions from partners and all donations from Peace Through Music and “Biko” Song Around The World will support the Playing For Change Foundation, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations and its Remember Slavery Programme, Sankofa, the Bob Marley Foundation, Silkroad, and The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame—organizations and programs that strive to eradicate poverty, inequality, and systemic racial and gender discrimination around the world.
“This song is as relevant today as the day it was written and inspires our need for racial and social justice,” says Mark Johnson, Playing For Change co-founder and producer. “Once we all join together as a planet, there’s nothing we can’t overcome.”
To learn more and watch the full Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice event please visit the Peace Through Music event website.
FULL SONG CREDITS: Angélique Kidjo (Benin), Dynamic Music Collective (USA), Peter Gabriel (UK), Jason Tamba (Congo), Meshell Ndegeocello (USA), Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (USA), Sebastian Robertson (USA), Silkroad (USA), Silkroad’s Cristina Pato (Spain), Silkroad’s Yo-Yo Ma (USA), TAIKOPROJECT (USA), The Cape Town Ensemble (South Africa), Tushar Lall (India)
About Playing For Change
Playing For Change (PFC) is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music, born from the shared belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. PFC spreads their positive message for humanity to millions of people through inspiring multicultural music videos, a live global touring band and a 501c3 foundation supporting music education around the world.
About Sebastian Robertson
Sebastian Robertson is a producer and composer. In partnership with Playing For Change he produced “The Weight” Around the World which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). In 2020, he was Executive Producer of Peace Through Music: A Global Event For Social Justice in celebration of the United Nations 75th Anniversary. As a composer, he recently worked on Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, the blockbuster video game Cyberpunk 2077 and has written theme songs for network TV and major ad campaigns. He owns and operates Sonic Beat Records, a premium production music label under the Universal Music umbrella.
