Peter Gabriel

PETER GABRIEL – The Statesman of World Music

Peter Gabriel Photo

“At the heart, it is world music that I do. It’s all connections. Ultimately, we’re all connected.” – Peter Gabriel

The Artist:

Peter Gabriel is a visionary and true world leader in music, new media, and the advocacy of human rights. Educated at Charterhouse School in Surrey, England, Gabriel was the lead singer of art rock band Genesis until he left in 1975 for a successful solo career as a singer-songwriter with eleven solo albums, soundtrack composer and media innovator. His great commercial success began with the “So” album in 1986, which was a worldwide hit and earned him his first Grammy and the most video music awards ever. Turning his attention to human rights, Gabriel’s song “Biko” and Human Rights Now! tour helped raise the world wide consciousness that brought an end to Apartheid in South Africa. He brought world music to the mainstream by establishing the WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) festival, the Real World record label and recording studios, and worked with leading world music artists in his own music. Gabriel also founded WITNESS in 1992, an organization that uses video to advance human rights, and co-founded The Elders in July 2007 (with Richard Branson and Nelson Mandela) a global human rights advocacy group. His dedication to humanitarian causes was recognized with the Nobel Peace Laureates’ Man of Peace Award in 2006 and Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience honor in 2008. He has received a long list of lifetime achievement awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

The Song:

Salala – Angelique Kidjo featuring Peter Gabriel

“The beautiful English lyrics of Peter Gabriel’s verse in this song capture the essence of any spiritual practice – to recognize the divine and joyful nature deep within all beings and do what we can to connect to, encourage and embrace it within ourselves and all those we meet. ‘Oh Mama, turn on the light in this place. There’s no smile like the smile on your face. There’s no joy like the joy of the soul coming in. There’s no joy like the joy of the soul coming in’. Salala is a beautiful cross-cultural collaboration between Angelique Kidjo and Peter Gabriel – two artists sharing a universal theme that crosses race and borders.” – Frank Fitzpatrick

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