Tag: Music Against Racism

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5 sierpnia 20245 sierpnia 2024

AFRICAN BEATS MEANS SOLIDARITY

African Beats Festival is one of the major events in Europe showcasing African music and culture. It is also one of the largest world music events in Poland. The festival has been organized in partnership with the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association.

African Beats Festival takes place at Kaweczyn near Warsaw on 9-11 August 2024.

The festival’s stars include Vieux Farka Touré from Mali, a pioneer of the ‘Desert Blues’ genre. The line-up features also Sona Jobarteh, a musician and composer as well as founder of The Gambia Academy, an educational institution promoting African culture, history and traditions. Among the scheduled performers there are also Bombino, a guitarist and vocalist from Niger, known for his virtuoso style of guitar playing and deep connection with the Tuareg tradition, the Tasuta N-Imal band from Morocco, the Kabusa Oriental Choir from Nigeria, Madou Konte from Senegal, the Polish-Tanzanian project Sinaubi Zawose & Pamoja Zanzibar, the Senegalese Badji Band, the Warsaw Afro-Beat band Faso Tamala, and Moribaya – an international group of artists from Poland, Australia, Burkina Faso and Ukraine, united by their passion for West African traditional music.

The programme of the event includes numerous educational workshops such as African dance, drumming and singing, film screenings, discussions as well as sports activities.

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association’s co-founder Rafal Pankowski emphasizes that the partnership between the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign and African Beats Festival has a special meaning in 2024: – ‘It is an expression of solidarity with the African diaspora in Poland and other countries in the face of adversity, discrimination and xenophobia’.

‘NEVER AGAIN’ is an independent anti-racist organization founded in Warsaw in 1996. It has campaigned for peace, intercultural dialogue and human rights both in Poland and internationally.

The ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign was launched by the founder of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association Marcin Kornak (born 1968, died 2014). From the age of fifteen, due to an accident, Marcin lived with a physical disability. He was a poet and songwriter who cooperated with independent rock bands. The campaign was followed by ‘Music Against War’, announced after the invasion against Ukraine, and joined by musicians who want to express their solidarity with refugees and to protest against violence in the world.

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association invites musicians, record labels and promoters who are interested in releasing music or videos as well as organising shows with the promotional support of ‘Music Against Racism’ / ‘Music Against War’ to get in touch via email: info@neveragainassociation.org .

More information:

www.africanbeats.pl

16 listopada 202316 listopada 2023

‘MUSIC AGAINST RACISM’ CONCERT IN BERLIN

The legendary punk rock band The Analogs will play a concert in Berlin on 24 November as part of the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign run by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. The event will take place at Reset – Live Club in the Kreuzberg district, a neighbourhood-symbol of the city’s ethnic, artistic, and social diversity. This district is also associated with the independent music scene, attracting people from all over the world.

The Analogs band was founded in 1995 in Szczecin, Poland. In the socially-engaged lyrics written by Pawel ‘Pigula’ Czekala, co-founder of the band, one of the most important issues is opposition to fascism. In one of the interviews, the musician emphasised, ‘Fascism and racism began to be tolerated by the political establishment. You don’t have to be very inquisitive to find this type of content on social media or in politicians’ statements. When politicians have nothing to offer to people, they start setting them upon one another, and this type of ideology is perfect for this.’

The message ‘Music Against Racism’ of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association will resound in the following months during The Analogs’ concerts in 13 Polish cities: in Kolobrzeg (8/12), Gdynia (9/12), Czestochowa (2/02), Zabrze (3/02), Kielce (9/02), Opole (10/02), Slupsk (16/02), Malbork (17/02), Olsztyn (23/02), Suwalki (24/02), Trzciel (8/03), Rzeszow (9/03), and Zagan (23/03).

The Analogs have been collaborating with the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association for many years. In 2002, the song ‘Futbol’ was released on the compilation album ‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of the Stadiums,’ as part of the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign run by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association.

The ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign was initiated in 1996 by the founder of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association Marcin Kornak (1968-2014). Performers representing different musical styles joined it to express their protest against nationalism and prejudice. A continuation of the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign is the ‘Music Against War’ campaign which was initiated in February this year (2023), on the first anniversary of Putin’s invasion. By participating in this campaign, the musicians express solidarity with Ukrainian refugees and support for Ukraine.

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association invites musicians, record labels and promoters who are interested in releasing music tracks or videos as well as organising concerts with the promotional support of ‘Music Against Racism’ / ‘Music Against War’ to get in touch via email: info@neveragainassociation.org .

In 2021, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association released the historic album ‘One Race – Human Race. Music Against Racism: Part 2’ (previously released in 1998 on CD and cassette), for the first time on vinyl. It features diverse Polish bands as well as internationally renowned anti-racist acts: Chumbawamba and Zion Train. The ‘One Race – Human Race’ record is also available in full on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5m2-fFk2zk .

‘NEVER AGAIN’ is an independent anti-racist organization founded in Warsaw in 1996, which has campaigned against antisemitism, racism and xenophobia, and for peace, intercultural dialogue and human rights both in Poland and internationally.

Additional information:

www.neveragainassociation.org

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23 lutego 2023

MUSIC AGAINST WAR

On the first anniversary of Putin’s war, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association has appealed to the global music community for solidarity with the people of Ukraine and with all the victims of violent conflicts around the world. ‘NEVER AGAIN’ has launched its new initiative, ‘Music Against War’.

The Association has unveiled the emblem of the anti-war campaign, authored by Witold Popiel, a graduate of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts and inspired by the logo of ‘NEVER AGAIN’s long-term campaign ‘Music Against Racism’.

The emblem is available in the blue and yellow colours of Ukraine as well as in black and white. ‘NEVER AGAIN’ encourages musicians, bands, promoters and fans of all types of music to use the symbol freely.

– ‘At the moment when we enjoy our favourite music during a gig or at home, innocent people are dying. We must not ignore it, let’s show solidarity with Ukraine and with all the refugees from war zones’ – call the activists of ‘NEVER AGAIN’. – ‘The Music Against War symbol can be included on a poster for your show, on a record cover, everybody can share it on social media’.

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association invites musicians, record labels and promoters who are interested in releasing music tracks or videos as well as organising concerts with the promotional support of ‘Music Against War’ to get in touch via email: info@neveragainassociation.org .

‘Music Against War’ is a continuation of the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign initiated by the late Marcin Kornak, the founder of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. From the age of fifteen, due to an accident, Marcin lived with a physical disability. He was an activist as well as a poet and songwriter who collaborated with independent rock bands. Marcin passed away in 2014 at the age of 46, but his legacy lives on. Over the years, numerous musicians and bands of different genres have supported the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign.

More information:

7 sierpnia 2022

During the biggest open-air free music festival in Europe, Pol’and’Rock (4-6 August), also known as Polish Woodstock, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association organized a football tournament promoting the message of ‘Let’s Kick Racism out of the Stadiums’, involving teenage players who are refugees from Ukraine. Together with the other participants, they manifested their protest against the war.

On another festival day a meeting was held with the rock band Strachy na Lachy (Empty Threats) at the information stand of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. For many years, this group has been involved in the activities of the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign run by ‘NEVER AGAIN’. Krzysztof ‘Grabaz’ Grabowski, the leader of Strachy Na Lachy, explained his band’s involvement in support of the refugees from Ukraine after the outbreak of the war. Some of the musician’s family came from Volhynia (a previously Polish territory, now a region in Ukraine). In press interviews, ‘Grabaz’ emphasised the importance of having neighbours of different nationalities and how it can lead to outbursts of creativity: ‘If in some place different cultures coexist peacefully with each other, then they will undoubtedly develop that place and its culture’.

– ‘During our meeting with Strachy Na Lachy, we talked primarily about war and peace, about respect and prejudice in everyday life, about hate speech and how it can lead to violence. We asked the band to explain how music can create a better world,’ said Joanna Naranowicz, a representative of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association and the lead singer of the punk band Qulturka.

Strachy na Lachy was established in 2001 by Krzysztof ‘Grabaż’ Grabowski and Andrzej ‘Kozak’ Kozakiewicz who also play in a punk-rock group Pidzama Porno. It is one of the most famous rock bands in Poland. In 2014 the band’s leader, ‘Grabaz’, was awarded with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta – one of the highest honours in Poland, for his ‘outstanding merits in creative work and artistic activity’.

During the Pol’and’Rock Festival, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association had the honour of hosting many other bands of different music styles involved in the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign.

The ‘Lets’ Kick Racism out of the Stadiums’ tournament has been organised for over twenty years by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association at the Polish Woodstock/Pol’and’Rock Festival. In 2022 it was co-organized with the grass-roots football team FC GAN Pila and supported by FARE network and the Adidas Football Collective through its grassroots support programme. Tournament’s male and female participants jointly express their support for the ideas that guide the entire festival: peace, friendship and respect for diversity. This year, the message resonated particularly strongly with young players from Ukraine who had had to flee the cruelty of war.

During the Pol’and’Rock Festival, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association also organised educational workshops on volunteering and supporting refugees. At NEVER AGAIN’s information stand, there were also practical worskhops on designing anti-racist DIY sew-on patches and t-shirts with the use of stencils and paints. The resulting items of clothing with the message ‘Music Against Racism’ were presented to the participants!

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association is an independent anti-racist organization founded in Warsaw in 1996. It has campaigned against antisemitism, racism and xenophobia, and for peace, intercultural dialogue and human rights both in Poland and internationally. ‘NEVER AGAIN’ has conducted the first anti-racism campaign in Eastern European football, ‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of the Stadiums’ and is a founding member of the FARE network.

The campaign ‘Let’s Kick Racism out of Stadiums’ was a brainchild of the late Marcin Kornak (1968-2014), who chaired ‘NEVER AGAIN’ for many years. ‘Let’s Kick Racism out of Stadiums’ has run since the mid-1990s with the aim to combat racism and discrimination at stadiums. One of its main components is monitoring and reporting of hate crimes and hate speech cases.

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association also encourages musicians, record labels and promoters who are interested in releasing music tracks or videos as well as organising concerts (including online) with the promotional support of the ‘Music Against Racism’ campaign to get in touch via email: info@neveragainassociation.org .

More information:

www.facebook.com/Respect.Diversity
www.twitter.com/StowNIGDYWIECEJ

2 maja 2022

MUSIC AGAINST RACISM: MUSIC FOR PEACE

The new album entitled ‘Zaraza’ (Plague) by the band Human Rights was released in partnership with the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association’s campaign Music Against Racism. The record was launched during the ‘Peace for the World’ concert on April 29 in Warsaw. Human Rights were joined on stage by M-kwa, one of the most renowned bands of the Polish punk rock scene.

According to the members of Human Rights, ‘The album <Plague> was recorded as a protest against political depravity and the epidemic of intolerance.’ The songs include reflections on ‘what attitudes people adopt in the face of a pandemic, war, dictatorship, lack of mutual respect and tolerance, aggression. It is not without reason that the word <plague> appears in the lyrics of every track.’

Human Rights is a hardcore punk band from Warsaw. For years, it has been supporting the Music Against Racism campaign of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. The band describes its work as ‘energetic music and positive and direct lyrics coming out of irritation at intrusive attempts to manipulate our lives only because of differences in sex, views, religion or nationality. So there is fire and fury, there is also some melody and catchy choruses about freedom, respect, compassion, tolerance.’

M-kwa (previously known as Moskwa) is one of the most original and charismatic bands of the Polish punk rock scene. The band was established in 1983 in Lodz and famously played at the festival in Jarocin (the largest festival of alternative music in Eastern Europe in the 1980s). The band’s performance at Jarocin was immortalized in the BBC documentary ‘My Blood, Your Blood’. For years, the band has been supporting the Music Against Racism campaign of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association.

From the first days of Russian military aggression against Ukraine, numerous bands have played concerts with an anti-war message supported by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. During these events, actions to provide aid for Ukrainian refugees have also been organized. For instance, on 2 April, the ‘Art Will Help – Benefit for Krzemieniec in Ukraine’ concert took place in Warsaw, with the participation of the bands Human Rights, HairyCane and Dlonie. The legendary Polish punk rock band Dezerter, which has been cooperating with the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association for many years, has also played anti-war concerts in Mogilno, Ciechanow, Poznan, Olsztyn, Bialystok and other locations.

In turn, on 7 May in Poznan, under the motto of Music Against Racism, the concert ‘Punks are Playing for Ukraine’ will take place. The following bands will be spreading a message of peace: Uliczny Opryszek, NoG, Amunicja, and Izerbejdzan.

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association encourages musicians, record labels and promoters from all over the world who are interested in releasing music tracks or videos as well as organizing concerts with the promotional support of the Music Against Racism campaign to get in touch via email: info@neveragainassociation.org .

In 2021 the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association released the historic record ‘One Race – Human Race. Music Against Racism: Part 2’ on vinyl. This album was dedicated to the memory of Marcin Kornak (1968-2014), a human rights activist, poet and the founder of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. The full album ‘One Race – Human Race. Music Against Racism’ is also available on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5m2-fFk2zk

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association is an independent organization founded in Warsaw in 1996. It has campaigned against fascism, racism and xenophobia, for peace, intercultural dialogue and human rights both in Poland and internationally.

Human Rights ‘Plague’ (from the album ‘Plague’ in partnership with the Music Against Racism campaign):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wurLlNR6A4

More information:

11 lipca 202111 lipca 2021

ONE RACE – HUMAN RACE. MUSIC AGAINST RACISM ON VINYL

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association has announced the release of the historic album ‘One Race – Human Race. Music Against Racism: Part 2’, for the first time on vinyl.

The compilation record was initiated by the late Marcin Kornak, a human rights activist, poet and the founder of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. Marcin’s friends emphasize that ‘the new release of the album is dedicated to his memory’.

The record was previously released in 1998 on CD and cassette by the independent label QQRYQ Productions as the second part of the ‘Music Against Racism’ series. It has gone down in history as a statement of resistance against intolerance and violence.

The double album contains tracks from artists representing a diverse range of musical styles and worldviews. Some of the contributions come from British bands known for their anti-racism activism, Chumbawamba and Zion Train, with others from renowned Polish musicians such as Robert Brylewski (with Falarek), Tymon Tymanski (with Kury), the bands Alians and Sweet Noise, and even Polish hip-hop star Liroy (rapping anti-fascist lyrics from Bertolt Brecht). Trebunie-Tutki, a multi-generational family band, combined Polish Highlander folk with Jamaican reggae in a track inspired by Bob Marley.

The album includes a special song: ‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of Stadiums’, which was recorded by members of punk rock groups Robotnik and Uliczny Opryszek, under the name WRS Band. The lyrics were written by Marcin Kornak and have become a manifesto of the ‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of the Stadiums’ campaign, initiated in 1996: ‘The place for fascism is in the trash, let’s kick racism out of the stadiums, let’s reclaim football from the thugs’.

Marcin Kornak (1968-2014) was the founder and leader of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association, the editor-in-chief of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ journal and the initiator of the groundbreaking register of hate crimes in Poland, known as the ‘Brown Book’. He was also a poet and songwriter, working with several independent rock bands. From the age of fifteen, due to an accident, Marcin Kornak lived with a physical disability. In 2011, he was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta – one of the highest honours in Poland.

In an appeal placed on the cover of the ‘One Race – Human Race’ record, he warned: ‘Racism is fostered through ignorance. It is the type of ideology which always leads to atrocity, because its main component is hatred against diversity. Humans, on the other hand, although the same in their nature, differ in their culture, religion, convictions, the colour of their hair, eyes, skin… and that is wonderful, because it makes this world and this life so fascinating. This is also why racial categorization is so dangerous – it threatens the most fundamental human right, the right to exist’.

Inspired by Rafal Drzycimski’s original 1998 design, the new album cover was designed by Witold Popiel, an alumnus of Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

The record was released in collaboration with Jimmy Jazz Records from Szczecin, who specialize in promoting alternative music. The album’s release is as a commemorative product, and is not intended for commercial distribution.

For the first time, the ‘One Race – Human Race. Music Against Racism: Part 2’ record is also available in full on YouTube (full album) and Daily Motion: side A and B, side C and D.

This year, the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association celebrates 25 years of activity. ‘NEVER AGAIN’ is an independent anti-racist organization founded in Warsaw in 1996, which has campaigned against antisemitism, racism and xenophobia, and for peace, intercultural dialogue and human rights both in Poland and internationally.

To support ‘NEVER AGAIN’ and receive the double vinyl record, please contact info@neveragainassociation.org .

Additional information:

www.facebook.com/respect.diversity

21 czerwca 2021

ROCK FOR PEACE

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association organized a special session entitled ‘Rock for Peace’ during the Global Peace Conference ‘Weaving a Shared Future Together’.

The online session on 19 June 2021 provided an opportunity to discuss issues of human rights, peace, protest, and reconciliation with well-known musicians as well as activists and intellectuals from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, China (Hong Kong), Poland, UK, and other countries.

The participants explored the relationship between rebel music and social movements, anti-racism, and peacebuilding. The examples included the Woodstock Festival of 1969 as a symbol of the peace movement, the Rock Against Racism campaign which emerged in reaction to racist attacks in the UK in the 1970s, the Music Against Racism movement initiated by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association in Poland as well as other initiatives tackling the challenges of racism, xenophobia, and human rights abuses across the world, with a special focus on Asia.

The speakers included:

– Chris Salewicz, a London-based renowned music journalist and author of ‘Bob Marley: The Untold Story’, ‘Redemption Song: The Definitive Biography of Joe Strummer’, ‘Jimmy Page: The Definitive Biography’;

– Kyaw Kyaw, the founder and leader of ‘Rebel Riot’, a punk band from Yangon, Myanmar, who was featured in the acclaimed documentary ‘My Buddha is Punk’;

– Julien Poulson, co-founder (with the internationally recognised singer Srey Channthy) of Cambodian Space Project, a freewheeling, psychedelic Cambodian rock group which led a revival of the Cambodian music scene;

– Riz Farooqi, founder of King Ly Chee, one of the first bands to introduce hardcore punk to China, editor of Unite Asia website (Hong Kong);

– Maqsoodul Haque a.k.a. Mac Haque, the leader of Maqsood O Dhaka, the leading jazz-rock fusion band from Bangladesh, featuring strong environmental and social messages of peace, harmony and cohesion;

– Pawel Gumola, the leader of Moskwa, a legendary Polish punk band established in 1983, he also played reggae with 5000 Lat and folk with R.U.T.A., a band using historical revolutionary lyrics from the region of Eastern Europe.

The event featured a newly released video ‘One Day’ produced by Rebel Riot in the aftermath of the recent military coup in Myanmar, a new song inspiring the protesters to stand against oppression. The session ended with an informal discussion and an improvised live solo set of songs with a positive message played by Pawel Gumola.

A full recording of the session will be available on the website of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association shortly.

The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association is an independent anti-racist organization founded in Warsaw in 1996. It has campaigned against antisemitism, racism and xenophobia, for peace, intercultural dialogue and human rights both in Poland and internationally.

Additional information:

22 marca 2019

‘MUSIC AGAINST RACISM’ LIVES ON

The NEVER AGAIN Association has released a special vinyl record to commemorate Marcin Kornak, the late founder and chairman of NEVER AGAIN, one of the stalwarts of the Polish anti-racism movement. 20 March marks the fifth anniversary of his passing and 21 March is the UN International Day Against Racism.

Marcin Kornak (1968-2014) launched the high-profile campaigns ‘Music Against Racism’ and ‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of Stadiums’. As the editor-in-chief of the NEVER AGAIN journal, he initiated the ground-breaking register of hate crimes in Poland known as the ‘Brown Book’. For his civil society activism, Marcin was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta, one of Poland’s highest distinctions. Moreover, the Friends of Integration Association, working in the field of disabled people’s rights, granted him the title of Person Without Barriers (Marcin was physically disabled since he had had a serious accident at the age of 15). He was also an Ambassador for the Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE).

The special EP entitled ‘I Know My Path is Right’ includes tracks dedicated to the memory of Marcin Kornak by two Polish rock bands closely associated with NEVER AGAIN: Qulturka and Skowyt. Their songs address the issues of bigotry and violence.

Marcin Kornak, who was also an acclaimed poet and author of alternative rock lyrics, launched the Music Against Racism campaign in 1996. Over the years, numerous artists representing diverse genres joined NEVER AGAIN to say no to racism and intolerance. The NEVER AGAIN Association released a whole series of records under a common motto of Music Against Racism, including hip-hop, electronic, metal, and reggae compilations. The campaign’s emblem accompanied more than 1400 concerts and festivals, while over 300 bands put it on their album sleeves – the open white-and-black palm of a hand symbolizes peace, friendship and diversity.

The cover for ‘I Know My Path is Right’ was designed by Witold Popiel, a NEVER AGAIN activist and graduate of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. The record was produced in cooperation with the independent label Jimmy Jazz Records. As a commemorative item, it will be distributed free and will not be sold commercially.

Qulturka is a punk-rock band founded in Pila in 1995. Its partnership with NEVER AGAIN concerning anti-fascist actions dates back many years. In 2010 the band recorded an album called ‘White, Yellow, Red, Black’ in support of the Music Against Racism campaign.

Skowyt debuted with ‘Achtung, Polen!’ in 2011 released under the patronage of Music Against Racism. The band’s name – translated as The Howl – refers to Allan Ginsberg’s poem of 1956, which condemned soul-crushing conformity and helped kick off the entire Beat Generation.

The NEVER AGAIN Association was founded by Marcin Kornak in 1996. It has campaigned against racism and xenophobia, and for peace, intercultural dialogue and human rights both in Poland and internationally. Among others, it has conducted large-scale anti-racist activities at the Polish Woodstock festival, the biggest open-air free music festival in Europe.

More info:

‘I Know My Path is Right’ EP (2019): https://youtu.be/gpaewF3bgVA

Music Against Racism (issued in 1997) – the cult classic album compiled by NEVER AGAIN: http://bit.ly/2SWRrtp