LesLine, Blaise B, Ewube and Malgic have released their highly anticipated music video for the peace anthem, ‘Stand for Peace’. The song is part of a social justice campaign to promote peace through music. (Watch video above)
‘Stand for Peace’ represents the first major project by afro-jazz artist LesLine who collaborated with three of her peers Blaise B, Ewube and Malgic to produce a vocal masterpiece that laments on the effects of war, Niki Heat Entertainment explains.
“Our country has been engulfed in a terrible conflict for years with the results we all know; rampant death, homes burned to the ground, kids out of school etc. My fellow artists and I decided to join our voice to cry out for peace trusting that the song will soothe aggrieved souls and create the environment for a peaceful resolution to the conflict” said LesLine of the crisis in Cameroon.
The video, directed by award winning filmmaker, Anurine Nwunembom depicts a disturbed society and captures the state of despair and confusion that pervades wartime. Three main themes run through it:
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Grey and white costumes worn by the artists represent a play between what is – war, pain, and agony
versus what should be – peace, justice, and harmony. -
The dominantly somber lighting is an indication of the general mood of a country in times of war. In
addition, this gloomy depiction communicates the precarious condition faced by children, who in turn
symbolize victims of war and conflict anywhere in the world. -
The contemporary dance duo, which is a mime of the song’s lyrics, represents the disorder and chaos
that occurs during conflicts. The dance also acts out efforts to dialogue amidst the fighting. The dance
ends with a sort of settlement; evidenced by the smiles and return of the dancers to a peaceful state of
sleep.
During its 50th anniversary celebration in 2013, the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government adopted a ‘Solemn Declaration’ vision of ending all wars in Africa by 2020 and LesLine believes that music is an integral part of spreading the word particularly amongst the youths.
Of the 35 active conflicts in the world, 13 are in Africa including Cameroon where ‘silencing the guns’ could not be more urgent. For the last 3 years, an armed conflict has pitted government forces against independence fighters and with no end in sight, LesLine and her peers believe that a heavy dose of peace serum can serve as a panacea for both sides of the conflict.
The audio release of ‘Stand for Peace’ on 21 September 2018 coincided with the International Day of Peace and since then, the song has featured on numerous blogs and several national and international media outlets such as Canal 2, Sweet FM, CRTV, Voice of America, BBC, France 24, and Reuters.
‘Stand for Peace’ was produced by M1 Studio in Buea, Cameroon and ArtNurin directed the music video.
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