This is the first in a series of guest posts and guest-curated playlists we will be publishing in honor of our 10th anniversary Focus For Change benefit taking place on October 16, 2014. This year’s theme is “Stories of Courage: Celebrating Human Rights Defenders.” Our first guest-curator is Salman Ahmad, world-renown musician and activist.
By Salman Ahmad
These songs express, for me, universal love, courage and passion.
Get Up Stand Up by Bob Marley – “I know you don’t know | What life is really worth. | It’s not all that glitters is gold; | ‘Alf the story has never been told: | So now you see the light, eh! | Stand up for your rights. Come on!
Revolution by The Beatles – You say you want a revolution | Well, you know | We all want to change the world | You tell me that it’s evolution | Well, you know | We all want to change the world
Don’t Give Up by Peter Gabriel – “in this proud land we grew up strong | we were wanted all along | I was taught to fight, taught to win |I never thought I could fail
Zamaney (The World has Changed) by my band Junoon
Ring The Bells by Melissa Etheridge and Salman Ahmad – “And ring the bells, ring the bells of change | Ring the bells every boy and every girl | Ring the bells, ring the bells of peace | All over the world”
Earth Song Michael Jackson – “Did you ever stop to notice | This crying Earth this weeping shores?”
Fragile / Sting – “For all those born beneath an angry star | Lest we forget how fragile we are”
Ordinary Love / U2 – “We can’t fall any further if | We can’t feel ordinary love”
Long Road / Nusrat fateh Ali Khan & Eddie Veder – “We all walk the long road.”
Salman Ahmad is world-renown musician and founder of the band Junoon. He has sold over 25 million albums and is also a humanitarian, bridge-builder, and social activist. His real “junoon” (passion) is using his music to bring people together around important social and political issues, such as: bridging the divide between Islam and the West, promoting peace between Pakistan and India, HIV/AIDS, and global health and poverty. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and via the foundation he co-founded with his wife Samina.
Update to Salman Ahmad’s Focus for Change Music Monday Playlist via twitter:
Open Your Eyes , #Pakistan with @itspetergabriel @witnessorg #PeoplesClimate #Floods https://t.co/sLD4bZSy5b https://t.co/v5zz1RvF8Q
— salman ahmad (@sufisal) September 17, 2014
Change is a good thing. Always keeps you motivated. You’re an inspiration and so it’s work. Keep it up Salman, never leave the path as InshaAllah it will yield great changes for generations to come.