Promoting world peace is one of the tasks embraced willfully by the ambassadors of the UN through long speeches, which to some listeners might be boring. Simona-Mirela Miculescu, Romania’s Representative to the United Nations believes that the message of peace can also be delivered through music, and music is seldom boring. Through her initiative, an album called, “Ambassadors Sing for Peace” was launched on Wednesday, which contains songs for world peace performed by Ms. Miculescu herself with other United Nations Ambassadors and selected youth choirs. This album was sponsored by The Friendship Ambassadors Foundation in connection with its 40th year anniversary.
Featured songs in the album
All the songs in the album have been carefully selected and arranged by Emmy Award-winning composer Gary Fry. The album features nine popular songs and one original composition. Some of the popular songs in the collection are “Paix Sur La Terre” and “What a Wonderful World.” All the songs were sung by Ambassadors Guilliermo Rishchynski of Canada, Eduardo Ulibarri from Costa Rica, Antonio Pedri Monteiro of Cape Verde, Marlene Moses from Nauru and Simona-Mirela Miculescu of Romania. According to Fry, all the songs in the collection were arranged and sung in a manner that does not sound anything close to other pop rock covers.
Promoting peace with music
The ambassadors and members of the children’s choirs who participated in the album for peace project showed great enthusiasm and appreciation during the successful launching of the album. According to Ms. Miculescu, everyone was very happy with the rare collaboration of music and diplomacy which aims to attain and promote peace around the globe. Ms. Miculescu was formerly a singer in a Romanian student band called Symbiosis and had always expressed her love for music whenever she is with her colleagues.
Many nations around the world are still filled with violence and oppression either by a corrupt government, extremists or militant groups. Ms. Miculescu highlighted the importance of delivering messages of peace in the form of songs especially in times of conflict and distress. She said that the CD they launched should at least make people aware of one simple truth – that peace starts from within ourselves.
Making the album
Instead of using high caliber and experienced choirs to provide the background singing in the album, Mr. Fry used high school singers and choirs made up of children in the Chicago area where he currently resides. According to Fry, it is only fitting to use the voices of the children in an album like this since they are our hope for peace in the coming years. In an interview with Mr. Fry, he shared that the only thing he had to deal with was the conflicting schedules of the singing ambassadors. Nevertheless, when they were together to perform the task at hand, everyone involved showed happiness and enthusiasm. He was quick to add that despite these difficulties the project was completed and it all turned out very well in the end.
Going for a second run
Yin-Chu Jou, the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation Artistic Director commented that the recently launched album is only the beginning. He added that other ambassadors with musical leanings have already expressed interest in joining in the second album as well as performing in other venues when necessary.
Caption: Simona-Mirela Miculescu
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