2019: A year of growth for Healing in Harmony around the world
What a year it’s been! 2019 was filled with joy, music, and healing. Here’s a look back at some of the year’s highlights.
Expanding to new communities in need
New partnerships have flourished and we launched five new Healing in Harmony sites – in Turkey, Guinea, South Africa, Uganda, and Peru. We also formalized a partnership to bring the program to Fox Lake Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, at home in Canada, beginning in early 2020.
A4A Records and Publishing breaks new ground
Following the creation of A4A (Artists for Artists) Records with Warner Music Canada to distribute music from the Healing in Harmony program, Make Music Matter finalized details of a new publishing model with SOCAN. The model ensures that all artists retain the rights to their own music, regardless of whether or not they have legal identification, a bank account, or a fixed address, opening up opportunities for artists living in extreme poverty.
Five new albums were released by A4A Records in 2019 featuring artists in Rwanda and the DRC. Listen now to Utamu wa maisha by the Dorcas Singers in Mulamba, DRC and other songs from the Healing in Harmony program.
Beyond the Healing in Harmony repertoire, A4A brought together an A-list roster of Canadian artists to raise awareness of the ongoing political crisis in Sudan. ‘Artists for Sudan’ reimagined the classic Sunday Bloody Sunday as ‘a protest song for the people in a country that cannot protest for themselves to the wider world.’ Find out more and have a listen.
Getting the word out
Features by the Humanitarian Exchange Magazine, Canadian Musician Magazine, the Fund for Innovation and Transformation, and more, showcased the impact of the Healing in Harmony program and the path we’ve taken to scale up.
Opportunities to connect and exchange
From the World Economic Forum in Davos to the Women Deliver conference in Vancouver, events throughout the year provided opportunities to share insights with partners and like-minded organizations looking for innovative solutions to pressing humanitarian issues.
We wrapped up the year with a Healing in Harmony vinyl pop-up event to celebrate the artists and recordings that have emerged from the program. Supporters, partners, and friends gathered at the Peach Gallery in Toronto for an evening of music and mingling, and a chance to pick up a copy of the Greatest Hits Vol. 1 collection on vinyl.
2020 is off to a roaring start. We can’t wait to share new music and stories from artists who are finding their voice and strength to build brighter futures.
