A music video performed by refugee artists

A group of refugee artists, all from countries which have been devastated by war, release a music video called 'Freedom Soldiers, Making Music not war.'

By Ray Wilkinson

28 November 2001

One of UNHCR's priorities is to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in refugee camps like Jembe in Sierra Leone.

GENEVA, Nov. 28 (UNHCR) - A group of refugee artists, all from countries which have been devastated by war, Wednesday released a four-minute music video entitled 'Freedom Soldiers, Making Music not war.'

The African musicians were brought together by Senegalese star Youssou N'Dour and sing from their personal experiences of exile. They call for an end to conflict in the video's chorus:

We are freedom soldiers. We wanna free you with our music/We are freedom soldiers. We wanna tell you fight no wars/ We are freedom soldiers. We want to free you from their brutalities/That's why they call us freedom soldiers.

The video is a mixture of pop, rap and African sounds. Lyrics highlight the problems of child soldiers, the misery refugees face and portrays images of war, the victimization of innocents, but ultimately a message of hope.

The video was taken from an earlier UNHCR album called 'Building Bridges' featuring contributions from 12 musicians whop pay tribute to the talents and resilience of refugees. Proceeds from the sale of the CD will finance the schooling of young refugees.