Julien Drolon Harness The Power Of Music For Peace
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nicholasg980
Sep 22, 2010, 6:24:23 PM9/22/10
to Reggae
The power of music to change a heart, a mind, a soul - has been proven
many times over. From the Beatles' song "Imagine" to Michael Jackson's
"We Are The World," musicians have endeavored to present their
messages through music. Julien Drolon, a Frenchman, singer,
songwriter, and man of of peace, has taken up that cause as well.
Doing everything from writing songs about peace to participating in
festivals whose cause is peace, Drolon is a man on a mission.
If you've ever daydreamed of taking a tropical vacation, sipping a
fruity drink and dancing in the white sand, Julien's debut single
"Peace Through Music" would be the song playing in the back of your
mind. With its reggae beat, pop guitar, and harmonic supporting
vocals, "Peace Through Music" is every bit a fun song. But as the
title implies, the song carries a message of "love, peace and harmony"
which is precisely what French-born Julien Drolon hopes to inspire in
his fans.
Drolon stated, "The primary message of this song is that if we all
decide in our minds to live in a peaceful world, it can happen, but
it's a decision we have to make together. This song is very special
because I included a poem by Jose Rizal, the national hero of the
Philippines. He wrote those lines more than 100 years ago and I
revived his message in the song. Drolon's upcoming album, "Time For
Peace," has an anticipated drop date of March 2011.
Before beginning his career in music, Drolon worked as an
International Reporter for three years, and as he traveled across the
globe, saw things that greatly disturbed him. His last assignment was
in Manila in 2008, whereupon he returned to France. But it wasn't very
long before he felt a calling, and decided to follow it. In September
2009, with guitar in hand, he walked the 800 kilometers separating the
French border and Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It was during this
journey that "Peace Through Music" was written. He also wrote "No More
Divisions" which will be the second single released from his debut
album.
Continuing, he said, "Regarding other tracks on the album, I
concentrated my work on love songs and social/spiritual songs like "No
More Divisions," which is one of my favorite songs and has a positive
message of unity between all religions. I will also have a funky track
called "I Am Free". I especially like "Mountaintop" because it is a
song I started with a quote by Nelson Mandela and it feels like he
helped me to write the entire song. You can expect a boss nova with
lyrics in Portuguese and French in this song; those two languages are
literally making love in every line. I like using different styles of
music to compose my songs, as it makes the experience that much more
exciting. Drolon records in English, French, Portuguese, and Tagalog
(the official language of the Philippines), and specializes in the
pop, reggae, funk and rock influenced genres.
Though he has various musical influences, two stand out for him - Bob
Marley and Jason Mraz. "Bob Marley is definitely the artist who
influenced me the most. His message is universal and so up to date.
What I like the most in his music is his capacity to deliver very
powerful lyrics in a simple way. To me, he is the greatest artist
ever, and wherever I go, I always hear his music - in bars, on the
radio, wherever I am - maybe because we still need to hear what he had
to say. Jason Mraz has also contributed in shaping my mind and musical
style. His songs are so well written, and he very actively promotes
the things that are close to his heart like green farming or the
protection of our oceans through Surfrider Foundation. He is a great
inspiration as a musician and a man."
"To me, music plays a major role in the peace process because it's a
universal language. Through music, we can have a better understanding
of each other, but then it has to be complemented by a strong peace
movement in all aspects of our society. My music is embracing peace in
many aspects. The main message of my songs is that we are all one. Bob
Marley once said "This peace work never stops, we know it never stops.
That means we the youth got a work to do".
Drolon does believe, however, that the peace movement is headed in the
right direction, but feels that it isn't brought to the attention of
the public enough. He stated, "The positive changes being made should
be shared with everyone; I can tell you things are changing. In Sierra
Leone for example, Muslims and Christians remain at peace with each
other and intermarriage is common, so let's start to share the good
news and spread peace through music." Indeed, good things are
happening and Drolon is most certainly doing his part, with EarthDance
and the Peace Festival - events that promote peace through music that
are near and dear to his heart.
Drolon kicked the Peace Festival in the Philippines off with a show on
August 20th, and was happy to do so. "I performed alongside other
local artists in B Side, a cool venue in the heart of Makati, the
business district of Manila. I played "Peace Through Music, No More
Divisions, Mountaintop, and Possible which is a song I sing in
Tagalog. The three original songs I chose are all peace oriented and
the Tagalog cover song is also a song of hope."
When asked about the history of it, he replied, "The Peace Festival is
a series of gigs in Manila celebrating and promoting peace through
music, and just started this year. It's the result of one man's dream
- Robbie Sanchez - who envisioned a one month peace festival in the
Philippines from the 20th of August through the 21st of September. The
21st of August corresponds with the death of a Filipino National Hero:
Ninoy Aquino, and September 21st corresponds to the proclamation of
martial law over the Philippines. That's also the International Day of
Peace.
Drolon's involvement with the Peace Festival doesn't end there, as he
will perform at EarthDance, which is 48 hour span of time during which
there is a global celebration. EarthDance will be celebrated on
September 18th and 19th and Drolon will showcase his talent in the
Philippines on the 18th. "Many local artists will be featured in this
event alongside Joey Ayala, a contemporary pop artist in the
Philippines. He is well known for his style of music that combines the
sounds of Filipino ethnic instruments with modern pop music. Kadangyan
Band will also play - they are my friends and I love their music. It's
a fusion of different Filipino traditional beats with the elements of
modern rock music."
An annual event, EarthDance is the world's largest synchronized music
event and dance festival for peace. Since its beginning in 1997, over
80 countries have celebrated EarthDance, all coming together for its
various events which culminate in the Prayer for Peace - a powerful
moment of unity and goodwill. Each public EarthDance event commits 50%
of its profits to charities which support peace.
By Michele Wilson-Morris
Website: http://www.facebook.com/jdrolon
many times over. From the Beatles' song "Imagine" to Michael Jackson's
"We Are The World," musicians have endeavored to present their
messages through music. Julien Drolon, a Frenchman, singer,
songwriter, and man of of peace, has taken up that cause as well.
Doing everything from writing songs about peace to participating in
festivals whose cause is peace, Drolon is a man on a mission.
If you've ever daydreamed of taking a tropical vacation, sipping a
fruity drink and dancing in the white sand, Julien's debut single
"Peace Through Music" would be the song playing in the back of your
mind. With its reggae beat, pop guitar, and harmonic supporting
vocals, "Peace Through Music" is every bit a fun song. But as the
title implies, the song carries a message of "love, peace and harmony"
which is precisely what French-born Julien Drolon hopes to inspire in
his fans.
Drolon stated, "The primary message of this song is that if we all
decide in our minds to live in a peaceful world, it can happen, but
it's a decision we have to make together. This song is very special
because I included a poem by Jose Rizal, the national hero of the
Philippines. He wrote those lines more than 100 years ago and I
revived his message in the song. Drolon's upcoming album, "Time For
Peace," has an anticipated drop date of March 2011.
Before beginning his career in music, Drolon worked as an
International Reporter for three years, and as he traveled across the
globe, saw things that greatly disturbed him. His last assignment was
in Manila in 2008, whereupon he returned to France. But it wasn't very
long before he felt a calling, and decided to follow it. In September
2009, with guitar in hand, he walked the 800 kilometers separating the
French border and Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It was during this
journey that "Peace Through Music" was written. He also wrote "No More
Divisions" which will be the second single released from his debut
album.
Continuing, he said, "Regarding other tracks on the album, I
concentrated my work on love songs and social/spiritual songs like "No
More Divisions," which is one of my favorite songs and has a positive
message of unity between all religions. I will also have a funky track
called "I Am Free". I especially like "Mountaintop" because it is a
song I started with a quote by Nelson Mandela and it feels like he
helped me to write the entire song. You can expect a boss nova with
lyrics in Portuguese and French in this song; those two languages are
literally making love in every line. I like using different styles of
music to compose my songs, as it makes the experience that much more
exciting. Drolon records in English, French, Portuguese, and Tagalog
(the official language of the Philippines), and specializes in the
pop, reggae, funk and rock influenced genres.
Though he has various musical influences, two stand out for him - Bob
Marley and Jason Mraz. "Bob Marley is definitely the artist who
influenced me the most. His message is universal and so up to date.
What I like the most in his music is his capacity to deliver very
powerful lyrics in a simple way. To me, he is the greatest artist
ever, and wherever I go, I always hear his music - in bars, on the
radio, wherever I am - maybe because we still need to hear what he had
to say. Jason Mraz has also contributed in shaping my mind and musical
style. His songs are so well written, and he very actively promotes
the things that are close to his heart like green farming or the
protection of our oceans through Surfrider Foundation. He is a great
inspiration as a musician and a man."
"To me, music plays a major role in the peace process because it's a
universal language. Through music, we can have a better understanding
of each other, but then it has to be complemented by a strong peace
movement in all aspects of our society. My music is embracing peace in
many aspects. The main message of my songs is that we are all one. Bob
Marley once said "This peace work never stops, we know it never stops.
That means we the youth got a work to do".
Drolon does believe, however, that the peace movement is headed in the
right direction, but feels that it isn't brought to the attention of
the public enough. He stated, "The positive changes being made should
be shared with everyone; I can tell you things are changing. In Sierra
Leone for example, Muslims and Christians remain at peace with each
other and intermarriage is common, so let's start to share the good
news and spread peace through music." Indeed, good things are
happening and Drolon is most certainly doing his part, with EarthDance
and the Peace Festival - events that promote peace through music that
are near and dear to his heart.
Drolon kicked the Peace Festival in the Philippines off with a show on
August 20th, and was happy to do so. "I performed alongside other
local artists in B Side, a cool venue in the heart of Makati, the
business district of Manila. I played "Peace Through Music, No More
Divisions, Mountaintop, and Possible which is a song I sing in
Tagalog. The three original songs I chose are all peace oriented and
the Tagalog cover song is also a song of hope."
When asked about the history of it, he replied, "The Peace Festival is
a series of gigs in Manila celebrating and promoting peace through
music, and just started this year. It's the result of one man's dream
- Robbie Sanchez - who envisioned a one month peace festival in the
Philippines from the 20th of August through the 21st of September. The
21st of August corresponds with the death of a Filipino National Hero:
Ninoy Aquino, and September 21st corresponds to the proclamation of
martial law over the Philippines. That's also the International Day of
Peace.
Drolon's involvement with the Peace Festival doesn't end there, as he
will perform at EarthDance, which is 48 hour span of time during which
there is a global celebration. EarthDance will be celebrated on
September 18th and 19th and Drolon will showcase his talent in the
Philippines on the 18th. "Many local artists will be featured in this
event alongside Joey Ayala, a contemporary pop artist in the
Philippines. He is well known for his style of music that combines the
sounds of Filipino ethnic instruments with modern pop music. Kadangyan
Band will also play - they are my friends and I love their music. It's
a fusion of different Filipino traditional beats with the elements of
modern rock music."
An annual event, EarthDance is the world's largest synchronized music
event and dance festival for peace. Since its beginning in 1997, over
80 countries have celebrated EarthDance, all coming together for its
various events which culminate in the Prayer for Peace - a powerful
moment of unity and goodwill. Each public EarthDance event commits 50%
of its profits to charities which support peace.
By Michele Wilson-Morris
Website: http://www.facebook.com/jdrolon
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