Singing in Unison for Global Harmony

by Brady Collins, Student Journalist from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign




Famous Japanese singer/songwriter/performer extraordinaire, Shinji Harada humbly approached the center stage microphone and muttered. “Buenas, noches?” His Japanese/Spanish accent got a rise of laughter from the crowd, and while he continued to joke for several minutes about how poor his spoken Spanish was, it was a mere charade. The fact is, Shinji is no stranger to performing for international audiences, nor is he a shy performer by any means. For once his ended, he jumped into his music with such ardor that it caught the whole room off guard.

“He really has the ability to get the crowd going,” said the artist’s manager, Matthias Ahrens. Shinji’s presence was certainly felt at the Global Harmony Concert, held on Tuesday evening at the Foro de Ensayo de Orquesta de Bellas Artes. as part of the pre-conference festivities of the United Nations DPI/NGO Conference. His inspirational lyrics were accompanied by flowing melodies on guitar and piano, ranging from slow expressions of love to thrilling moments of excitement. Many of his original songs preach global peace and remember tragedies of the past, commemorating those who have lost their lives. “Hiroshima is the Place to Start,” asks humanity to learn from its violent mistakes of nuclear war. The song is especially meaningful given that Shinji is a native of Hiroshima, Japan. “Hiroshima is ground zero for the fight for peace and disarmament, and Shinji is a true ambassador of peace and harmony,” said Dr. Judy Kuriansky, the host for the evening.

The seasoned musician is also a passionate activist on behalf of the environment and anti-nuclear war. As the founder of the NGO “Gentle Earth”, he has used his fame from a lengthy recording, composing and concert career to create a following that not only pursues his music, but his public appearances as well. What’s next for the ‘Global Harmony’ songster? “Next we have New York for 9/11 memorials, then back to Tokyo, where it really gets crazy. They love him there,” Matthias said. In addition, Shinji is the first musician permitted by the Japanese government to turn historic shrines into a concert sights. The open-air venues, with stars shining over the crowd, create a serene ambience giving his concerts an even more magical quality. For this peace rock star, the sky is the limit.

Following Shinji at the Global Harmony Concert was “The Stand Up For Peace Project,” a “world music band,” which has traveled with Shinji around the world to perform in many of his peace charity concerts. Most notable was their performance at the International Peace Summit in Hiroshima, where the Dalai Lama and Reverend Desmond Tutu heard their music. Dr. Judy Kuriansky and Russell Daisey founded the group, and the combination of a well-known radio and television psychologist and personality, United Nations NGO representative, and internationally known composer have joined to create a unique sound with a powerful message.

With songs titled “Towers of Light” and “Stand Up For Peace,” their music is very articulate, instilling enthusiasm in their listeners to take their message to heart and use it in their own lives. In this particular performance, the band collaborated with local children from a Mexico-based NGO, Journeys For Peace, who sang, clapped and even played drums to add to the cause. The result was a concert hall full of performers, passionately singing their “Levantados por la paz” anthem out loud and actively participating in this musical rally for peace.

At the finale, each person on stage formed a line in front of the microphone. Many people hailing from different places around the world held a flag in their hand from their respective country. As they approached the microphone, Dr. Judy and Daisey cheered them on to appeal for peace in their homeland. “Peace for Pakistan!” one yelled. “Peace for Japan!” said another. And of course, “Peace for Mexico!” The energy became rapturous, and when all the flags were gone, audience members and performers alike were still calling for peace around the world.