Milton Keynes-musician Ian Roberts is packing up his campervan and leaving behind the bright lights of the new city for the‘jungle’ camp in Calais to make music with the musicians who live there.
Ian Roberts will visit the area next month to record a brand new song with his fellow music makers.
“I have been chatting to some amazing people from The Calais Sessions who have set up a recording studio there and released an album showcasing the talents of those musicians who are living in the camp,” Ian said.
The single will be released later in the year with the profits going back into the camp, ‘to help those who need it most,’ Ian says.
“I think it’s important on a human level to do all we can to help others who need our help, these people have been to hell and back through no fault of their own, they have had to flee their homes with their families just to survive and give themselves a chance at some sort of future, I have children and I know that I’d have done exactly the same thing to save my family, so it’s heartbreaking to see and hear what’s happened to these families, they have done nothing wrong, they are the victims.
"So when I was offered the chance to help out in the only way I know how, my music, of course I couldn’t say yes quick enough, it gives us a chance to show that the people who live in the jungle are human beings just like us, they are musicians, they are doctors and nurses, they are carpenters and teachers, and I think the mainstream media in this country fail to show and tell us this fact, it’s our chance to humanise and stop the scaremongering, and we can do it through music, there really are no boundaries that music cannot break down..
Ian is now appealing to other musicians here in the new city to help the project by donating any unwanted instruments to the cause: “If you have any old acoustic guitars or ukuleles or mandolins and Darbuka drums hanging around gathering dust, please donate them to us.
“The musicians have been starved of instruments and will love them and play them every single day with massive smiles on their faces.”
“I’ll be working with the musicians to write a new song and then we’ll record it, I’m lucky that in I always have lots of new melodies bouncing around inside my head, so the melody writing and arrangement shouldn’t really take that long. And when we’re not recording I’ll be joining in with and holding some workshops to help teach people guitar and songwriting skills, it’s going to be epic, the experience will only further inspire my songwriting and my desire to use my music to spread peace and love and all things nice…
Ian will depart for his musical mission in July 21, but between now and then wants to gather together as many instruments as he can fit into his campervan.
If you would like to donate, please email ian@ianrobertsmusic.org
