MANAMA, 11 January 2005 — A song in English written by a member of the Bahraini royal family recorded by a group of US singers, including pop star Jermaine Jackson, brother of Michael, calls for an end to hatred and war as well as peace and global respect among different cultures.
The song — He Who Makes the Sky Gray — will be launched in the next three to six weeks and the proceeds will be donated to the victims of the recent tsunami in southeast Asia.
The songwriter and owner of the newly established Two Seas Recording Company which will release the song, Sheikh Abdullah ibn Hamad Al-Khalifa, said that it was important to see something like this coming from the region at this point.
The sheikh who is the son of Bahrain’s king and also governor of the southern governorate said that the song was an effort to show the world that this region is not about wars and conflicts but is very concerned about bridging any gap which may exist between East and West.
“It is a song created in Bahrain as part of a powerful peace initiative coming for the first time from the Middle East.
We want to show solidarity with war-torn, disaster-hit, famine-stricken nations and peoples,” Sheikh Abdullah said, adding that the song was a message of peace to the world.
“Proceeds will go to NGOs and grass-root groups involved in relief efforts,” Sheikh Abdullah said.
The music for the four and a half minute song was written by Bahraini Ahmad Al-Harmi and the sound is currently being mixed in the United States after Jermaine recorded it in Bahrain.
Neither Jermaine nor Sheikh Abdullah would disclose the names of other US stars participating in the project but it is expected to include at least one other member of the Jackson family.
“We are targeting stars from the US and members of our family,” said Jermaine who is now a Muslim known as Muhammad Abdul Aziz.
“The fact that the song was written here makes it international, but we want to do this song justice because the message is incredible.
The song will be released in different languages, including Arabic, at a later stage.”
The record company is expected to release Jermaine Jackson’s next album and it will also offer 10 to 15 scholarships and grants annually to help young and talented Bahraini artists.