Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven

Masai Ujiri's Giants Of Africa Announces Giants Of Africal Festival 2025 - July 26 to August 2 In Kigali, Rwanda

From a media release:

Masai Ujiri's Giants Of Africa Announces
Giants Of Africal Festival 2025

A weeklong celebration of basketball, entertainment, culture and community returnes to Kigali, Rwanda July 26 to August 2

Kizz Daniel, Uncle Waffles & Timaya will perform - more acts to be revealed as the dates grow closer...

More Details About Giants Of Africa Here Buy Tickets Here

Toronto, ON (May 8, 2025) – Giants of Africa, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering African youth through basketball, alongside its founder Masai Ujiri, Vice-Chairman and President of the Toronto Raptors, has announced Giants of Africa Festival 2025. Returning to the vibrant city of Kigali, Rwanda from July 26-August 2, the event will bring together 320 young athletes from 20 African nations, and more than 20,000 spectators for a week of community, culture, basketball, education, and entertainment. The festival will unite communities, spark potential, and drive transformative change across the continent.

Davido performs at the Closing Concert of Giants of Africa Festival 2023 - Photo credit: Giants of Africa

“Like these kids, I grew up on the continent,” says Ujiri. “As Africans, we know the landscape of what the kids go through. We know they dream just like we did and it really inspires me because, those kids have so much more talent and intelligence, they have ways to communicate now that we didn’t. This festival is about showing them there is a path. We want them to never stop dreaming.”

Giants of Africa Festival 2025 will begin with an exhilarating Opening Show, as the athletes unite in an inspiring parade to kick off the weeklong celebration. South African international DJ sensation Uncle Waffles, MTV Video Music Award-winning choreographer Sherrie Silver, and Rwandan singer and songwriter, Kevin Kade will bring electrifying performances as Ujiri and special guests welcome all to the festivities. The awe-inspiring event will mark the beginning of life-changing journeys for Africa’s leaders of tomorrow.

Taking place across Kigali Sports City’s BK Arena, Amahoro National Stadium, Petit Stade, and Paralympic Gymnasium, the festival will showcase the full potential of Africa’s sports and entertainment ecosystem, highlighting its social and economic value for the next generation and the continent at large. Giants of Africa Festival 2025 will also serve as the grand opening of Zaria Court. Founded by Ujiri, the   new mixed-use sports, entertainment, and cultural district includes an 80-room hotel, sports bar, basketball court, event space, retail outlets, gym, five-a-side football pitch, and outdoor public areas.

The festival will conclude with a spectacular Closing Concert featuring performances from Nigerian Afrobeats artist Kizz Daniel and award-winning Nigerian singer/songwriter Timaya. Celebrity guests in attendance throughout the week will include Chris Tucker, Candace Parker, Robin Roberts, Chiney Ogwumike, Didier Drogba, Michael Blackson, Boris Kodjoe and more. Additional performers for both the Opening Show and Closing Concert will be announced in the coming weeks.

Since 2003, Giants of Africa has empowered youth through basketball, hosting camps and building courts across 20 African countries. The foundation not only teaches game fundamentals but connects young people with inspirational mentors who show how determination, leadership, and integrity can transform dreams into reality. 

Also central to their mission is basketball's unique power to transcend barriers and unite diverse communities. The Giants of Africa Festival is a culmination of this vision, featuring a weeklong youth basketball camp and tournament that brings together young men and women from 20 nations. Youth campers will represent Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Gabon, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, D.R. Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, Morocco, Botswana, and South Africa. Giants of Africa and NBA/WNBA coaches and personnel will lead training sessions, with assistance from local coaches from the participating countries. A round-robin tournament will determine which countries and players will compete in the festival’s championship and all-star games.

This year, Giants of Africa will also present its inaugural Threads of Africa Fashion Show, celebrating culture, fashion, and design from across Africa. The show will spotlight the work of three talented fashion designers, each from a different region of the continent. Cameroon’s Hortense Mbea (Afropian), Niger’s Alia Baré (Alia), and Rwanda and South Africa’s Nyambo (Masa Mara) will each present their new collections, and come together for a moderated discussion.

Additionally, festival highlights include the International Youth Day Forum, presented in partnership with the Imbuto Foundation, Ministry of Youth and Arts and ALX, bringing together over 2,000 Rwandan youth and festival campers to hear from esteemed leaders. The Women’s Community Outreach Program will take place in Rwanda and across all 20 represented countries, offering leadership and education sessions in local communities to empower women and girls with knowledge, resources, and inspiration.

Giants of Africa Festival 2025 follows the inaugural Giants of Africa Festival which took place in Kigali in 2023 in celebration of the non-profit’s 20th anniversary. The event united over 250 youth basketball players from 16 African nations, drew in over 14,000 spectators, and saw an estimated $1.5M invested into Kigali’s local economy. The festival culminated in a closing concert featuring performances from Afrobeats icon Davido, Queen of Afrobeats Tiwa Savage, Rwanda’s own Bruce Melodie, and South African superstar Tyla. It was a beacon of unity, inspiration, and transformation that ignited the continent. Building upon their bold ambitions, Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa are poised to make an even more powerful statement in 2025. 

Tickets for Giants of Africa Festival 2025’s Opening Show and Closing Concert will go on sale beginning Thursday, May 8 at 3:00PM Central Africa Time. To learn more about the festival, its other initiatives and to purchase tickets or VIP and corporate packages, please visit www.GOAFestival.org.Masai Ujiri, Vice-Chairman and President of the Toronto Raptors
About Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa

Masai Ujiri, an award-winning and barrier-breaking NBA executive, is the founder of Giants of Africa. Started in 2003, Giants of Africa draws upon Ujiri’s unique basketball journey to achieve its goal of uplifting African youth with programs focused on empowerment and leadership. As the first African general manager in North American professional sports who was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2013, Ujiri’s ascent to the top of the basketball world began in his native Nigeria and took him around the world as a player, scout and executive, culminating in 2019 when he served as the architect of a Toronto Raptors team that became the first franchise outside the United States to be crowned NBA champions. Ultimately, he believes his work with Giants of Africa will prove to be the most meaningful and rewarding of his life.

Giants Of Africa 2023:

12th Edition of the Grenada Chocolate Festival: "Embracing the Flavours of Rum and Spices"

From a media release:

12th Edition of the Grenada Chocolate Festival
"Embracing the Flavours of Rum and Spices"

Grenada – Hosted by True Blue Bay Boutique Resort and incorporating multiple local businesses, the highly anticipated Grenada Chocolate Festival returns for its 12th edition from May 22nd to 27th, 2025, celebrating the unique and rich cocoa culture of the Spice Island.

Cocoa beans in Grenada, Image by marvinbla from Pixabay

As the only tree-to-bar chocolate fest in the Caribbean, this event has become a pivotal gathering for cocoa and chocolate enthusiasts from around the world, offering a rare opportunity to indulge in Grenada's celebrated chocolate-making traditions, explore its lush cocoa farms, and savour its world-class chocolate. The Festival celebrates local farmers and chocolate producers, offering a range of themed events tailored to different interests. Whether seeking a fun family outing, thrilling adventures, educational talks, or rejuvenating wellness experiences, Grenada's Chocolate Festival has something special for everyone.

This year's theme, "Grenada Chocolate Festival: Embracing the Flavours of Rum and Spices," invites guests to immerse themselves in the harmonious blend of three of Grenada's most exquisite offerings: chocolate, rum, and spices. The festival promises an array of engaging events and activities that highlight the island's culinary and cultural marvels, ensuring an unforgettable experience for all attendees.

St. George's, Grenada, Image by falco from PixabayFestival Highlights

Rum and Chocolate Pairing Events: An exquisite opportunity to sample and learn about the delightful synergy between Grenada’s finest rums and hand-crafted chocolates from the island’s best chocolate makers.Chocolate Factory Tours: Visit Grenada's famous chocolate factories to see firsthand how the island’s top-tier cocoa is transformed into world-renowned artisanal chocolate.Cocoa Farm Tours: Explore the lush cocoa plantations where Grenada's rich cocoa beans are grown, with guided tours led by local farmers who share their knowledge of cocoa cultivation and harvesting.Family Day: Bring the entire family to shop the creations of local artisans and participate in specially crafted chocolate themed activities, like bonbon making, painting for the kids, and much more.Wellness Activities: Revitalize the mind and body with yoga and wellness experiences designed to connect you to the island’s tranquil environment and healing properties.Artistic and Cultural Activities: From local music and performances to art exhibitions and interactive workshops, the festival also celebrates the rich artistic traditions of Grenada, providing a feast for the senses in more ways than one.The Grenada Chocolate Festival has grown into a prestigious event, attracting chocolate lovers, food enthusiasts, and travellers from across the globe. This year’s festival promises to be even more remarkable with its perfect blend of sweet and savoury, wellness and adventure, all set against the stunning backdrop of Grenada’s natural beauty.

For more details about the festival schedule, events, and tickets, visit www.grenadachocolatefest.com.

Bazaar at True Blue Bay - Day 2 Grenada Chocolate Fest 2022:

Rediscovering Deborah Uman-Sures: Ganaraska Art & Framing presents People Watching

From a media release:

Rediscovering Deborah Uman-Sures:
Ganaraska Art & Framing presents People Watching

Long overdue solo exhibition celebrates under-recognized Canadian artist’s compelling character portraits

For more information about the exhibition click here . 

PORT HOPE, ON — Ganaraska Art & Framing is thrilled to announce the new solo exhibition People Watching by Deborah Uman-Sures from May 1–June 7, 2025. 

L-R: Deborah Uman-Sures, Friends & Flowers, Acrylic paint, graphite, charcoal, decoupage on canvas, Courtesy of the artist / The artist Deborah Uman-Sures in Ganaraska Art & Framing, Photo by Ben Sures / Deborah Uman-Sures, Spring, Watercolour, graphite and acrylic ink on canvas, Courtesy of the artist

Celebrating the artist’s compelling character portraits and mixed media collages, the exhibition features highlights from Uman-Sures practice over the last 20 years. People Watching pays long overdue tribute to an under-recognized woman artist whose life and work has been on the periphery of pivotal moments in Canadian art, such as the Regina Five and the Emma Lake Artists’ Workshops. 

The exhibition has been a labour of love by her son, musician Ben Sures, who hopes to celebrate her creativity while also helping position her work within the larger context of Canadian art.

“My mother embodies the classic definition of an artist, shaped by a generation that believed art was an inherent identity, not just a choice,” says Sures. “As her son, I have watched in wonder over the decades as she continued to produce her work with an unrelenting spirit. Her essence lies in her lifelong study of art — it is at the core of her soul. With this exhibition, I hope that her work will be seen and recognized by a wider audience. I want others to finally get a chance to see the intangible sensitivity and wisdom in her creative expression.”

Ganaraksa Art & Framing owner and exhibition curator Graeme Steel adds, “I had the immense honour of meeting Deborah a few years ago, and came into possession of her collection of works. Over the past two years, I have been working my way through her incredible archive. The exhibition showcases paintings, doodles, and illustrations that best display her unique artistic voice, one that took years for her to cultivate. She draws inspiration from a life filled with enriching experiences, and is fascinated by the characters of our internal lives. People Watching provides insight into her art, which she used to explore her own narrative.”

Uman-Sures’s practice is best defined by her large-scale abstract works that bring together painting, illustrations, and collage. 

Her last solo exhibition before People Watching was held in 2020 at the Art Gallery of Northumberland in Cobourg. 

Deborah Uman-Sures: Bio

Born in 1940 in Winnipeg, her early career focused on education. At the young age of 19, she taught at a secondary school in Portage La Priairie, MB, where she helped foster the artistic talent of a young Jackson Beardy, an acclaimed Indigenous artist. She also worked as a commercial artist, creating fashion illustrations for Eaton’s in Winnipeg in the 1950s and later for Nordstrom in Seattle in the early 1960s. She was also an illustrator for a series of Ukrainian children’s books.

Deborah began her formal training at the University of Manitoba’s art department, where she first met her husband, the celebrated ceramicist Jack Sures. They relocated to Regina in 1965, where Jack established the ceramics department at the University of Regina — around the same time the Prairie art scene was gaining recognition through the Regina Five and Emma Lake Artists’ Workshops. 

Uman-Sures travelled with her husband to Japan to work alongside master potters, and furthered her own education with studies at the Sorbonne in Paris in the 1960s, supported by the Canada Council. She later earned a master’s degree in illustration from Syracuse University in the late 1980s.

Her teaching career included positions at Red River Community College in Winnipeg, where she taught advertising art, and at the Ontario College of Art & Design University from 1993 until her retirement in 2003. She currently resides in Cobourg, Ont.

Deborah Uman-Sures, Sun and Glass, Acrylic paint, acrylic ink, graphite, charcoal, decoupage on linen, Courtesy of the artistThe Exhibit

Opening reception: Friday, May 2 from 5–9pm

Join curator Graeme Steel, artist Deborah Uman-Sures, and Ben Sures in the opening celebration of People Watching.

About Ganaraska Art & Framing

Located in the historic town of Port Hope, Ganaraska Art & Framing is a boutique commercial gallery and a custom framing studio. Nestled within a 1,500 square foot space in one of Port Hope’s oldest buildings, the gallery showcases a rotating collection of works from more than 40 talented artists, ranging from subtle to bold, fostering an environment for discovery and emotional connection. 

Ganaraska Art & Framing is a hub for the community, regularly programming exhibitions, events, and concerts in partnership with local arts organizations, celebrating the rich creative spirit of Port Hope.

Address and hours: 

Ganaraska Art & Framing37 Walton St, Port Hope, ON L1A 1N2Tuesday–Sunday: 10am–5pm

Americana | Hunter Benson: Heaven's Letter (Independent / February 21, 2025)

Americana
Hunter Benson: Heaven's Letter
(Independent / February 21, 2025)

Stream It On Spotify

Singer Songwriter Hunter Benson delivers three songs with their hearts in country - but with a few surprises to offer. In addition to Heaven's Letter, he's released two other singles in advance of an EP: Come and Gone, and Seeking.

With slightly raspy yet fluid vocals that suit the genre, each of the three singles carves its own niche. 

Heaven's Letter is classic Americana with slide guitar ably supplied by Dan Kalisher. Along with the expected melody and heartfelt lyrics, there are some intriguing chord changes and progressions. Benson says he was influenced early on by artists as diverse as Alice in Chains and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and you can hear that in the mix despite falling solidly in the country/Americana slot. The lyrics are a bittersweet reflection on life.

Come and Gone is a country rocker, the lyrics about the usual relationship woes. Skip Edwards adds a nice churchy Hammond B3 to fatten up the sound.

Seeking leans even more heavily into rock, where the country edge bumps up against long melodic chord progressions. 

The blend of dark and light, twangy pedal steel and angsty chord changes creates a distinctive take on the well-worn Americana-slash-country sound, and it likely comes from his background. At the age of three, Hunter and his father were struck by lightning, an event that took his father's life, and changed his forever.   

The full EP is slated for release in late fall 2025.

Spaced Out | Zabus: Floodplain Canticles (Saccharine Underground / January 10, 2025)

Spaced Out
Zabus: Floodplain Canticles
(Saccharine Underground / January 10, 2025)

Listen & Buy On Bandcamp

The mood is dark on Floodplain Canticles, the latest release by Washington's Avant-Garde Post-Punk project Zabus, with a few rays of hope here and there. 

Sonically, psychedelia and darkly cinematic soundscapes merge to create an ominous mood in Sovereign. The music is synth-driven, with vocals that echo atmospherically over the instrumental backing.

With titles like Black Dog Narrows, Sacred Prostitution, and Tearful Symmetries, it's not hard to see where the release is heading mood-wise. 

Singer Jeremy Moore's vocals could be described as a distorted version of Jim Morrison; the romantic nihilism likewise a 21st century burnout of The Doors - but slowed down to ambient tempo.

Sacred Prostitution is probably the most radio-friendly (or maybe radio-adjacent) tracks on the album. It's driven by a danceable rhythm, layered over with Moore's atmospheric voice, airy synths, and jangly guitar.

Golden Rot is a stand-out track, where the rhythm section drives underneath Moore singing. Orchestral-esque bits, with flute-like synth, pop in and out of the layers of sound.

Varpa Orðið is another interesting song. Syncopated rhythms cut across the long vocal lines, interspersed with spacey guitar riffs and electronic noise - it's a kinetic mix.

Zabus was formed in 2023 by multi instrumentalist Jeremy Moore, also a writer, founder and curator of Washington D.C. non-profit artist collective and label Saccharine Underground. SU has become known for its focus on dark ambient, avant-garde, experimental, gothic and psychedelic rock.

A floating collective of characters rather than an established band per se, settling with three members for this album.   

Personnel: Jeremy Moore//voice, guitars, 6 string bass, strings/synthesis; B.B. Kille//guitars; Johnny Wielding//drums, 4 string bass; Akane Shimizu// strings and additional programming/synthesis

Stay In Touch:

Official Website: www.zabus.bandcamp.comTwitter: @zabusmusic

Jazzy Fusion | Alan Goldberg: CreateBecome (Independent / March 10, 2025)

Jazzy Fusion
Alan Goldberg: CreateBecome
(Independent / March 10, 2025)

Stream It On Spotify

"'CreateBecome' is a forty-year-old mantra I use, and the title of my fifth album. Repeating CreateBecome over and over is a focus that I use to be purely In the moment. It's also a perfect title for the eleven songs on this album. The songs are linked together by what I've learned in my life, through paying attention, making choices, and changing, hopefully growing." 

Austin-based musician and composer Alan Goldberg has been making music for more than two decades. The instrumental tracks have an easy kind of vibe, jazzy in their harmonic and rhythmic complexity, but with a pop songwriter's sense of melody that emerges from the mix. Though there is no vocalist, you could easily imagine it on tracks like Unbroken Chain and Essential Innocence.

Createbecome, the title track, is the album's longest, and more abstract in its approach to melody. Here, the drums lay out a slower, steady rhythm, and Goldberg's piano, with a brass chorus, moves up and down it. Organ and guitar make brief appearances to add colour to the dense track.

Tracks like Questions Like Blue Sky and Foolish Heart approach the parameters of traditional jazz with what I can only describe as a big sensibility. Alan has a penchant for musical statements on a big scale - all the instruments firing on all cylinders by the end, with virtuosic piano lines tripping above it all.

Through It All (Reprise) and I Don't Know Why are outliers, solo piano pieces in a melodic neoclassical mode. In Grow Entangled, you can hear the influence of arena rock in its anthemic style.

Goldberg says he often improvises during the initial recording, essentially capturing that spirit live to then add the ensemble instruments around it.

It seems there are other methods he uses to spark inspiration.

"My technique works well with video. I watch. I play in real time, and then I discover the piece.  It can work well when I’m watching something that directs passion in a particular way. Everything can spark an inspiration. "

Personnel: Keyboards - Alan Goldberg, Drums - Jake Naugle, Guitar - Marcus Goldberg, Trumpet- Mark Morgan, Sebastián Greschuk, Sax - Jeff Miguel, Jerry Branting, Jack Parry, Trombone - Tito Planas

Tracklist: 1.  Unbroken Chain; 2. Essential Innocence; 3. CreateBecome (I. Receive II. Infuse III.Release); 4. Chance Choice Change; 5. Questions Like Blue Sky; 6. Foolish Heart; 7. On The Trail; 8. Through It All (Reprise); 9. Grow Entangled; 10. Wave Function Collapse; 11. I Don't Know Why

Stay In Touch:

Official Website: https://www.alangoldbergmusic.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlanGoldbergMusic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/algldbrg620Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldberg6555/CreateBecome by Alan Goldberg

Progrock for the 21st Century | The Far Cry: Once There Was (Independent / March 1, 2025)

Progrock for the 21st Century
The Far Cry: Once There Was
(Independent / March 1, 2025)

Stream it on Spotify Buy it on Bandcamp

Progressive rock didn't die, it just grew up and entered the 21st century. That's what you'll hear on Once There Was, a full-length release by The Far Cry.

Synths take centre stage in the music, which, along with its roots, has a cinematic sensibility. Crossing Pangea could easily be the soundtrack for a drama. The instrumental track begins with serene synths, moving into a lush section with guiars and a really nice piano line tossed into the middle of the piece.  

Once There Was is a follow-up to If Only, the debut album of progrockers The Far Cry. Hailing from Manchester, CT, the band stays true to the genre with a combination of thoughtful lyrics and complex music.

The songs are multi-layered, and change moods and tempi on a dime. The Following begins with a melodic piano riff, and the lyrics carry a message.

Why do you need to let them lead you there?
Why feel the need to follow?
The reason is empty,
The idea is hollow...
Why do you follow?

It approaches art song in terms of the feel, the music rising in both intensity and complexity over the course of the track.

The Carnival of Doom is a standout track, complete with carnivalesque ambient sounds and an orchestral feel - a mere 49 seconds that leads into the intense Falling in Line. 

Rest Assured is another striking track. It begins with a minimalist feel of synth chords and vocals, gradually adding arpeggios on the guitar. It's a moody and atmospheric song, and quite effective. 

Group founders Jeff Brewer and Robert Hutchinson met as teens, inspired by The Beatles and the progressive rock wave that would follow: King Crimson, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Genesis and Gentle Giant. Several bands later, add a few more members, and their first CD was recorded during the pandemic.

It's a sound from a classic era brought forward to the present day with a passion you can feel in the music.

Melodic Rock | Taz Taylor Band: Lonely I Ride (Independent / March 7, 2025)

Melodic Rock
Taz Taylor Band: Lonely I Ride
(Independent / March 7, 2025)

Taz Taylor Band, led by British/American guitarist Taz Taylor, will be releasing their 8th studio album - The Other Side of Midnight - in May 2025. Lonely I Ride is the first advance single. The band's sound blends hard rock and an emphasis on melody.

True to the genre, the song is leans into blues along with the 90s rock vibe, with a nice balance between piano and guitar. Harmonically, it takes some nicely unexpected turns.

The chorus is appropriately anthemic. 

Laura K. Vreeland is the vocalist for the group. She's got a nice range that's strong at both ends, 

"After we completed our last album (Nocturnal) with all of the guest vocalists, we needed to find a guy who could cover all of that material in the live setting. Well as it turns out, that wasn't as easy as we thought. In fact we had to turn to a girl instead!" says Taz Taylor.

He adds, "The cool thing about this is that after working with so many guest vocalists whilst still doing a lot of fully instrumental shows in between, this is actually the very first time that we have made an album with a vocalist who is actually IN the band! By the release of this album we will have been playing together for almost three years and the musical chemistry is incredible." 

Taz supplies a nice guitar solo towards the ends of the tune. It's a good fit for anyone who likes Journey, Van Halen, and that golden era of melodic rock.

The full album is set to release May 14.

Musician Names/Instruments: Taz Taylor-Guitar, Laura K. Vreeland-Vocals, Alessandro Del Vecchio-Keyboards and Backing Vocals, Barney Firks-Bass, Dave Steinman-Drums

Stay in touch: 

Official Website: taztaylor.comFacebook: facebook.com/taztaylorbandTwitter: @taztaylorguitarInstagram: @taztaylorband

Electronic | Guido Affini: Lulla By • [Modulo#5 Vs.] • feat Fantuz (Independent January 17, 2025)

Electronic
Guido Affini: Lulla By • [Modulo#5 Vs.] • feat Fantuz
(Independent / January 17, 2025)

Stream It on Spotify

Music and science are not strange bedfellows, to twist the old saying. Italian multidisciplinary composer, sound designer and artist Guido Affini's latest piece offers proof.

He creates a sound environment with glitches through sample synths and oscillator synths, with particular attention to granular synthesis.

The track is atmospheric but also affecting, with a kind of accessible, yet spacey, sensibility. It progresses from mood to mood, or scene to scene, in a way that feels seamless.

Affini says he's influenced by contemporary music, ambient music, edm, post rock and drone to free jazz and noise, and you can hear bits of all that interwoven in the piece.

It's a nice blend of scientific and esoteric inquiry with emotionalism and an understanding of how to take the listener on a journey that builds in intensity, ebbs and flows over the course of the track. 

Guido Affino plays the live electronics, granular and modular synth, and glassharmonica, featuring Federico Fantuz on guitar.

Guido Affini · Lulla By • (feat. Federico Fantuz) • [Modulo#5 Version]

Music for Change | Moez Masoud: Here to Stay

Music for Change
Moez Masoud: Here to Stay
(Independent / October 9, 2024)

Stream it on Spotify

Can music change minds about the Middle East? Egyptian artist Moez Masoud is collaborating with Healthworkers 4 Palestine on a global ceasefire campaign for Gaza. 

The music, and the message, are universal. 

Music can make us see the humanity in issues and events that are taking place across the world, that here in North America we only see in the headlines.

That's the barrier that Moez Masoud aims to crack with the song Here To Stay. Singer and songwriter Sherif Mostafa is the face behind the artist name. 

For peace without justice can never be real...

The song is (appropriately) moody and darker in tone. You can check out the video, which is restricted by age, on Youtube HERE. 

Moez is a musician, film producer, and Cambridge scholar. He produced the film CLASH (2016), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and AMIRA (2019) which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

Moez also created a series titled Rogue Arrows that revolves around the dangers of extremism, and the process of deradicalization.

He's currently completing a PhD in the Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge. 

Official Website: www.acamediaglobal.org