Rocking for a cause

Rock On!! for Humanity is an initiative that will make people aware of the damage caused by floods, writes Luke Kenny.

Halloween is a day to respect the earth as we reap its harvest. And, in some way, try and give back to it.

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Originally, Halloween was an old Irish Celtic tradition of warding off evil spirits by lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to mimic and placate them. It’s a tradition that has taken pop culture proportions today.

In a very bizarre way, Mumbai city has had its share of demons that have plagued it throughout this year.

From the demons of terrorism to the evil of communal violence to the darkness of territorial tantrums, the beautiful woman that is Mumbai continues to withstand its beatings and abusings with a smile.

Rallying for support
Today, I would like to tell you about a wonderful event that will happen this evening. As we all know, the floods in Bihar have taken a toll on humanity in the most detrimental way. Thousands have died and even more have lost everything. The most heartbreaking consequence is that innumerable children have been left without families.

To help such children, for the first time in the history of Indian rock, rock musicians will collaborate with artistes across the country to pledge their support to this cause by performing a mammoth concert. The proceeds will go to Save the Children foundation, which will ensure the safety, and well being of all the children who have been affected by the Bihar flood catastrophe.

Rock On!! for Humanity is an initiative that will make people aware of the scale of damage that has occurred and will enlighten them about the efforts being taken to assist in its rebuilding.

In the past, the music community globally, has always come out in support of national calamities. One can easily recall initiatives such as Live Aid & USA for Africa in 1985, Live Earth in 2007, and our very own Aid Bhopal Concert in the ‘80s.

It is probably the first time since then, that the Indian music community along with the support of a few genuinely sensitive film actors, have pledged its support to such a noble cause.

Not since Channel [V]’s Big [V] Concert in 2007 has there been such an eclectic gathering of bands like Them Clones,

Pentagram, Something Relevant, Avial, Shaa’ir + Func & Parikrama. Sharing the stage with them will be accomplished artistes like Shaan, Kailasa, Rabbi, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala, Mahalaskhmi Iyer & Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Star-studded
Some of our top film stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Shabana Azmi, Bipasha Basu, Arjun Rampal and Farhan Akhtar are also lending their support.

Socially responsible people like Parmeshwar Godrej, Priya Dutt and Ritesh Sidhwani are also doing all they can to support the children of Bihar.

So, welcome friends, to the show that never ends — the show of support for humanity. I will be waiting.. if i may say so.