Dear friends,
You might recall that a few months ago I posted an absolutely beautiful video entitled “NATO Blues” by One Earth, a California based group of musicians. Soon after this post I got a nice email from a member of One Earth who, having read somewhere that I played guitar, asked me to join them in their next project entitled “Refugee”. I immediately accepted simply because I loved the “freshness” of the “NATO Blues” track (and video) and because I don’t see any reason to refuse my assistance if I can help somebody. I soon got a rough version of “Refugee” to which I added some light acoustic guitar arpeggios and a short solo which begins at 1:32 or at the words “we are all brothers and sisters” on the video. Very basic stuff (the electric guitar solo at the end is not by me). I then emailed the results to One Earth who put a great deal of work into the mixing and production of the video which I can share with the rest of you today.
FYI – One Earth describe themselves as “One Earth is a Los Angeles, California based musical and creative revolt against social, economic and environmental injustice, corporate overreach, political corruption and today’s music scene. This ongoing project involves various renowned players and features a young musical prodigy named Maxx Henry“.
I would be lying if I said that I agree to participate in this project for any noble political reasons. I did it because I like to help, and for fun. Somewhere, I see any and all musicians as my brothers, so how could I say no? This being said, I am happy that my first (and so far only) public recording is on a track about refugees. I myself come from a family of refugees and I never forget that. When my great-grandparents had to flee the Bolsheviks in 1921 they had only one blanket for the entire family and ever since we have been globe-trotters traveling from Russia to Serbia, from Serbia to Germany, from Germany to Argentina, from Argentina to Holland, from Holland to Switzerland and from Switzerland to the USA. So, on a deep level, I also see every refugee as my brother too.
I owe a big thank you to One Earth for inviting me to participate in their musical journey and for giving me an opportunity to think once more about my fellow refugees.
The Saker
PS: All One Earth music can be downloaded on iTunes by typing “One Earth” in the search bar of the iTunes store or by the name of each specific track – ‘NATO Blues’, ‘Ecuador’ and ‘Refugee’. It may take a minor scroll down during the search since they are new releases, but they are all there. The music is also available on Google Play, Spotify, etc. Their contact email is 1earthmusic@gmail.com. Click here for their YouTube channel and here for their Facebook page.
that’s fantastic Saker. I had no idea. You are truly a complex personality…love ya guy !!
And the song itself is as you say – beautiful.
Thanks so much for the art.
Ann
This is beautiful ! You play – in my view – excellent the guitar. I wish I could play it but I can’t, I love the acoustic guitar, Chet Atkins is one of my favorites. So, you made a fantastic job and let the songs flow. Congratulations from my heart ! You’re a fantastic man with great soul.
Gorgeous piece of music!
Love the guitar work.
Pace the discussion on the establishment of ground rules for the AN by Anwar Khan, wouldn’t a global anti-war movement be the essential answer?
And that’s a mass-consciousness issue, rooted in a non-relative belief in the sanctity of human life.
This video and song is a small, but vital contribution to that.
Congrats to all concerned :-)
Don’t need a non-relative belief in the sanctity of human life — just practical considerations, as from a utilitarian POV, as well as self-preservation is sufficient. After all, when war breaks out everyone is hurt in some way, if not short term then long, from the waste of resources, pollution, and blow-back, to say nothing of the ever more immense danger of nuclear war. The only ones who like war are the short sighted rich who make money at the expense of the poor, and even they are damaged in the end (were that they could only understand how).
I wish it was purely ‘utilitarian’.
But that assumes rational actors.
And no altered consciousness from Captagon and the like.
Or hubris from their sponsors.
Only a tiny amount of “refugees” are genuine.
What we have is massive illegal immigration for economic reasons. People from the third world are coming for monetary reasons, as the wages in the western world (even for the low skill jobs) are a lot higher.
Only a tiny amount are displaced because of war or are persecuted for political reasons.
Even during the last year’s “refugee” crisis, Syrians were a minority. And of those Syrians, most of them were residing in Turkey (a safe country) for years and were of anti-Assad political orientation.
Together with the Syrians, there were numerous Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Indians, Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians, Egyptians, etc. No one of them are genuine refugees.
Western elites and governments have a strategy to flood their respective labour markets with low wage foreigners and they use the term of “refugee” as an excuse for this massive invasion.
And of course the consequences are devastating for local populations as there is suppression of wages, culture and ethnic conflict and rise of crime.
Only a tiny amount of “refugees” are genuine. Only a tiny amount are displaced because of war or are persecuted for political reasons.
Yes, and that is why I carefully avoided making a political argument from this. But you are right. Having been born in a family of real refugees and having worked as an interpreter for asylum-seeking refugees myself, I know very well that only a tiny fraction of so called refugees are indeed refugees – most are simply feeling poor economic conditions. However, I also feel that even the economic refugees ought to be treated with compassion as fleeing from poverty, often abject poverty, is not fun. This being said, I am rather anal about the behavior of refugees. I believe that any refugee who commits a crime ought to be deported and his/her status permanently revoked. As a refugee you owe your host country a debt of gratitude and you have to respect their laws and customs. If you don’t – you should be kicked out. That’s sort of sums up my own 2cts on this issue. Cheers!
Yeaah man, I also believe that these syrians bombed their own house and neighborhoods in order to have a “better life” in Europe! They totally killed their own children and babies just so they can take advantage of the “economic opportunities” in Europe and America. These people are so FAKE I say we bomb them some more just for that, what’cha think guys?
You ignore nuances in what Saker said and some peculiar unexplained facts.
It was broadly noted that the ‘refugees’ in Europe were not normal refugees.
They were mostly, single, young (30 year) males. There was also a large quantity of very young children who subsequently ‘disappeared’.
Both these facts have yet to be explained. But they are both alarming, to say the least, until they are explained. Which may be never.
Those “unexplained facts” came from racist pro-white zionist christian web sites and your MSM. How can you say those are FACTS when in fact Americans are the least of all nations to travel abroad to actually see the situation for themselve? They just give you another reason to hate on innocent Families, women and children that are fleeing war that has been started by you.
The media takes one pic of a group of guys hanging around chatting and say all refugees are males. All of you are being deceived.
If only a “tiny” minority are geniune refugees then they must be bombing only a ‘tiny’ part of their country, correct? No, they are bombing the whole country. Name any country you want. Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia, etc. A lot of people were displaced and had to flee their country, unless you wanted to DIE.
How about you stop invading them for their natural resource and stop commiting genocide against them and then maybe you wouldnt see those people in Europe or in America.
Saker and Paul Craig Roberts have are clueless on what they are talking about and are complete idiots. They really think the “Elite” or “The Establishment” is against Trump… some punk business man that is OWNED by the Establishment[Zionists].
By the Way, I believe Saker and his family are Economy Opportunists and were fake refugees. They were just fine in Russia. Only a tiny minority back then were genuine. [You See how that goes?]
All of you are being played like a Fiddle.
Yes! Refugees and asylum seekers are guests in their host country. Those who don’t behave themselves ruin it for the others — which I believe was one of the primary causes of Trump’s temporary refugee ban.