Modern Sky releases charity album featuring Yoko Ono

Queen Sea Big Shark's performed new songs at the album launch last Friday. Photos by Modern Sky

By Wang Yu

Yugongyishan hosted a rock concert last Friday for the launch of Sing for China, a three-CD album to raise funds for orphaned children with HIV.

The record, produced by Modern Sky Records, features dozens of artists from China and seven other countries, including John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono. Proceeds will go to the music label’s partner charity, the US-based China Aidsrphan Fund (CAOF), which works with orphaned children with HIV in central China.

Three of Beijing’s most popular bands – Queen Sea Big Sharks, Casino Demon and B-side Lovers – took the stage during the concert last day. It was the bands’ first show together since their successful joint US tour last September, and they wowed the audience by performing new songs.

“It’s such an honor that our music can help others,” Fu Han, leainger of Queen Sea Big Sharks, said.

The album is the brain child of Shen Lihui, Modern Sky Records’ CEO, who conceived of the project in mid 2008 as the Chinese version of US artists’ “We are the Word” campaignthe 1980s. He was inspired by the success of his first charity project, Resonance Fund, which raised funds for deaf children and involved media groups and IT giants such as Sina and Nokia.

“Resonance Fund was the firstcharity event I organized. Such activities were alien to me before I visited the deaf children,” Shen says. “As a musician, I could feel the pain of those kids because they cannot hear music, the most beautiful soundn the world.”

Only later did Shen realize that Sing for China was a tremendous work load for an independent music company. The record contains songs by 44 artists and bands, including Yoko Ono, Xiu Xiu, Phoenix and Great Northern.

“The artists belonged to various labels, which meant we had to negotiate with a huge number of music agents and managers. Then not all the music companies and artists were willing to share album copyright with us, so we had to talk to so many more people than those who appear on the song list just to ensure that the three CDs would happen,” he said.

Partnering with CAOF helped Modern Sky in their overseas negotiations: having a US charity as recipient helped secure a “yes” from foreign artists and helped open doors.

Yoko Ono, the Japanese artist and widow of John Lennon, wrote “We Are Dying” specifically for the project. Ono, whomhen admitted is a big selling point for the record, accepted Modern Sky’s invitation without hesitation. “The last time I was in New York, she was recording the song. Ono was so glad she could help the children. You st know that she’s 77 now. I just don’t know whether I will still have the passion for charity at that age,” he said with admiration.

The first production of Sing for China produced 2,000 copies. At a time when CDs are fast becoming history, Shen said he is not worried selling the album will be a problem. He said he believes that young Chinese music lovers have open hearts and hands for the needy.

“We have so many artists from everwhere in the world in the record. We expect the voice of charity to be heard by more people in the future,” Shen said.