"Peace Through Music"

Julien Drolon’s life has taken him many places, from being an International Reporter to what is now his passion – music and peace. Born in France in 1982, Julien released the first track, “Peace Through Music” on August 21st. His upcoming album, “Time For Peace,” has an anticipated drop date of March 2011.

Drolon stated, “The primary message of this song is that if we all decide in our minds to live in a peaceful world, it can happen, but it’s a decision we have to make together. This song is very special because I included a poem by Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. He wrote those lines more than 100 years ago and I revived his message in song. The lyrics to it are posted on my Facebook page and I translated the message of Jose Rizal to English so more people would have a chance to understand it.”

Before beginning his career in music, Julien worked as an International Reporter for three years, and as he traveled across the globe, saw things that greatly disturbed him. His last assignment was in Manila in 2008, whereupon he returned to France. But it wasn’t very long before he felt a calling, and decided to follow it. In September 2009, with guitar in hand, he walked the 800 kilometers separating the French border and Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It was during this journey that “Peace Through Music” was written. He also wrote “No More Divisions” which will be the second single released from his debut album.

Continuing, he said, “Regarding other tracks on the album, I concentrated my work on love songs and social/spiritual songs like “No More Divisions,” which is one of my favorite songs and has a positive message of unity between all religions. I will also have a funky track called “I Am Free”. I especially like “Mountaintop” because it is a song I started with a quote by Nelson Mandela and it feels like he helped me to write the entire song. You can expect a boss nova with lyrics in Portuguese and French for the love songs where those two languages are literally making love in every line. I like using different styles of music to compose my songs, as it makes the experience that much more exciting.

Though he has various musical influences, two stand out for him – Bob Marley and Jason Mraz. “Bob Marley is definitely the artist who influenced me the most. His message is universal and so up to date. What I like the most in his music is his capacity to deliver very powerful lyrics in a simple way. To me, he is the greatest artist ever, and wherever I go, I always hear his music – in bars, on the radio, wherever I am – maybe because we still need to hear what he had to say. Jason Mraz has also contributed in shaping my mind and musical style. His songs are so well written, and he very actively promotes the things that are close to his heart like green farming or the protection of our oceans through Surfrider Foundation. He is a great inspiration as a musician and a man.”

A singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Drolon sings the lead vocals on his music. He and his band have performed at some very prestigious festivals, including the Asian music conference, Music Matters Live with H&M, which was held in Hong Kong in May 2010. He also performed for the opening of the China Music Industry Park – Shanghai in July, 2010. But it’s EarthDance and the Peace Festival that have put a smile on his face.

Drolon kicked the Peace Festival in the Philippines off with a show on August 20th, and was happy to do so. “I performed alongside other local artists in B Side, a cool venue in the heart of Makati, the business district of Manila. I played “Peace Through Music, No More Divisions, Mountaintop, and Possible which is a song I sing in Tagalog (the official language of the Philippines). The three original songs I chose are all peace oriented and the Tagalog cover song is also a song of hope.”

When asked about the history of it, he replied, “The Peace Festival is a series of gigs in Manila celebrating and promoting peace through music, and just started this year. It’s the result of one man’s dream – Robbie Sanchez – who envisioned a one month peace festival in the Philippines from the 20th of August through the 21st of September. The 21st of August corresponds with the death of a Filipino National Hero: Ninoy Aquino and September 21st corresponds to the proclamation of martial law over the Philippines. That’s also the International Day of Peace.

Drolon’s involvement with the Peace Festival doesn’t end there, as he will perform at EarthDance, which is 48 hour span of time during which there is a global celebration. EarthDance will be celebrated on September 18th and 19th and Drolon will showcase his talent in the Philippines both days. “Many local artists will be featured in this event alongside Joey Ayala, a contemporary pop artist in the Philippines. He is well known for his style of music that combines the sounds of Filipino ethnic instruments with modern pop music. Kadangyan Band will also play – they are my friends and I love their music. It’s a fusion of different Filipino traditional beats with the elements of modern rock music.”
The official website for EarthDance states that “EarthDance is the world's largest synchronized music and dance festival for peace. Since its inception, EarthDance has been held annually in over 500 locations in 80 countries with all events simultaneously joining together in the Prayer for Peace – a powerful moment of coherent intention. Each public EarthDance event commits 50% of its profits to a charity that falling into one of the following categories:
• The Welfare of Children and Urban Youth
• Indigenous Peoples and Cultures
• International Relief and Development
• Environmental Sustainability and Protection
• Organizations that Promote Peace
“To me, music plays a major role in the peace process because its language is universal. Everybody can vibe on the same frequency no matter what their religion or country. Through music, we can have a better understanding of each other, but then it has to be complemented by a strong peace movement in all aspects of our society. My music is embracing peace in many aspects. The main message of my songs is that we are all one. It is a concept that is hard to understand, but if you really think about it, it makes so much sense because we all depend on each other. Bob Marley once said "This peace work never stops, we know it never stops. That means we the youth got a work to do". With that in mind, I hope my music will contribute to this peace movement that is taking place now all over the world. It is not in the news because they are too busy talking about what's wrong, but I can tell you things are changing. In Sierra Leone for example, Muslims and Christians remain at peace with each other and intermarriage is common, so let's start to share the good news and spread peace through music.”

View the video for "No More Divisions" at http://bit.ly/byRbXq
Listen to "Peace Through Music" streaming audio http://bit.ly/aZkL9x