genocide

Rwanda: Rises Up! is a documentary that will premiere on Citytv stations across Canada at 8 p.m. on June 19 and a Sony Music downloadable album that will go on sale via iTunes three days later to raise awareness of recent developments in a country where an estimated 800,000 people lost their lives in 1994’s genocide.

The documentary, directed by Derek Horn, followed Canadian music artists Sarah Slean, Damhnait Doyle, Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat) and Tim Edwards (Crash Parallel) as they interacted with Rwandans during a visit to the impoverished African nation last November on behalf of Song For Africa. You can read more about it in a Samaritanmag.com article found at http://samaritanmag.com/features/rwanda-rising-up-album-and-doc-features-hot-hot-heat-billy-talent-operation-md-and-more.

In addition to the aforementioned Canadian artists who went to Rwanda, Billy Talent’s Ian D’Sa, The Trews’ John-Angus MacDonald, Operation MD (featuring Sum 41’s Cone McCaslin and H20’s Todd Morse), Grand Analog, Classified, Mike Boyd, Luke McMaster, Sharon Riley And The Faith Chorale, Rafiki, K8, Miss Jojo, White Mic, Itorero, Noble Blood and Queen Gaga And The Heaveners are among the artists who contributed to the album to boost spirits and prospects in Rwanda.