tsunami

More than 40 artists from all over the world, including Canada’s Simple Plan, These Kids Wear Crowns and Saidah Baba Talibah, cut a charity single of Coldplay’s “Fix You” in Singapore recently to benefit the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami that occurred March 11.

The recording was completed during Music Matters, May 26 and 27, the Asian music industry conference that brought the artists to Singapore to showcase. Proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross Society and a Tokyo charity called Peace Boat.

“Japan is a very close market to us,” Music Matters president Jasper Donat, who is based in Hong Kong, told Samaritanmag. “It’s the world’s number two music market; it’s the biggest in Asia. Obviously, we had the tragedy, the tsunami and the earthquake, so we challenged our artists, and working with Universal Publishing, they very kindly donated the rights to Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’ track and we re-recorded it using all of our artists. We’re going to be releasing that in a couple of weeks time with a fairly tear-jerking video.

“It started with [Simple Plan frontman] Pierre Bouvier singing on it and finishes with an amazing Japanese guitarist called Yuto [Miyazawa]. In between, it’s just beautiful. The way it was mixed, they have a lot of Japanese instruments playing over the top.  It’s stunning.”

Produced and arranged by Joseph Curiale at Ocean Butterflies in Singapore and co-produced and mixed by Zennon Goh with associate producer Jeff Miyahara, the version also includes the rest of Simple Plan; all six members of These Kids Wear Crowns and Toronto singer Saidah Baba Talibah.

Joining the Canadians are members of America’s Evaline; UK’s Will And The People, Goober Guns and Franko; Ireland’s Sweet Jane; Taiwan’s Okubo; China’s Car Sick Cars; Taiwan’s KoOk and Silverbus; and Japan/Germany’s Pitchtuner; Singapore’s Sixx and 53A Band; Indonesia’s Polyester Embassy and Disconnected; India’s Pentagram; Australia’s Ball Park Music; plus China’s Helen Feng; Belgium’s Sunny Gottlieb, Jay-J, Katerine Agoustakis and Nelson Morais.

Canadian telecommunications company Telus, which received the 2010 Freeman Philanthropic Services Award for outstanding corporation, is giving its consumers a break on calls to Japan.

According to Telus.com, the Burnaby-based giant is offering free mobile and wireline calls for clients calling Japan until March 31. In light of the recent catastrophic events that have devastated Japan, the special offer applies to Telus customers calling Japan from North America, as well as those in Japan who wish to call North America. Full credit will be given for these calls in a subsequent billing cycle.

“At Telus, we’re committed to helping communities in need at home and around the world,” it says on the company web site. “With the recent devastation in Japan, we want to give our clients the opportunity to stay connected with their loved ones and to donate to the relief efforts underway.”

Telus is also donating $100,000 to registered Canadian charities that are actively involved in relief efforts in Japan and matching team member donations as well.  The company has also set up a text-to-donate option for The Canadian Red Cross Society (to donate $5, text “ASIA” to 30333) and The Salvation Army in Canada (to donate $10, text "QUAKE" to 45678). The text messages are free to send.

The Canadian government is suggesting that Canadians wanting to help victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami should give money, not clothing or food. The web site for Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade lists everything from contact numbers to inquire about friends and family in Japan to the web site for Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan's and the Embassy of Canada to Japan; and lots of ways Canadian citizens and companies can help.

On March 11, an 9.0 magnitude earthquake - the most powerful recorded in history, according to the U.S. Geological Survey - with a depth of 24.4 kilometres, struck Japan's east coast of Honshu, and triggered a tsunami.  A significant series of aftershocks, ranging from 5.8 to 7.1 in magnitude followed in the same area.

As of today (March 15), at least 6,746 people are missing, Japan's National Police Agency said.
On the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada site, it states "We are aware of the death of one Canadian citizen as a result of the earthquake at this time."  It says there are an estimated 11,000 Canadians in Japan; more than 2,400 Canadian citizens registered with the Canadian embassy in Japan but "very few" in the affected area.

Officials at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada in Ottawa and at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo are working to determine the fate of any Canadians living or visiting Japan.