Twenty years ago
the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association issued its first compilation album under the
heading ‘Music Against Racism’. To mark the anniversary, the full contents of
the historic release has been uploaded on YouTube .
The ‘Music Against
Racism’ campaign was a brainchild of the late Marcin Kornak (1968-2014), ‘NEVER
AGAIN’s founder, a poet and an activist. Inspired by the British ‘Rock Against
Racism’ initiative, Marcin managed to encourage numerous Polish bands and
singers to join the movement against racist violence.
The first album
in the Music Against Racism series has become a rare collectible by now. It
featured tracks by top-notch Polish rock bands who donated songs dealing with
the issues of hatred and intolerance. The first stellar review was published on
the pages of Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland’s main quality daily newspaper. The
campaign was subsequently ranked one of four most important musical events of
the year in a poll by readers of Brum, a popular music monthly. More albums in
the series followed over the years, bringing together artists of various
genres, from the rapper Liroy to the folk band Trebunie-Tutki, which in itself
was a statement of diversity and tolerance. Furthermore, the action was
supported by UK-based Chumbawamba and Zion Train, bands known for their
activism. As Marcin Kornak commented later on: ‘Many people took Music Against
Racism and its message as something personal and important in their lives.’
Jerzy Owsiak, a
longtime ally of the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association and organizer of the annual
Polish Woodstock Festival, said: ‘I think this action, Music Against Racism, is
great. The role of music is so huge. There is no better way to reach people
than through music. This is the best kind of education, the best kind of
awareness.’
‘We could see
what was going on in Poland back then, we saw the violence at gigs and thus we
fully committed ourselves to Music Against Racism. It was the only music-based
action which tried to raise awareness and talked about things which others
failed to mention, like fascism,’ says Robert Matera of the seminal Polish band
Dezerter.
Krzysztof ‘Grabaz’
Grabowski, Poland’s leading singer-songwriter declares: ‘I have always
supported and I will always support NEVER AGAIN in their fight against racism
and bigotry.’
Joanna
Naranowicz of the punk-rock band Qulturka, closely associated with ‘NEVER AGAIN’,
says: ‘It’s a great honour to play for Music Against Racism and represent its
message, even more valid now than back in the day.’ The campaign’s motto is
still used for concerts and festivals, while many musicians put its logo (an
open white-and-black hand) on their releases. Artists and promoters who wish to
join the initiative can contact the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association at redakcja@nigdywiecej.org
.
The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association is an
independent organization established in Warsaw in 1996. Its mission is to
promote multicultural understanding and to contribute to the development of a
democratic civil society.
Additional information:
‘Music Against Racism’ - the first compilation record released by the NEVER AGAIN Association (1997):
