Photograph of Alan Kurdi inspires song from Australian artist
The heartbreaking image of Alan Kurdi’s lifeless body on a Turkish beach has inspired a song from Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins.
Higgins, speaking to the Guardian Australia, said she was devastated by the photograph of Alan that made headlines around the world last September. “It took a while to sort through all the emotions it brought up – including anger – and realise that I wanted to write about it,” she said. “I tried not to take the moral high ground or point the finger at anyone, but rather tell the story as it happened. That in itself, I think, is powerful and devastating enough.”
The song, Oh Canada, tells the story of the Kurdi family from the perspective of Alan’s father, Abdullah, the only surviving member of the family. Alan’s mother and older brother also drowned when their boat sank.
“Oh Canada, if you can hear me now, won’t you open up your arms towards the sea. Oh Canada, if you could help me out. All I wanted was a safe place for my family,” Higgins sings in the chorus.
The Kurdi family had tried to immigrate to Canada, where they have family. But their application had been refused, leading the family to make the tragic decision to take the dangerous route into Europe. “‘Canada’ represents anywhere in the world that might be the preferred sanctuary for people like the Kurdi’s,” said Higgins in a statement on her website.
The video is also a tribute to Syria’s refugee children as it features artwork by Syrian children in Damascus and Beirut. The drawings depict the horrors that the children of Syria are living through – bombings, shootings, and death. Higgins worked with the charities Caritas and World Vision to collect the haunting artwork.
Higgins described the video as having a “nightmarish, fairytale feeling to it.” It sadly reflects the reality of life for children growing up in a war zone.
Higgins hopes that the song will remind people of our shared humanity as the world struggles to deal with millions of people fleeing Syria. “If the song reminds people how the picture of that lifeless little boy made them feel then that would be even better because that proves we’re all very similar people who just happen to live under different circumstances,” she posted on her website.
“If the song inspires anyone to do something on behalf of refugees – to speak up for their rights and to push back against those who seek to inflame our fears and prejudices – then I think that would be best of all.”
All profits from the song will go to the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre, a refugee aid agency in Australia. The video can be found on youtube:
Higgins, speaking to the Guardian Australia, said she was devastated by the photograph of Alan that made headlines around the world last September. “It took a while to sort through all the emotions it brought up – including anger – and realise that I wanted to write about it,” she said. “I tried not to take the moral high ground or point the finger at anyone, but rather tell the story as it happened. That in itself, I think, is powerful and devastating enough.”
The song, Oh Canada, tells the story of the Kurdi family from the perspective of Alan’s father, Abdullah, the only surviving member of the family. Alan’s mother and older brother also drowned when their boat sank.
“Oh Canada, if you can hear me now, won’t you open up your arms towards the sea. Oh Canada, if you could help me out. All I wanted was a safe place for my family,” Higgins sings in the chorus.
The Kurdi family had tried to immigrate to Canada, where they have family. But their application had been refused, leading the family to make the tragic decision to take the dangerous route into Europe. “‘Canada’ represents anywhere in the world that might be the preferred sanctuary for people like the Kurdi’s,” said Higgins in a statement on her website.
The video is also a tribute to Syria’s refugee children as it features artwork by Syrian children in Damascus and Beirut. The drawings depict the horrors that the children of Syria are living through – bombings, shootings, and death. Higgins worked with the charities Caritas and World Vision to collect the haunting artwork.
Higgins described the video as having a “nightmarish, fairytale feeling to it.” It sadly reflects the reality of life for children growing up in a war zone.
Higgins hopes that the song will remind people of our shared humanity as the world struggles to deal with millions of people fleeing Syria. “If the song reminds people how the picture of that lifeless little boy made them feel then that would be even better because that proves we’re all very similar people who just happen to live under different circumstances,” she posted on her website.
“If the song inspires anyone to do something on behalf of refugees – to speak up for their rights and to push back against those who seek to inflame our fears and prejudices – then I think that would be best of all.”
All profits from the song will go to the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre, a refugee aid agency in Australia. The video can be found on youtube: