By Sarah Mac Donald - 06 September, 2013
Turkana, Kenya. Photo courtesy: Red Cross
World class musicians ‘The Mindbenders’ from Derry, led by Paul Curran and Gerry Coyle, are set to top the bill at the Hard Rock Cafe in London on 24 September to raise funds to build a dam in drought-stricken Turkana, northwestern Kenya.
The Kenyan project is supported by the charity New Ways.
Derry is this year’s UK City of Culture, and the performance by the Derry band, which was formed by cousins: songwriter Tim Hegarty and performer Martin John McCafferty, is a tribute to the city’s status.
The band have been busy building up material for release in the near future but this is their first live performance.
There is one other artist to be confirmed for the night, which is also being streamed via UStream into the bandmembers’ hometown.
How do musicians from Derry get involved with a rock dam in Kenya?
The link is Derry-born William Carson, one of the directors of New Ways.
When his home town was chosen as the first British City of Culture this year, he felt a lasting tribute to the honour would be to fund a permanent project that would have a positive impact on the lives of others – and what better legacy could there be than a permanent rock dam in Turkana!
“Water is critical in Turkana in northern Kenya and building a rock dam will benefit thousands of people for at least 30 years and costs about €51k,” William Carson said.
Anyone with friends among the Irish diaspora in London is urged to support the fundraising event. To get on the guest list please go to the link and donate a minimum of £20, 100% of the proceeds are going to the building of the dam.”
To book see: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/williamcarson1
For more information about New Ways see: www.newways.org.uk
Courtesy: Independent Catholic News http://www.indcatholicnews.com/
