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Just back from human rights work on the Thai Burma border Ethiopia and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh… Patrick Burgess returns to Australia to launch his new single ‘Stolen Children’ with an exclusive live preview performance of the song and music video on Saturday 22nd April, 6pm at the Old Manly Boatshed, 40 The Corso, Manly.  Supported by Bombora and The Foam Controllers.

‘Stolen Children’ will be released digitally and available through Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple music and all major streaming platforms 25th April.  A music video for ‘Stolen Children’ will premiere on YouTube on the 2nd of May. All proceeds from the ‘Stolen Children’ release will go directly to the program to reunite more of those ‘stolen children’ with their parents.

PATRICK BURGESS – ‘STOLEN CHILDREN’ SINGLE LAUNCH
Saturday 22nd April 6pm
OLD MANLY BOAT SHED
Support: Bombora |Foam Controllers
40 The Corso, Manly
FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/980685753303325

‘STOLEN CHILDREN’ will be released online 25.04.23
Music Video out 02.05.23
https://patburgess.bandcamp.com

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This photo was taken as part of one of AJAR’s reunion visits, during the first moments when a Timorese mother was able to hold her daughter again, after being taken by an Indonesian soldier during the military occupation of East Timor and not heard from for over 30 years. Just try to imagine the emotions if it were you and it was your child that had been taken and lost for so long.  I have been fortunate to be present during some of those reunions, which have provided the inspiration for my song Stolen Children to be launched this week.

PATRICK BURGESS – ‘STOLEN CHILDREN’ SINGLE LAUNCH
Saturday 22nd April 6pm
OLD MANLY BOAT SHED
Support: Bombora |Foam Controllers
40 The Corso, Manly
https://www.facebook.com/events/980685753303325

‘STOLEN CHILDREN’ will be released online 25.04.23
Music Video out 02.05.23
https://patburgess.bandcamp.com

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The launch of my new single ‘Stolen Children’ will be on this Saturday night at The Boatshed music club in Sydney when I will play a set of original songs with my band. This photo shows the only images a Timorese mother had of her child, taken from her by Indonesian soldiers and lost for decades before being located and reunited through AJAR’s program. All proceeds from the single will go to this work of tracing and reunification of more of the stolen children of Timor.

As Paul Kelly says “from little things big things grow…”

PATRICK BURGESS – ‘STOLEN CHILDREN’ SINGLE LAUNCH
Saturday 22nd April 6pm
OLD MANLY BOAT SHED
Support: Bombora |Foam Controllers
40 The Corso, Manly
FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/980685753303325

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This month’s ICC arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for the war crime of forced deportation of Ukranian children to Russia helps to remind us that these immoral and reprehensible tactics targeting innocent children continue to be used in many parts of the world. Boku Harum’s mass kidnapping and rape of schoolgirls in Nigeria is just one other example. During the Indonesian military occupation of then East Timor thousands of Timorese children were taken from their parents and transported to Indonesia. This photo is the only remaining evidence of one of those stolen children that Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) used to help find the parents in Timor and arrange a reunification visit, 30 years after the separation.  This month I will launch a new original song, “Stolen Children,” to increase focus on this issue and the message we need to shout at every level: If you must make war, leave the children alone. Thanks to Rob Hirst of Midnight Oil and others for contributing to the song. All proceeds from the ‘Stolen Children’ release will go directly to the program to reunite more of those ‘stolen children’ with their parents.

PATRICK BURGESS ‘STOLEN CHILDREN’ LIVE SINGLE LAUNCH
Saturday 22nd April 6pm
OLD MANLY BOAT SHED, 40 The Corso, Manly
Support: Bombora |Foam Controllers
FB Event

‘STOLEN CHILDREN’ will be released online 25.04.23
Music Video out 02.05.23

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Just back from human rights work on the Thai Burma border Ethiopia and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh… Patrick Burgess returns to Australia to launch his new single ‘Stolen Children’ with an exclusive live preview performance of the song and music video on Saturday 22nd April, 6pm at the Old Manly Boatshed, 40 The Corso, Manly.  Supported by Bombora and The Foam Controllers.

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I was honoured to be invited by the Bangladesh Government to give the keynote speech on the national day commemorating the genocide in which an estimated three million people lost their lives in one year during the birth of their country in 1971. The Minister presented me with an original copy of the poster of George Harrison’s Concert For Bangladesh, which Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton also played at, a great reminder of the power of music to contribute to social justice.

 

 

 

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Hi everyone, it’s been a while, I’ve been quite busy with my human rights work and writing and recording lots of songs in between. I’ve just been up on the Thai-Burma border with the amazing AJAR team and am on my way to Ethiopia. The stories from the survivors of the Burmese junta that we work with were humbling and inspiring and their challenges have no end in sight. As always, I have a little travel guitar with me and managed to share a few songs with them. Even in the dark times there is always music…

 

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Next Thursday 21st September, at 7.30 I will be doing a show focused on using film and music to promote human rights at The King of Tonga bar/restaurant, 164A Tennyson St Elwood in Melbourne.

We will begin at 7.30pm with a showing of the film “Nina and the Stolen Children of Timor Leste,” which focuses on the work of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR), in finding and reuniting some of those children taken by Indonesian soldiers with their families in Timor, 30 years later.

I will then play an acoustic set of original songs from Ground Zero and some from my new album, which will be released in the coming months.

All proceeds will go to AJAR’s program of reuniting more of the stolen children with their parents in Timor. Its a great venue and should be an interesting night. If you are in Melbourne, come along!