Look To The Stars News: Dave Dobbyn

Neil Finn Leads Concerts To Help Samoan Tsunami Victims

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Crowded House frontman Neil Finn joined his brother Tim and a host of performers from the South Pacific for a special concert to raise funds for victims of this month’s devastating Tsunami in Samoa on Monday night.

Held at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, the show was organized by Samoan rappers Savage and Scribe, who both lost family in the disaster. Also on stage were the cream of Kiwi performers, including Dave Dobbyn.

“You won’t see this combination probably anywhere else, ever again,” said the Finn brothers. “One of the nice upshots of this united effort is that you get a bill that is incredibly diverse and eclectic.”

The concert tour headed to Christchurch on Tuesday night, and will visit three other cities, ending in the capital city of Wellington later this week. A further concert will be held in the Samoan capital of Apia on October 31. Over $250,000 has been raised so far, but as the concert organizers say, much more is needed.

“It’s pretty dire,” said Scribe. “I think they need something like $190 million to really rebuild, which is a phenomenal amount of money. I don’t know if we can raise $190 million with this concert – but every bit counts.”

“There is Samoan influence [in New Zealand] on culture, music, arts, fashion – it’s immense,” added Neil Finn. “So it’s no wonder we relate to their dilemma.”

Neil Finn To Headline Charity Concert For Samoan Relief

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A concert featuring Crowded House’s Tim and Neil Finn – and a host of other New Zealand-based musicians – will take place in Auckland later this month to raise money for victims of last week’s Tsunami in Samoa.

The Finn Brothers will be joined by Dave Dobbyn, Bic Runga, Elemeno P, Nesian Mystik, Che-Fu, King Kapisi and many more at Auckland’s Vector Arena on October 19. Also performing will be New Zealand Hip Hop stars Savage and Scribe, who both lost family in the disaster.

Aid agencies such as the Red Cross, World Vision, The Salvation Army and UNICEF are still seeking donations for the massive clean-up required after last week’s devastating disaster that killed over 180 people.

Tickets for the concert are NZ$25 and are available through Ticketmaster New Zealand.

Earth Hour Extends To All Corners Of The Planet

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Several of New Zealand’s best loved singers will perform an hour-long acoustic concert live on radio to raise awareness of Earth Hour.

On Saturday, March 28, between 8.30pm – 9.30pm, people around the world are being encouraged to switch their lights off in a bid to reach the target of one billion people who are committed to fighting climate change. And to celebrate, Dave Dobbyn, Anika Moa, Op Shop and many more will perform live on More FM and be broadcasted around the country.

“In recognition of the importance of addressing issues such as climate change, MediaWorks is delighted to be supporting WWF New Zealand and their Earth Hour campaign across both our television and radio brands,” said Brent Impey, CEO of MediaWorks. “We look forward to doing our bit to get as many New Zealanders as possible to participate on the night.”

Earth Hour is a global annual event created by the WWF that asks households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Held for the first time in 2007, Earth Hour is endorsed by the UN and celebrities such as Jeremy Piven, Edward Norton, Janeane Garofalo, Alanis Morissette and Desmond Tutu.

Earth Hour has grown from a single event in Sydney, Australia, in March 2007 to a global phenomenon that will change the way the world sees climate change. On March 31, 2007, over 2.2 million people and 2,100 corporations in Sydney turned their lights off for an hour, creating an energy saving of 10.2% – that’s roughly the same as taking 48,000 cars off the road!

More information about events being held to celebrate Earth Hour can be found at the official Earth Hour website.

Kiwi Stars Record Charity Song

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Some of New Zealand’s best known international stars have recorded a new song to raise money for children in need.

Anika Moa, and Opshop have joined together for a version of Dave Dobbyn’s award winning song Beside You to raise money for the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust, a charity that provides music therapy for special needs children of school age and younger in New Zealand.

“Everyone was there with the best of intent,” said Jason Kerrison, lead singer for Opshop. “It’s all about helping children with special needs, and knowing this helps you drive yourself and be there in the best capacity.”

The trust was established four years ago by Hinewehi Mohi, whose daughter Hineraukatauri has severe cerebral palsy, and has since gained support from stars such as Hayley Westenra and Neil Finn.

“When you see the effect that music has on kids going through the centre it’s pretty profound,” Kerrison told TVNZ.

The single will start getting airplay on New Zealand radio this week and will be available for sale from New Zealand retail giant The Warehouse and for download from December 8.

Moa and Opshop will also perform the song with Dobbyn when they take part in the annual summer Winery Tour which begins on February 6.

Dave Dobbyn Promotes Hearing Awareness In Fiji

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

You may have heard of Heal The World – well, now some of the world’s greatest musicians are taking part in a campaign to raise awareness of hearing loss called Hear The World.

Hear the World is an initiative by Phonak – a leading manufacturer of hearing aids – that aims to raise awareness of the topic of hearing and hearing loss and to promote good hearing all over the world, and musician Dave Dobbyn spent the weekend in Fiji doing exactly that.

“I see other people who support ‘Hear the World’ like Harry Belafonte, Annie Lennox, Placido Domingo,” said 51-year-old Dobbyn, whose new album, Anotherland, has just been released. “I’m in great company when we’re all thinking about our ears and our health. Your ears get fatigued like every organ in your body so to treat them with respect and keep the volume down.”

One in five children in Fiji are profoundly deaf, and there is no audiology service in the South Pacific nation – children with hearing loss are often not diagnosed until they reach school.

“A child needs to be able to hear sounds in the environment to hear speech and language in order to produce speech and to develop language,” said Logan McMeekin, a Phonak Audiologist who is fitting hearing aids – free-of-charge – to children affected by hearing loss in Fiji. “Our goal isn’t to restore normal hearing we try and give them cues for awareness of their environment so they’re able to be safe in their environment.”

Dave Dobbyn – who has had 10 songs in New Zealand’s Top 100 Songs of All Time, including Loyal and Slice of Heaven – joins a long list of celebrities who support the Hear The World campaign. Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Buble, Common, Dave Stewart, Dionne Warwick, Franka Potente, Josh Groban, Jerry Hall, Harry Belafonte, Joss Stone, Chad Kroeger, Diane Kruger, Lindsay Lohan, Moby, Placido Domingo, Kelly Osbourne, Eric Roberts, and Rod Stewart are all ambassadors for the initiative, whose goal is to educate the general public about the importance of hearing, the social and emotional impacts and the benefits of available solutions for those with hearing loss. Rocker Bryan Adams is the official photographer for the campaign, and his photos of the ambassadors can be seen on the campaign’s website.

Dave Dobbyn’s message is simple – don’t take it for granted because the ability to hear is a gift. To see a video of him performing for Fijian schoolchildren, click here. To learn more about Hear The World, visit www.hear-the-world.com.

Look To The Stars News: Dave Dobbyn

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