Playing for Change

The Seattle engagement features Mohammed Alidu, Clarence Bekker, Peter Bunetta, Grandpa Elliott, Mermans Kenkosenki, Louis Mhlanga, Juan Carlos Portillo, Jason Tamba and Titi Tsira.

The Playing For Change band features musicians from around the globe, many of whom appeared in the now ubiquitous "Stand By Me" video (which has been viewed on the internet more than 30 million times) including New Orleans based blues singer Grandpa Elliott and soul singer Clarence Bekker from Amsterdam. Momentum has continued to build for the project as founder Mark Johnson and the musicians of Playing For Change were just named "Persons of the Week" on ABC's "World News Tonight with Charlie Gibson."

Playing For Change has been one of 2009's most unlikely and startling cultural phenomenons. Hear Music's two-disc CD/DVD Playing For Change - Songs Around the World, released on April 28th, stunned the music industry selling over twenty-six thousand copies in its first week and landing at #10 on Billboard's Top 200 Pop chart. This remarkable and unpredicted popular response has been driven by tens of millions of video hits, countless blogs and pure viral communication between fans and followers. The project's deep emotional resonance, combined with the muscle of the internet and word-of-mouth has struck a profoundly enduring chord world-wide.

A story of hope, struggle, perseverance and joy,"PLAYING FOR CHANGE: Peace Through Music"is the documentary of this unparalleled international musical collaboration and its remarkable power of redemption.