New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Earshot Media) In March of 2011, Harrisburg, PA native Andrew "Koji" Shiraki and Colormake partnered with the advocacy group Resolve to share the stories of communities in central Africa that have been affected by the Lord's Resistance Army, or LRA. Primarily using children as soldiers, this brutal rebel group has existed for 25 years by terrorizing remote villages in Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic, and the Congo. Koji and Resolve had a message - that the youth of
America could have a role in bringing that violence to an end. Through photography, film, storytelling and music, The Resolve Tour urged audiences across the entire United States to call on their members of Congress to pay attention to the LRA, and to take action on it.
This summer, Koji is taking it one step further with The Amplify Peace Tour. Inspired by the stories of Ugandan women using songs to let their abducted children know that they are forgiven and will be welcomed back home, Koji and Colormake will be partnering with The Voice Project, an organization that is using the power of music and the radio to call these abducted soldiers home. Aside from the chance to participate in a community discussion at the end of the night, attendees of The Amplify Peace Tour will have the opportunity to lend their voices to a Voice Project/Colormake recording project that will be broadcasted to abducted LRA soldiers in the Congo, encouraging them to lay down their weapons and come home.
The tour stops in eight of Koji's strongest cities this summer. Koji is touring in support of his recent release of "Never Come Undone", a 12" vinyl split with friends La Dispute, available now on No Sleep Records. Joining Koji on the tour is Michigan folk musician Jeff Pianki, one of the most underrated and unsung songwriters in the Midwest. He'll be touring in support of his amazing new EP, "Paper Window".
Tour dates:
June 17 - Limestone Presbyterian - Wilmington, DE
June 26 - Club Car Cafe - Altoona, PA (w/ Touche Amore, Balance and Composure)
July 19 - Midtown Scholar - Harrisburg, PA
July 21 - Musica - Akron, OH
July 22 - The Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, MI
July 23 - Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL
July 27 - The Studio at Webster Hall - New York, NY
July 28 - Treehouse Books - Philadelphia, PA
July 29 - TBA - Baltimore, MD
July 30 - Bull Run Unitarian Universalist Church - Manassas, VA
Links:
www.kojisaysaloha.com
www.jeffpianki.com
www.voiceproject.org
www.theresolve.org
www.clrmk.com
www.runforcoverrecords.com
www.nosleeprecs.com
