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Barakatt on a crusade for children's rights Korea Herald

22.11.09

When vaunted Canadian smooth jazz artist Steve Barakatt walked in the conference room for an interview ahead of his performance in Seoul yesterday, he looked every bit the dapper gent that one might envision a classically-trained composer would to be.

Dressed in a custom fitted grey pin-stripe suit, a tie in a Windsor knot, and sporting Gucci cuff-links, he hardly looked like the type of person that would concern himself with issues of the world.

But as they say, never judge a book by its cover.

Bringing with him his newest composition titled "Lullaby," the 36-year old Quebec native and goodwill ambassador of UNICEF (United Nation's Children's Fund) was invited by the organization and ING Life to perform for local children at the ING Center in downtown central Seoul to commemorate International Children's Day and the 20th anniversary of "The Convention of the Rights of a Child" - the first legally binding international pact that incorporates the full range of human rights including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.

The song was chosen to be UNICEF's commemorative anthem celebrating the 20 years since the agreement was formed.

"Music is an international language and I wanted to create this song so that the world can understand the importance of human rights and how significant the Convention of the Rights of a Child is," he said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

"Music is a universal platform and a way to bring international artists all together for a single cause."

Barakatt has worked with various international artists such as Argentinas Guillermo Saldana, Canada's Natasha St. Pier and even local classical artists like Richard Young-jae O'Neil and Maestro Chung Myung-hoon of the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra.

Barakatt says he was becoming increasingly distressed to see the issue of children's rights treated as a political tool rather than a social issue.

"Sometimes it can look like a political subject

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