Unique blend of music commemorates slain reporter in UN-backed concert

Dozens of concerts have been held this month featuring thousands of musicians worldwide to commemorate the memory of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl and promote tolerance and diversity, with performances supported by the United Nations being held last night in New York.

Attendees at a concert – organized by the Holocaust and the UN Outreach Programme of the Department of Public Information (DPI) and the Museum of Jewish Heritage – last night in New York were treated to a unique blend of rock, reggae, folk, funk and soul from the musical groups Soulfarm and Moshav Band.

Mr. Pearl, who played both the fiddle and the mandolin, was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in early 2002.

“Music and dialogue can build bridges across cultures,” Eric Falt, Director of DPI’s Outreach Division, said at the concert, the third held in conjunction with the UN.

“Tonight we remember Daniel Pearl and his family, as well as all the innocent individuals that have suffered as a result of senseless violence.”

The concerts are held annually in October to mark Mr. Pearl’s birthday, which falls on 10 October.

The number of performances being held to celebrate the reporter’s life has been growing annually since the first Daniel Pearl World Music Days in 2002. Last year, over 500 concerts were held in 42 countries, featuring world-renowned performers such as Elton John, Herbie Hancock and Itzhak Perlman.