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Singing for a New Beginning in Haiti

By 
  • August 23, 2013

TORONTO - New Beginnings, an international musical collaboration of mainly youth, is channeling its artistic power to provide homeless families in Haiti with housing and real-life new beginnings.

The New Beginnings CD is a compilation of songs from various artists to raise funds for victims of the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

The album sells for $15 and has raised about $5,000 since its release in January. Proceeds will help fund the Centre de Providence, a Focolare housing project for those affected by the earthquake that devastated the island nation. Focolare is an international lay Catholic movement with a strong youth presence. After covering the cost to make the CD, profits go towards the centre and to support the five schools initiated by Focolare members in Haiti. The centre is almost complete and 80-per-cent occupied.

The project is funded and sustained mostly by Haitians willing to provide financial support or who contribute time to care for residents, especially those who are disabled or need care daily. Although the goal of the project is to be self-sustaining, Nick Cianfarani, the organizer behind the album- fundraiser, is happy about the sales of New Beginnings since its release.

“Of course there could be more sales, but I think also the awareness that people have come to understand… It’s not just music for the sake of music, but it’s for the sake of helping people in need and it brought together a lot of people to work on this one project.”

Cianfarani, a musician, has been a Focolare member for 40 years and has lived in Italy and New York for 20, accumulating many musical friends along the way. With a desire to help earthquake victims in Haiti and knowing someone in Focolare who visited the island numerous times inspired Cianfarani to call on his friends. About 40 people volunteered to collaborate on this CD. Participants hailed from around the world, including places such as Jordan, Italy, New York, Chicago, Germany, Philippines and France.

The 18 tracks on this CD are a mix between rock and contemporary Christian music, with the majority of singers being young people. The general message behind the album is “a united world is possible,” said Cianfarini. “I’m very grateful for the possibility to have worked with so many people.”

To purchase New Beginnings, e-mail nick.cianfarani@focolare. org.

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