The UN Office for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) is partnering with iTunes to showcase music from small island developing States (SIDS) during the Third International Conference on SIDS.
UN-OHRLLS, SIDS' Permanent Missions and iTunes collaborated to identify and feature iconic and emerging SIDS artists, with a special focus on youth, through the ‘Island Voices' initiatives.
25 August 2014: The UN Office for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) is partnering with iTunes to showcase music from small island developing States (SIDS) during the Third International Conference on SIDS. UN-OHRLLS, SIDS’ Permanent Missions and iTunes collaborated to identify and feature iconic and emerging SIDS artists, with a special focus on youth, through the ‘Island Voices’ initiatives.
Given the remoteness and lack of connectivity faced by SIDS, the partnership aims to help promote island cultures and amplify the voices of artists that otherwise might not gain such exposure. iTunes’ Island Voices page features 57 musicians from SIDS countries, with a selection of music across genres, including calypso, dance, hip-hop, jazz and reggae from the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Ocean islands.
In a video message on the iTunes page, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said island voices “represent the spirit and aspiration of the people” from SIDS, adding that SIDS artists are among the “giants in musical history.”
iTunes will feature the SIDS music category on its front page for the two weeks surrounding the SIDS conference, and it will remain as a permanent category. [UN Press Release] [UN-OHRLLS Press Release]