ACTIVISM
Activism has always been a part of Robert's life - musical or otherwise. As well as being a full-time musician does what he can to lend my voice - musical or otherwise - to issues of social justice and environmental protection.
JOSE FIGUEORA
For many years Robert has been involved in solidarity work with the people of El Salvador, and other South American and Central American countries. The victims of the "forgotten war" in El Salvador in the 70's and 80's and it's aftermath is a particular focus for Robert.
He is happy to report that after a long battle his friend Jose Figueroa has been granted his freedom (and has also been granted permanent residency) after being forced into sanctuary for over two years. Robert is still fighting for Jose to officially clear his name of any terrorism charges.
A song Robert wrote in support of Jose called "YOU ARE WELCOME HERE" is available to download. All proceeds from the download go to the "We are Jose" campaign - to raise funds to help pay for the legal defence of Jose - a Salvadoran refugee facing deportation from Canada for his non-violent opposition to the right-wing military dictatorship in EL Salvador in the 1980s. Jose was forced into sanctuary in a Langley, B.C. church in an effort to avoid deportation. This is a cause very dear to Robert's heart and he would love your support.
You can download the song here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/robertgraham3
A video for the song - made by Jose himself can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CRlb3I9jRc
"It Could Be You"
In 2016, together with my Toronto band "The Fairest and Best", Robert released a single and video called "It Could Be You". All proceeds from the sale of the song went to the International Red Cross for their work with refugees worldwide. The song is a call for empathy for refugees - whose numbers are climbing daily.
You can find hear the fascinating story about how the song came about here: https://www.thefairestandbest.com/it-could-be-you-the-single
You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0b2jR1eqHk
Before leaving Toronto Robert did an interview with Girth Radio about the song. The interview featured three acoustic songs and an interview about the meaning behind the "It Could Be You" - which covers his feelings on the issue of refugees and their treatment:
http://girthradio.com/podcast/in-session-with-girth-robert-graham/
