Amnesty International’s “Toast To Freedom” Contest Welcomes Independent Musicians

Music is one of the universal languages of diplomacy. For decades, anthems like “We Are The World,” “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” and “Stand By Me” have unified nations to remedy crisis, to bridge culture gaps, and to foster hope.

Now, the worldwide human rights organization Amnesty International has sponsored an original single “Toast To Freedom,” to commemorate its fiftieth year demanding justice and campaigning against torture.

Written by Carl Carlton and Larry Campbell, the track includes voices from the late Levon Helm, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, Angelique Kidjo, Ewan McGregor, Donald Fagen, Warren Haynes, Keb Mo, Eric Burdon, Taj Mahal, Florent Pagny, Marianne Faithfull, Jane Birkin, Jimmy Barnes, Rosanne Cash, Shawn Mullins, and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

Various artists have covered “Toast To Freedom,” from Russia to Germany to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Now, AI is encouraging independent musicians to raise their voices in support of human rights activism around the world, by entering the Create Your Toast to Freedom Contest.

The winner receives a professional recording session with one of the producers of the original song, and the final product will be published worldwide.

Entrants can record their own versions of “Toast To Freedom” online, and then publish their entries to Facebook. The contest jury will only consider the submissions that garner the most Facebook “likes.” For detailed instructions on how to enter, click here.

To purchase “Toast To Freedom,” visit www.ToastToFreedom.org. All net proceeds from the song’s sales benefit Amnesty International.