CHARITY SINGLE ‘WE ARE’ FROM ELAINE MAI, MAYKAY, FAYE O’ROURKE
+ YOUNG PEOPLE FROM AIDA REFUGEE CAMP
TO BENEFIT PALESTINE’S LAJEE CENTER
Irish artists Elaine Mai, MayKay, and Faye O’Rourke have collaborated on a new charity single ‘We Are’ alongside Rand, Rwand, Reem, Sara, Omar, and Ahmad who live in Aida Refugee Camp in the Occupied West Bank of Palestine.
Since 7th October, 2023, the decades-long oppression of Palestine has ramped up to an unprecedented, horrifying level, yet there is hope in the resilient spirit of the Palestinian people. The new charity single ‘We Are’, out Friday, 26th April, seeks to uplift these voices, and all proceeds will benefit the Lajee Center in Aida Refugee Camp in the Occupied West Bank of Palestine. The Lajee Center is a community-based grassroots creative cultural center that works with new generations of Palestinians as they continue their ongoing struggle for justice and rights for Palestine and all Palestinians.
MayKay explains: “I’ve spent some time in the amazing Lajee Center in Aida Refugee Camp in the Occupied West Bank of Palestine. Despite the best efforts of the occupation forces to suppress, depress and break the spirits of the young people in the camp, they are made of resilience, joy, steeliness and humour.
“Working with this group of young people was the honour of a lifetime. When Elaine sent me some tracks to listen to from her new record it felt like a great opportunity to have their voices, their language, their strength, their joy and their power on a record being released in Ireland, that will hopefully echo throughout the forests and fields of festivals and clubs for years to come and remind us all what’s important in this world. I recorded them in the centre itself and honestly, they were unbelievably easy to work with, considering it was their first time writing lyrics and recording. There’s nothing they can’t do. I can’t wait to see them all again.”
Elaine adds: “I’ve been working on a new record with MayKay and Faye and as we put the different parts of this track in place, it came together really easily and felt right. Giving a platform to these incredible voices is a privilege. I’m really happy to see this track out in the world and all proceeds will go directly to the Lajee Center.”
Photo credit – Aoife Farrell