“Welcome to My House”, a collaboration between non profit Voices of the Children and band Luc and the Lovingtons, features American teens and Syrian refugee youth singing a cross-cultural message of joy, love and peace. The video was filmed on site at the Za’atari Refugee Camp and Wadi Rum in Jordan as well as in the Skagit Valley of Washington State, USA.
Most of the youth, participants and locations featured in the video were apart of a greater on-going program created by Voices of the Children which provides free arts classes and cross cultural collaborations between Syrian and American teens. This organization's powerful work can be seen here:
http://www.votchildren.org
Luc and the Lovingtons, who travelled to the Za'atari Refugee Camp as
teaching artists for Voices of the Children, provided art and song writing
courses to Syrian youth. The band also has an ongoing humanitarian tour called The Goodness Tour: Music and Art for People Facing Adversity. You can see Luc and the Lovingtons work and music here:
http://www.lucandthelovingtons.com
Lovingtons' band member and featured painter in the video, Benjamin Swatez, who's art therapy projects and murals have spread beauty worldwide, can be found here: http://www.bengadi.com
*Mural 1 - Inside Za'atari Refugee Camp, Jordan - *Mural 2 - Skagit Valley College, Washington, USA
Director & Editor: Moe Najati
Producer: Aaron Wagner
Executive Producer: Jason Mraz
Cinematographer & Colorist: Thomas Simon
Documentarian: Glen Shackley
Luc and the Lovingtons Members Featured in Video: Luc Reynaud, Loren Boley and Benjamin Swatez
Song written, co-engineered, and co-produced by Luc Reynaud
Produced, engineered and instrumentation by Loren Boley
Co-produced, engineered, and mixed by Glen Shackley
Youth Choir vocals (Arabic) by Za’atari Camp Choir
Youth Choir vocals (English) by Voices of the Children Choir
Luc and the Lovingtons social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucandthelov...
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thelovingtons/
Twitter: @TheLovingtons
Insta: lucandthelovingtons
VOTC social media:
Twitter: @votchildrenorg
Insta: @voicesofthechildren
Facebook: facebook.com/voicesofthechildren
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3Jr_upji0E
VERSE)
why would you not want to see somebody shine?
why would you not want to get your whole mind blown?
by this love
and if you get it you could really fly
by seeing all your folks grow and climb because
you lift them up
i’ve got those thorns and those bitter seeds
but I’ll always share the sweetest part of me because
i’m not equipped to judge.
so everyday I keep
(CHORUS)
joy in my walk, love in my talk, peace in my house
you're welcome to my house, you're welcome to my house, you're welcome to my house
(VERSE 2)
i’ve been severed from the family tree
and there’s an itty bitty friend in me that say no
you can’t go up
and I’ve been dancing with him my whole life
and a friend I’m gonna make him mine and let’s go
we’ll be smiling up
so everyday I keep
(CHORUS)
joy in my walk, love in my talk, peace in my house
you're welcome to my house, you're welcome to my house, you're welcome to my house
(BRIDGE)
riding on the path to free
come on now you and me
all the food I have on my shelf
when I grow that joy in my self
and how I love to see my friends shine
always comin with that smile
and we’ll be climbing up
everybody with a full cup
(CHORUS)
you're welcome to my house, you're welcome to my house, you're welcome to my house
even if you kick me out, you're welcome to mine, you're welcome to my house
(MOUNT VERNON AND ZA’ATARI YOUTH CHOIRS)
every day it’s,
joy, love, peace
farha, houm, salam
you're welcome to my house, you're welcome to my house, you're welcome to my house
ahlan eli bayti, ahlan eli bayti, ahlan eli bayti,
joy, love, peace, offering to you this
joy, love, peace, we’re walking and talking with
joy, love, peace
joy, love, peaaaaaaaaaaace, salaaaaaaaaaam