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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth celebrates 'family of nations' with multicultural music

3 March 1999

The 54 members nations of the Commonwealth and their associated states and territories will mark Commonwealth Day this year on Monday, 8 March. Talking drums, didgeridoos and a bagpipe or two will be heard as the 'family of nations' celebrates its rich tradition of multicultural music.


To mark the event, the Commonwealth Secretariat in London has launched a number of multimedia tools for classroom use including Commonwealth Day posters, an on-line Commonwealth Day Handbook for Schools with activities for teachers and students, and a general knowledge quiz on Commonwealth music. In association with the Royal Commonwealth Society and Rio Tinto, the Secretariat has also produced an enhanced CD featuring the music of artists Beenie Man, Pops Mohamed, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Te Vaka among others. An enhanced CD can be played on a regular CD player or used in a computer where additional text, images and graphics can be viewed.


"Listening to music from other countries opens doors to societies we rarely appreciate or fully understand," says Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku. "To hear the music that others enjoy is a marvellous way to discover our common humanity and to appreciate the things which make us all sing and dance."


Since it began in 1977, Commonwealth Day has helped to foster internationalism among young people and raise the profile of global issues such as poverty, the environment and human rights. It is also an opportunity for classrooms to reflect on the principles of the modern Commonwealth including democracy and good governance, human rights and the rule of law, sustainable economic and social development and the equality of women and men.


Among the events planned this year include a musical multifaith observance in London's Westminster Abbey attended by Queen Elizabeth II, the Head of the Commonwealth, and King Mswati III of Swaziland. Similar events are planned in other Commonwealth capitals.


This year Commonwealth Day holds special significance as it is the 50th anniversary of the modern Commonwealth. In April 1949 Commonwealth prime ministers issued the London Declaration which marked the final transition from the old Commonwealth to the new by dropping 'common allegiance to the Crown' as a requirement of membership. With constitutional ties to the Crown no longer a basis of admission, the Commonwealth opened its doors to many new republics from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and elsewhere in the 1950s and 1960s.


Note to Editors:
The young people's web site, which includes annual messages from the Queen and the Secretary-General, can be found at http://www.youngcommonwealth.org

Issued by the Information and Public Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat,
Marlborough House,
Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX,
United Kingdom.
Tel: 0207-839 3411;
Fax: 0207-839 9081;
Telex: 27678


99/16 3 March 1999

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ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6385/6 Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081
Email: info@commonwealth.int