Mahsa Vahdat and Solveig Slettahjell have recorded a song titled “Lullaby of the Sea”. The song was inspired by a tragedy affecting Iranian refugees. The song features lyrics written by Erik Hillestad, with melodies added by Iranian artist Mahsa Vahdat. Atabak Elyasi wrote a Persian version of the lyrics, and as soon as the pandemic travel restrictions made it possible, the song was recorded as a duo between Mahsa and Norwegian singer Solveig Slettahjell.
On New Year’s Day in 2021, Artin, a one-year-old boy from Iran, was found, having drifted ashore on the island of Karmøy on the Norwegian west coast. He was identified after thorough police work where it was discovered that the entire family had drowned in the English Channel during an attempt to make it from France to England in an inflatable rubber dinghy late in October 2020. The family had fled from Iran some months earlier. Little Artin floated with the wind and currents all the way to Karmøy, where he was found on a beach two months later.
“Lullaby of the sea – Havets voggesang” is now available as a single track by Kirkelig Kulturverksted one year after Artin was found on the beach. All the income from the streaming of this track goes to the organization “A Drop in the Ocean”.
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central