Jazz For Peace™

Press Release

Jazz For Peace™ featuring Rick DellaRatta to perform benefit concert in NYC for AFRICANS IN AMERICA on Sat. March 13th at 8:30pm - (B.Y.O.B.!)

* Purchase advance tickets now online at  www.jazzforpeace.org *

Jazz For Peace™ Concerts featuring Pianist and Vocalist Rick DellaRatta continue with a special benefit concert for AFRICANS IN AMERICA on Sat. March 13th at 8:30pm at Jazz on the Park - 36 W106 st. (Duke Ellington Blvd.) between Manhattan Ave. and CPW . For details and to purchase advance tickets please go to www.jazzforpeace.org  Reservations: 212-947-1104

Jazz For Peace™ featuring Rick DellaRatta has been featured on the cover of  UPWARD , the feature article insert of BIG NEWS which is distributed widely in New York City as well as Albany,NY.

At the present time, many African countries, such as Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Togo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger are involved in the trafficking of children (from age 8 and up) into the United States, where they are made to work as unpaid maids and servants in the homes and businesses, and generally suffer horrendous abuse and neglect. In Europe most of the young women are turned into prostitutes, and young men transported into other parts of Africa are sent to work on plantations. Many do not survive the ordeal and never make it to their destinations. Many of the females who have been rescued and repatriated from Europe (Italy, Belgium, Spain, Holland, Germany and the Netherlands) are reportedly infected with HIV/AIDS. Here in the United States, there are numerous cases of young African girls that were trafficked into the country as slave/maids (disguised by traffickers as their relatives). They are desperate to change their lives, but do not know where to start. They are generally unaware that there are many support systems in place in this country where they could get help.

Our Trafficking Victims Services Program is designed to free victims from captive situations and help them lead normal lives. We have a team of individuals, who are well versed in the issues of human trafficking. We are committed to overcoming the denial and the code of silence in the communities, which allows this horrendous exploitation to continue.

We also intend to encourage various African governments to seriously address these issues by promulgating and enforcing legislation against human trafficking and providing services to the survivors. In the future, we also intend to address trafficking in Africa following the United Nations established model for combating trafficking namely:
o Raising awareness about the plight of trafficked children and other victims.

o Providing economic support to families at risk.

o Enhancing access to, and quality of, education.

o Advocating the rights of children.

o Encouraging economic empowerment of women through vocational training and development of trade and skills.

For more information visit our website Welcome to Africans In America, Inc.

On September 25, 2002, Jazz Pianist & Vocalist Rick DellaRatta was invited to lead a band consisting of: 'Israeli, Middle Eastern, European, Asian & American' Jazz musicians in a concert inside the United Nations, for an international audience.

Rick named this band, "Jazz For Peace™"

Jazz for Peace's mission is to help advance people to their highest potential through the understanding of Jazz as well as spreading peace through our "Jazz For Peace™  Concerts" worldwide - joining forces (or performing)  with multi-cultural musicians to spread peace through the artform of Jazz and entering regions that are politically controversial. By the means of live concerts, video taping, on hands/ on-line teaching as well as supplying musical instruments to under-privileged children in under developed areas worldwide, Jazz for Peace will re-enforce what past history has proven - that the art form of Jazz has the ability to create a positive effect that unites people and may eventually start to transform the barriers and issues of different cultures and beliefs. For more information please visit www.jazzforpeace.org

Recent Quotes:

"Rick DellaRatta is one of the finest Jazz pianists alive."
--Savannah Times

"It is actually the quality of DellaRatta's voice that grows on me more & more with repeated listenings. At first I felt that Rick's strengths as a pianist were foremost, but with time I have come to understand that Dellaratta's skill as a vocalist is not to be underestimated."His voice has quite a haunting quality to it, being slightly androgenous in tone, sometimes ghostly.... sometimes sexy. "
--Jen Karpin, Green Mtn Jazz Messenger

".....sure it will be a good show."
--New York Times Jazz Forum

 The latest Jazz for Peace Concert Review now available online at  www.RobertaOnTheArts.com !