A new beginning – a project close to the heart.
Kerry and I did a photo shoot last week [Thu 8 Feb] for the launch of a new project.
Virginia McKenna’s Born Free Foundation is mounting a massive initiative to try to save the Lion in South Africa.
It sounds impossible, but it seems there is a real possibility that in just a few years there will be no more lions in the World.
There has been a growing awareness over the last few years, largely brought about by Born Free, that it is no longer cool to kill these wonderful creatures (of course it really never was – Ernest Hemingway has a lot to answer for, in my opinion) – it is OK to go on a shoot, but only if it is a camera shoot.
But Lions and other wild African animals are STILL being poached, and still being killed by rich, brainless people. A lot of these people come from Britain too. They are part of that old-style remnant of knuckleheadedness which needs to assert its power by killing defenceless animals and putting the heads of these wonderful creatures on their walls as trophies.
I’m afraid it’s same mentality as the fox-hunters, the deer-stalkers, the badger-baiters, etc … who exhibit a depraved side of humanity that needs to be expunged. But at the moment many of these barbarians have the backing of our government – it’s a grim time for animals indeed.
So here we go … in what may be a last-ditch attempt to turn things around in South Africa. There will be more details announced soon, but our contribution is an entirely new recording of the song BORN FREE, which I’ve arranged and produced for Kerry’s magnificent vocal talents. It’s set for release later in the year.
This is the beginning – a statement of intent – a photo-call in a London Hotel with Will Travers and executives of BORN FREE, and one of the Lion sculptures which will soon be gracing the streets of Cape Town. Hopefully so will we ! This project may take us on a long journey in many ways.
These are my informal 3-D shots of the occasion. I was holding them back, in deference to the official photo release, but it seems that photographs are already out there. I’m excited about the new BORN FREE track … it’s pretty monumental … it’s so tempting to reveal all. But we have San Remo to pour our passion into first. That’s very exciting too.
Onwards !
Bri
Photo by Claire Bartlett
Kerry and Lion
Photo by Brian May
Brian, Kerry and Lion
(More stereo views from photo shoot on LondonStereo.com SOON)
If I look a bit peaky, it’s because I had a bad fall a couple of days earlier, in which I cut my face and arms pretty badly. But I’m OK. I seem to heal quickly in the body. Maybe not quite so quickly in the mind.
Ever Onwards !
Cheers
Bri
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