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LABI SIFFRE “The higher you build your barriers, the taller I become.” For the next long while my featured journal drawings will exclusively be tributes to black artists who inspire me. It is crucial to recognize that big change comes from tangible activism. No number of social media posts alone will alter the course of our culture in the way that is needed. Please donate time and money to causes you care about, canvass and vote, contact your representatives, have difficult conversations with the people in your lives. But I do genuinely believe that pop culture has the power to shape our values in an important way that runs parallel to everything. The music I love has been an indispensable force in the molding of my social and political conscience, and I cannot stress that enough. Thank you to every person of color out there blazing trails. [ANTI-RACISM RESOURCES BELOW.] CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES: 5calls.org

CONTRIBUTE TIME, MONEY, AND BRAIN POWER TO VALUABLE CAUSES: crooked.com/antiracism

Tolerance Project extra Lords and ladies of the dance Updated

Background Libi Siffre The singer songwriter

Watched the Imagine documentary Libi Siffre this is my song at the weekend* I will explain what it has to do with the Tolerance Project in a while so bear with me. First a bit of background Libi Siffre the British singer-songwriter was born 25th June 1945 he started his music career in 1970, when he released his first Self titled album this was then followed by 4 more albums till 1975.

These album’s generated 3 top 30 hits it must be love number 14 in 1971 (later covered by Madness in 1983) you can see The Madness video by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmezIIrFQmY&list=PL17vqAEJv6CV1syq4_fFKgBwSqGdJzH9z&index=290

Crying Laughing loving lying no 11 in 1972 and Watch Me number 29 in the same year after this success he left the music industry behind or so he thought in 1975.

10 years later in 1985 he was watching a documentary about the Apartheid in South Africa in which white soldiers were filmed shooting at black civilians in the street .

After seeing this he began to write his most famous song something inside so strong he gave the demo to his record company who loved it but Siffre himself didn’t want to sing the song himself, he originally intended to give the song to another artist to sing, but could find no one suitable and was convinced to release it himself.

When the song was released in 1987 it became Libi Siffre’s biggest hit reaching number 4 in the UK singles chart The song has remained enduringly popular and is an example of the political and sociological thread running through much of Siffre's lyrics and poetry I have included links to Libi Siffre singing the song both from Youtube One is the orignal video for song click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B-4Lsrx8IA&list=PL17vqAEJv6CV1syq4_fFKgBwSqGdJzH9z&index=288 and the other is his TOTP performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJAzdVz4W5A&list=PL17vqAEJv6CV1syq4_fFKgBwSqGdJzH9z&index=289

It also won him the 1987 Ivor Novello Award for best song musically and Lyrically its also been used in a number of campaigns for organisations such as Amnesty International and this is one of the main reasons why I would like to use the song as the theme for the next stage of my Tolerance project.

Hearing the song when I was younger it hit me that the words could be used as a fighting call for disability rights as well see I told you it all fits.

Rowan Tolloy and Newsome High School pupils enter Stage left

So how did I get to know the song ? The story starts when I am at Newsome high and the school is approached by mime artist Rowan Tolloy who wants to put on a show for teachers and pupils to watch

To this end Pupils from 2 classrooms are chosen at random 8E and 8R I was in 8E we are taken to the area which is was then used as the the Newsome Youthclub, introduced to the man himself who I remember as being a bit of a taskmaster but good with it and easy to talk to.

He explains about what he does and what he wants us to do. the first thing he gets us to do is to make some white cardboard masks which he wants us to wear for a dance piece he has has in mind to do to the title track of the the Prince Album sign O the times. The offical music video for the song can be found by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EdxM72EZ94

What was the finished dance like? I can’t remember to be honest sadly perharps some one can fill me in on this one when the article goes live.

Then we did the something inside so strong piece unlike the Prince song before it I remember this one vividly, mainly because we practised this one the most and it was drummed in to us that I remember all the moves even today all these years later.

The storyline to this piece was that a photographer played by my friend John Mellor was taking some pictures that the authorities did not like and was taken away to be beaten grim stuff I know but it turned out to be a very moving part of the show.

The last skit we did was about Ivory hunting and how Elephants were nearly made extinct. The question as to why I remember it so much was that I had had the last line of the show funny that lol. the story line to this one was a bit abstract, from what I remember there was a chessboard on the edge of the stage with people acting like the chess pieces.

As the game was being played people would fall on the floor by the end of the sketch the floor was covered with people and somebody would throw all the chess peices on the floor board and all. Understand it so far? No we didn’t ether I would then come to the front of the stage and shout don’t buy it don’t sell it don’t wear it Ivory kills and the show would end to applause.

After about what seem like days and days of rehearsal and practise we presented what we had done in the schools lecture theatre, all went well and people seemed to enjoying it .When we got to the last item the one about the elephants it started ok people were falling to the floor, I get to the front of the stage ready for my big moment.

I shout don’t buy it don’t sell it don’t wear it Tusks kill, oh crap my big moment ruined. That was end of the show everybody clapped they enjoyed it. I felt rotten what would Mr Rowan Tolloy have to say about my fluffed line? Luckly he was fine about it he said he understood my nerves and he still felt people watching understood what he was trying to say.

The Show moves on to the wider stage at a theatre in Halifax !!

Several months later Rowan came back to Newsome with some exciting news he was going to do a new theatre show and stage it in Halifax and he wanted to use the Elephant and something inside so strong elements as part of it, and he wanted us to come with him. About 20 of us were taken to Halifax for the show which was now called United images of Mime.

I kept a poster for the production on my board at home for many years as well as badge which I have still got.I rediscovered the poster a few weeks ago while going through a clear out on the other side of the poster I discovered to my surprise the programme for the show

From what I remember the day was mostly covered again with rehearsals to get everything right for the show in the evening.

When we got to the evening show I was crippled with nerves one of my best friends Angela Preston could see I was struggling and during rehearsals said to me don’t worry Ben just follow me and copy what I am doing, so I did and lucky nobody saw my nerves we went off the stage and before we did the elephant skit.

Rowan did a comedy Mime sketch which mum and dad told me later was very funny, with that complete we got ready to do the elephant skit, with the chessboard on the edge of the stage we were raring to go.

The actors playing the chessboard pieces fell to the floor and the actual chessbaoard on stage was lifted off its table board and all on the stage floor.

The stage was set for me to make my entrance the stage went quiet for a couple of minutes I think the watching audience was a bit confused by what they saw, because they started to clap. Mum who was watching the stage thought I was carrying a light but that was me going to the front of the stage in my electric chair.

I thought to myself what do I do so I waited for the clapping to stop and then delivered the line don’t buy it don’t sell it don’t wear it Ivory kills to another round of applause Michael Caine would have been proud ha ha.

I was a bit sad when the show was over what was it a wise person once said everybody is famous for 15 minutes and I certainly had mine.

When I left the theatre that night I got one last surprise I was greeted by a nice lady who wanted my autograph I never met her before in my life she gave my her pen and I signed her programme.

Exit Stage left Thank you and good night

As mentioned before the Dance we did to Something inside so strong proved popular and we asked to do it one final time when Newsome high were doing an auction to raise money for the school Mum and dad were there again as we provided the half time entertainment

Thank you this time round go to Robert Cocking and Eton Bruins for filling in the gaps

Rowan Tolley for giving us all the opportunity to perform

Wikipedia for the background information on Libi Siffre

Pictures

I and 2 the rediscovered poster from the theatre show United images of mime which on the other side had the programme

3 The United Images of mime badge

4 Libi Siffre as he is today

Videos Madness it must be love video from 1983 I have included it as Libi Siffre features in a cameo appearance

The Official Sign O the Time video by Prince

Libi Siffre singing Something inside so strong The original video and his TOTP performance both from 1987

The song featured in the radio programme Soul music where people talk about how music has affected them you can find it here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b040hx6j lastly the documentary that started me writing this blog Libi Siffre this is my song can be found here https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0014jmn/imagine-2022-labi-siffre-this-is-my-song

This blog is dedicated to my freind John Mellor much missed

A lot of work has gone into writing this blog if you have enjoyed reading it please consider giving the Tolerance project a small donation by clicking on the above link https://gofund.me/5cf25de4 Or Follow us on Twitter @TolerancePro

Note links from the original article will be removed as and when the content no longer exists on the internet

#robert cocking #Eton Bruins Angela Preston #John Mellor #Rowan Tolloy #Something inside so strong #It Must be love #madness #Libi Siffre #prince #Sign O the times #United images of mime #Tolerance Project Extra #TOTP