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Artist News Releases
Bastille, Paloma Faith, Damon Albarn and more feature on charity cover of A Million Dreams
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 18 November 2022
Bastille’s Dan Smith, Paloma Faith, Jimmy Somerville, Metronomy’s Joseph Mount and Damon Albarn are among the musicians featured on a new cover of the song ‘A Million Dreams’ from ‘The Greatest Showman’. The new track is being released in aid of The Brain Tumour Charity and Brainstrust, and was the idea of seven year old Ravi Adelekan – son of Metronomy bassist Olugbenga Adelekan – who was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year.
Ravi’s illness was initially diagnosed as a build up of ear wax but, when an ear, nose and throat specialist requested an MRI scan, a tumour was discovered on his brain stem. Although later discovered to be benign, the tumour was still life threatening and required ten hours of surgery.
After a lengthy period of recovery, Ravi came up with the idea of recording a song to raise money for the two charities that had supported him during this time. Olugbenga got in touch with a range of musicians and other public figures and pulled together the track, which is being released as part of a project called Ravi’s Dream.
As well as the musicians who feature on the track itself, the accompanying video also includes appearances from ‘The Greatest Showman’ star Hugh Jackman and director Michael Gracey, plus Coldplay, Mary Berry, NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus, actor John Simm, food critic Jimi Famurewa, De La Soul, Heather Watson and footballer Leandro Trossard.
“Every day, we speak with families who are lost, alone and afraid following a brain tumour diagnosis”, says Helen Bulbeck, founder of Brainstrust. “The treatment is harmful; diagnosis hard and too often too slow. Outcomes for this forgotten community are short of where they need to be, and life is too hard for people who are having to adapt to life with this disease”.
“Ravi’s Dream is helping us change this”, she continues. “Ravi’s dream team is bringing vital momentum, funds and awareness of the challenges we face, and our work here at Brainstrust. His music is giving our community a voice that will be heard at all levels to drive the changes we need to see”.
Find out more about the project at RavisDream.com and watch the video for the cover of ‘A Million Dreams’ here:
