Banker-Turned-Singer/Philanthropist IVAN WILZIG Dedicates New Rock Version of KUMBAYA to Presidential Hopeful BARACK OBAMA, with Royalties to Fund Wilzig's Anti-Hate-Crimes PEACEMAN FOUNDATION
NEW YORK, July 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- In 2001, billionaire commercial banker IVAN WILZIG traded in his pinstriped suits for a wardrobe of campy "peace capes" and a new, sincere incarnation as SIR IVAN, a melodious interpreter of 60s classics with a dance beat. His rocking covers of John Lennon's Imagine and Scott McKenzie's San Francisco (Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair) both scored big on Billboard's dance charts in 2001 and 2003 respectively. Now, Sir Ivan is about to release I AM PEACEMAN, a new album of fifteen 60s hits, produced and arranged by FORD, who has 18 Gold and Platinum singles to his credit. The release is timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, the 50th anniversary of the iconic peace symbol and, not coincidentally, the Democratic Presidential Convention. Sir Ivan, a passionate Obama supporter, has included his version of Kumbaya, one with an irresistibly groovy beat and a voice-over of portions of early Obama speeches. Sir Ivan's royalties from the album will benefit his Peaceman Foundation, dedicated to fighting hate crimes and healing post-traumatic stress disorder.
(PHOTO: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080707/NYM028 )
Sir Ivan is perfectly aware that even before the early days of the Democratic primary campaign, when John Edwards dismissed his then-rival as "the Kumbaya candidate," the word "Kumbaya" had degenerated into an aspersion integral to political and journalistic cynicism. Indeed, the Internet is filled with Kumbaya-bashing blogs, and most recently, Obama's appearance in Unity, New Hampshire, with Hillary Clinton was snidely described by some in the media as a "Kumbaya moment," while his long-awaited phone conversation with former President Bill Clinton was deemed "not a Kumbaya moment."
But the same savvy that shaped Sir Ivan's banking success came to bear when he decided to feature Kumbaya on his new album (a video is in production), a version that forsakes some of the original lyrics (Someone's crying, Lord ... Someone's praying, Lord) with words that echo Barack Obama's core values (Give them Hope, Lord ... Give them Love). Obama himself, who was quick to say in 2007 that "The politics of hope is not about holding hands and singing Kumbaya," told the Chicago Tribune in June, after winning the nomination, "It's time for Democrats across the nation to come together and sing Kumbaya before we head into the storm of a formidable general election." Sir Ivan took to heart writer Eric Zorn's 2006 observation (also in the Chicago Tribune) that "Kumbaya needs a pop interpreter with a huge voice, a soulful arranger and the guts to challenge 40 years of patronizing mockery."
Sir Ivan has answered the call.
Kumbaya, a traditional African-American Gullah spiritual (the word means "come by here"), traveled to Angola and back to the USA again before it matured into a popular scouting/campfire standard, a 60s folk favorite recorded by Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Peter Paul & Mary and several others, and eventually an anthem of the civil rights movement on par with We Shall Overcome. "It's a beautiful song about closeness and unity that deserves far more respect than it's received," says Sir Ivan, the socially-conscious son of a Holocaust survivor who notes that the song was also a 1962 hit by Hasidic folk master Shlomo Carlebach, better known as The Singing Rabbi.
Sir Ivan is no singing rabbi, but he was the Honorary Grand Marshall of this year's Salute to Israel Parade, celebrating his commitment to Jewish causes by marching in the forefront with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Governor David Patterson. And Ivan Wilzig aka Sir Ivan aka Peaceman has an additional alter ego. He participated in the 2007 NBC/Sci-Fi Channel hit series, Who Wants to Be a Superhero?, as "Mr. Mitzvah," a crusader who, with the aid of his Star of David-emblazoned ping-pong paddle, fights the purveyors of hate and protects the world's children. Action-comic guru Stan Lee, the show's producer/judge, personally selected Mr. Mitzvah as one of ten finalists from among thousands of other super-hopefuls.
Sir Ivan's sense of whimsy -- further evidenced by his genuine castle (complete with moat) in the Hamptons and his exaggerated reputation as a party boy -- has sometimes resulted in his not being perceived as serious a person as he is. But this man who loves the nightlife actually loves peace and justice even more. After all, he gave up banking for a life with greater purpose and a determination to use his resources for the greater good. He has been a notable supporter of Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation and the family-endowed Wilzig Hospital in his native New Jersey. With Kumbaya, this pop culture Renaissance Man hopes to make a meaningful contribution to the Obama campaign (he has offered the song as a campaign theme) and to a world in dire need of hope and love -- surely a job for Peaceman, Mr. Mitzvah, Sir Ivan, or simply, the remarkable Ivan Wilzig. For more information please go to http://www.sirivanmusic.com . To hear this exclusively please go to http://www.myspace.com/sirivanmusic .
