Musicians to Bring 'Harmony to Humanity' in Honor of Encino's Daniel Pearl

Musicians across the globe will try to bring "Harmony to Humanity" in the memory of  Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, a Birmingham High School graduate who was kidnapped and beheaded by Islamic radicals in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2002.

Through October, performances will be staged as part the 12th annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days. Aside from journalism, Pearl, who grew up in Encino, was passionate about music and playing the violin.     

"As Victor Hugo said, 'Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent,' " said his father, Judea Pearl, a UCLA computer science professor. "This October, we invite musicians and artists on every continent to join with the spirit of our son in ringing the world for sanity and humanity."

His mother, Ruth Pearl, noted that her son, killed when he was 38, would have turned 50 on Oct. 10.

"Since 2002, musicians of every genre -- from internationally acclaimed performers to amateurs and student groups -- have rallied during the month of October to transcend differences and inspire unity by dedicating their performances to his ideals and memory," Ruth Pearl said. "It is a great opportunity to assert, through music, our conviction that goodness will triumph and humanity will prevail."     

When he was kidnapped, Pearl was looking for a connection between British citizen Richard Reid -- the "shoe bomber" who tried to ignite some explosives secreted in his tennis shoes while aboard an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami -- and al-Qaida.     

During October, musicians and artists from around the globe will use the international language of music in a call for fellowship and unity across cultural divides. Musicians of various genres are invited to participate by making a dedication to "Harmony for Humanity" from the stage or in a printed program, as well as to register their performances and create an Artist Profile page at danielpearlmusicdays.org.     

Since the first series of concerts in 2002, more than 11,000 performances in 129 countries have been dedicated to Pearl and his vision of peace.

-- City News Service