From siege to sincerity - that’s the message behind the latest project by a St George singer whose lyrics symbolise hope and resilience.
To mark the December 15 anniversary of the Lindt Cafe Martin Place siege, in which Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson died, singer/songwriter ‘‘UC Brigante’’, 20, released a song dedicated to the event.
"I’ll Ride With You" was inspired by the viral hashtag of the same name, which flooded social media, as Australians banded together to show their support for the Muslim population.
Just like John Lennon’s "Give Peace a Chance" and Cat Stevens’ "Peace Train" helped a generation show unity in troubled times, UC Brigante hopes his song will help continue the acts of kindness.
“I wanted to write a song that would be beneficial in spreading the message of peace, love, and kindness to uplift us when we’re down and remind us that we’re all in this together,’’ he said.
‘‘These views are in the lyrics, ‘don’t the lose the vision, with all this division...gotta have respect, gotta have trust, we all want peace, it’s up to us’.’’
UC Brigante filmed the video as he travelled by train into Sydney's CBD.
It shows him walking through the Domain and interacting with the public near well-known Sydney landscapes.
‘‘We are going through tough times and everyone is on edge, but Australia is a beautiful place with people of all backgrounds,’’ he said.
‘‘This is a country of mateship.’’
US Brigante has released songs, recorded in his home studio, on YouTube since he was 13.
This is not the first time he has set out to spread the message of positive change in the community.
Earlier this year he released an anti-gang song titled “The Block”, which peaked at number six on the Aussie hip-hop/rap charts on iTunes.
“We need people on all levels of society - including individuals, institutions, politicians and policy makers to be as inclusive as possible, striving to bring benefit and prevent harm and help create a safe world for everyone,’’ UC Brigante said.
‘‘Current times need more young creative talent to help build bridges between communities.’’