Harmony in diversity
Barakatt’s ancestors are from Lebanon, a country in West Asia that is also part of the Middle East, giving him a mix of Asian, European and Middle Eastern qualities. Lebanon is diverse in languages, religions and cultures, and this diversity and inclusiveness is reflected in his music.
His family traditions and customs, such as the sharing of food, are heavily influenced by Asian culture, lending him a unique perspective and experience that can be expressed in his music.
Barakatt’s assorted cultural background enables him to harmonize and integrate differing cultures.
And he’s also had the chance to communicate the values of unity and harmony. From 2007 to 2017, he was an ambassador for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), together with his Russian wife Elena Grosheva, an Olympic silver-medal gymnast. They were the first couple to be appointed as UNICEF ambassadors.
“When we were appointed, we got a sense of mission,” Barakatt said. During his term, Barakatt in 2009 composed and orchestrated the UNICEF Anthem Lullaby, a monumental undertaking that involved 250 artists worldwide. The artist took his time on the project, to ensure Lullaby would be a well-crafted piece of music that could stand the test of time and be played by future generations.
It took a year to complete, recording different segments in different parts of the world. On November 20, 2009, the anthem was officially launched on five continents with performances by 15 symphony orchestras and a dedicated event in the International Space Station, a joint project of the five space agencies of the United States, Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada.
Since 1995, Barakatt has composed music for many Cantopop stars. So it felt like the natural choice for him to have Beijing-born Hong Kong singer Leon Lai Ming, his long-time friend and professional collaborator, sing the opening verse of Lullaby.
The anthem has been performed at many events around the world. “Music is harmony. I do believe that it’s very important to create more and more links. And I think music plays a big role in inspiring people and is definitely a nice language to create,” the musician said.
Today, he also tries to create more connections between China and other countries.
“I think people [in the rest of the world] just don’t know a lot about China. I always tell my friends to come and visit China and I tell my Chinese friends to come and visit Canada,” Barakatt said, adding there’s nothing better than forging bonds between people.
“This is what I say to all my friends, around the world, when they ask me how I’m doing. I tell them, ‘I’m having an amazing time in China. People are open, friendly. You should visit China, enjoy it, come as a tourist, enjoy the beautiful cuisine, etc.’,” he added.
“We should [all] get to know each other better,” Barakatt concluded.