Mumbai:
If Hollywood celebrity Nicholas Snow has his way, his magnum opus video, The Power To Be Strong, which is considered by many to be the anthem for gays around the world, may soon be seen in an all-new desi avatar.
The HIV-positive singer, actor, songwriter and activist, who held the world premiere of the safe sex awareness music video at the Kashish -- Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, now wants to reach out to a wider audience in rural and urban India.
He not only plans to translate the song into regional languages, but also wants to have it sung by local singers.
Snow said the original musical score struck him when he tested positive for HIV in 2008. It was then that he discovered that the vital issue was almost never spoken about in countries, including India.
"Coming out with my HIV-positive status, I aimed to create a campaign to reach out to millions of people and inform them about the importance of voluntary HIV testing and increased adherence to safer sex. Re-recording the song in Hindi first is the next logical step as the language is understood by about 1.2 billion people, which is approximately one-sixth of the world's population. I feel humbled to be part of an appeal which sounds so simple and is still so deep" said Snow.
Snow added that he was in touch with Mumbai-based master Mariner and ship owner Mehernosh Shroff, who had volunteered to coordinate his venture in the city.
When contacted, Shroff said that it was during one of his conversations with Snow that he was able to drive home the point that mere Hindi subtitles for the song were not enough if he wanted to reach out to a large section of the society.
The HIV-positive singer, actor, songwriter and activist, who held the world premiere of the safe sex awareness music video at the Kashish -- Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, now wants to reach out to a wider audience in rural and urban India.
He not only plans to translate the song into regional languages, but also wants to have it sung by local singers.
Snow said the original musical score struck him when he tested positive for HIV in 2008. It was then that he discovered that the vital issue was almost never spoken about in countries, including India.
"Coming out with my HIV-positive status, I aimed to create a campaign to reach out to millions of people and inform them about the importance of voluntary HIV testing and increased adherence to safer sex. Re-recording the song in Hindi first is the next logical step as the language is understood by about 1.2 billion people, which is approximately one-sixth of the world's population. I feel humbled to be part of an appeal which sounds so simple and is still so deep" said Snow.
Snow added that he was in touch with Mumbai-based master Mariner and ship owner Mehernosh Shroff, who had volunteered to coordinate his venture in the city.
When contacted, Shroff said that it was during one of his conversations with Snow that he was able to drive home the point that mere Hindi subtitles for the song were not enough if he wanted to reach out to a large section of the society.
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