Blog
June 3, 2012
The Marley family generously granted me use of “No Woman, No Cry” for the title of the documentary film I directed and produced in 2010 as well as permission for Martha Wainwright to cover the legendary Bob Marley tune for the end credits of the film. This version was also featured on our first Every Mother Counts Starbucks CD compilation in 2011. We got together that same year with Donna Mastropasqua, the executive director of 1Love.org, to find out how we could work together to further our missions and she told us about a company called Lyric Culture that makes stylish clothing with lyrics on the product. They offered to share the proceeds of a Lyric Culture T-shirt and scarf with Every Mother Counts. Together we agreed that the lyrics to “Get Up, Stand Up” were the perfect call to action for maternal health and we started promoting them in May around Mother's Day. The lyrics are printed on the inside of the t-shirts and were handwritten by both Cedella Marley and Christy. But this Lyric Culture project grew into much more. Cedella Marley eventually went into the studio to record the song and it is featured on Every Mother Counts 2012 Starbucks CD.
June 2, 2012
During the month of May, Starbucks sold our Every Mother Counts 2012 compilation, an album we worked on together. Moms and dads alike came together with songs about or inspired by their children and parenthood. It quickly became Starbucks’ top seller with over 28,000 CDs sold so far and we even reached #45 on the Billboard charts. The CD is sold out on-line but is still available at Starbucks retail stores—if you do not see it at the counter, please ask for it, as many stores will have it in the back.
June 1, 2012
In the spring of 2012 I was hard at work trying to finish “No Woman, No Cry” for the TriBeca Film Festival, I received an email from Howard Schulz, CEO of Starbucks Coffee. We had met briefly the previous year through our friends at Product (RED) and it had come to his attention that I was working on a documentary film about maternal health. He then asked, “What can Starbucks do to support your efforts?”
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