The tribute to Cornell which appears at the end of “The Promise” video
The official music video for Chris Cornell‘s song “The Promise,” his last release before he died on May 17 at 52, was issued on World Refugee Day today (June 20) by Survival Pictures. At the time the song was release on March 10, Cornell said: “We must educate and stand as one to combat this fear and violence, and as citizens of the world, work to protect each other’s human rights.”
Cornell, the lead vocalist, primary songwriter and rhythm guitarist of Soundgarden, and one of the architects of the grunge movement, was found dead in his hotel room following a performance in Detroit. He was also a key member of the band Audioslave,
“Chris Cornell was not only a dear family friend for many years, but he was also a once-in-a-generation talent who is missed more than words can convey. It was such an honor to collaborate and partner on ‘The Promise’ over the years,” said Eric Esrailian, Producer of “The Promise” and Co-Manager for Survival Pictures. “His music and lyrics will not only shine a light on the Armenian Genocide and the human rights crisis of modern times, but they will also inspire people and provide hope for years to come.”
Related: Rock stars mourn Cornell
Esrailian added, “Although it is bittersweet because Chris filmed his performance in Brooklyn, NY, shortly before his passing, he wanted his video to be released on World Refugee Day, and he was passionate about helping people through this project. True to Chris’s charitable spirit, he made a commitment to donate all of his proceeds from ‘The Promise’ to support refugees and children, and to further the conversation about the refugee crisis the world continues to endure.”
The video was directed by Grammy Award-winning director Meiert Avis (Audioslave, U2) and Stefan Smith (Madonna, Sting). “The Promise” is Cornell’s last music video performance. It also includes media donated by Academy Award-nominated director Evgeny Afineesvky (HBO’s Cries from Syria), UNESCO Prize for Peace Recipient SOS Méditerranée, Freshwater Films (Ross Kemp’s Libya’s Migrant Hell), Keo Films (Exodus: Our Journey To Europe), Nazik Armenakyan (Survivors), Human Rights Watch, Refugee Rescue, and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Watch “The Promise”
At the time of the song’s release Cornell said, “‘The Promise’ to me is mainly about paying homage to those we lost in the Armenian Genocide, but it’s also about shining a light on more recent atrocities. The same methods used in the Armenian Genocide were used to carry out crimes against humanity in Bosnia, Darfur, Rwanda and right now in Syria on multiple fronts, contributing to a massive global refugee crisis. Unfortunately, the words ‘never again’ seem like just words when we recall these mass executions of the twentieth century, as well as renewed racism and prejudice around the world.
“Even in the US, the warning signs – isolating groups based on race and religion – are evident. We really need to tell these stories and keep telling them in as many different ways as we can. As humans, we have a tremendous capacity to trudge ahead in our lives and not look at the difficult and challenging moments… but I think it’s important. Educating ourselves on the past is the best way to understand the present and avoid future atrocities by understanding and intervening. We must educate and stand as one to combat this fear and violence, and as citizens of the world, work to protect each other’s human rights.”
In April 2017, Cornell and his family toured refugee camps in Greece and it was there that they decided The Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation would focus its efforts on child refugees and the issues affecting them including education, health and human trafficking.
Watch Cornell perform “The Promise” in April on CBS This Morning‘s program Saturday Sessions
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