Professor Proposes Duet with Pink
A UMaine professor has posted a YouTube video in which he asks pop singer Pink if she will perform a Christmas duet with him in order to raise funds for female mass rape victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Martin recently posted the video in which he proposes he and Pink collaborate on the song, “Happy Christmas,” which was written by John Lennon. All of the funds from the duet would be donated to Doctors Without Borders, an international aid organization with programs in the Congo.
In the video, in which Martin speaks directly to Pink, he says the Congo is easily the most miserable place for women on the earth. More than 2 million women have been raped in the Congo in recent years as a means of political intimidation and retaliation, he notes.
“The situation in this part of Africa has been tugging on my conscience for quite some time,” Martin says.
Martin picked Pink not only for her powerful singing voice, but also because he sees humanity in her songwriting.
The YouTube video shows Martin singing part of “Happy Christmas.” He says in the video he does not want to take any of the potential profits. Martin envisions the recording being released for Christmas 2012.
Martin is the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences-Honors Preceptor of Journalism and a columnist for Columbia Journalism Review. Prior to joining the UMaine faculty, Martin reported from more than a dozen countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and Israel.
A three-time Grammy Award winner, Pink is one of the top-selling pop artists of the last decade. She has released five albums and a greatest hits compilation.
Contact: Justin D. Martin, (207) 659-4223 or justin.d.martin@maine.edu; Jessica Bloch, (207) 581-3777 or jessica.bloch@umit.maine.edu