BEHIND THE MUSIC
Music and philanthropy have built a sturdy friendship over the past few decades, and PW Gopal is no exception. While some musicians participate in worthy causes like We Are The World and Fundraiser for Katrina, independent singer-songwriter PW launched his own grassroots campaign from nothing more than an airplane ticket and a song.
“From the moment I heard about the tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2005, I knew I had to help,” PW said. “I put a post on my website and within hours, three people responded with suggestions of specific ways I could get involved.” Ever the passionate soul, he traveled to Sri Lanka to see the devastation first-hand. That’s when his creative side kicked in—he penned the song “My Beautiful Love” for the Sri Lankans, and he launched a plan to capture footage of the area, interview the people affected by the disaster, and compile the footage into a documentary.
“No one is hearing about what’s going on in Sri Lanka,” he said. “Much of the country remains uninhabitable; so nineteen million people are shoved into little cities. I want to extend that information to my listeners via this documentary, because if they hear, they may seize the chance to help out with humanitarian aid.” And people are beginning to listen. In fact, his story and music caught the ears of people at the White House, who invited him to play for an event in 2006.
PW’s interest in Sri Lanka is not just a passing fad—in fact, it runs in his blood. He is a Sri Lankan native, and most of his family still resides there in the Tamil region. He lived in Sri Lanka briefly, but grew up in Columbus, Ohio, spent his summers milking cows on his grandmother’s dairy farm in Amish country, and now calls Boston home. Upon meeting PW, it’s obvious that his culture is not related so much to the country he came from as from the unique journey of his life.
“I’m a bit of a redneck,” he confesses. But it’s obvious that there’s more to him than just a generic stereotype, especially as he’s knit all the pieces of his life together through his work as a documentarian and his music.
Sonically, PW possesses the authentic, Americana, singer-songwriter vibe of Edwin McCain or Bebo Norman. Along with warm vocals and melodies so solid they could hold water, his lyrics carry in an unexpected weight and wisdom.
PW has released four CDs including his latest, Live at the South Charleston Opera House, and has played over three hundred concerts in the last few years. What keeps him motivated, though, is the knowledge that his music provides a far-reaching platform to promote change for those who may never hear his music at all. “There will always be some cause to champion,” he says, “But I want to reach the people who are as passionate as I am about this. Those are the people I want at my side when I go to offer aid in Sri Lanka.”
By Tara Leigh Cobble
www.taraleighcobble.com
