On Saturday 16th of January 2016, hundreds of animal welfare campaigners marched across London to demonstrate outside the Japanese Embassy and also paid tribute to the late David Bowie by singing his iconic track ‘Heroes’.
Bowie, gave his permission for it to be used in the Oscar-winning documentary, The Cove. It has become a rallying cry for people around the world working to end the killing and capture of whales and dolphins. The song, which includes the lyrics “I, I wish you could swim/Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim,” accompanies the closing credits of the 2009 documentary which brought global attention to the annual slaughter in Taiji.
Ric O’Barry, star of The Cove and founder of Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project, said that during the film’s closing credits, “people jump out of their seats and want to do something. That song reenergizes people and helps keep the issue alive. Sometimes I meet people and when they recognize me, they start singing ‘Heroes.’”
“There is nothing to galvanize a community around a movement like a movie and with every social movement, you always needed songs,” Psihoyos said. “This was a song for that moment.”
”'Heroes' is our theme song and they’re going to play it loud. The Japanese government will have a very difficult time dealing with that PR nightmare. Thank you, David Bowie.
Ric O’BarryFounder of Dolphin Project
Promo video for March for the dolphins of Taiji. First uploaded 10th January 2016
“Our light shines through the darkness.
Our light will never fade it will only grow brighter. Our light states that we will never give up until this ends.
We stand together as ‘One Voice’.
The world is watching you.”
Jo Phillips #1Voice4Dolphins
Credits: Snow Patrol, Martyn Stewart, Heather Hill, Dianne Bartlett, Dolphin Project
(c) Jo Phillips
”David Bowie could have charged us tens of thousands of dollars to license 'Heroes' for The Cove - we didn't have that kind of money - but one could dream. Pop Songs by superstars like him can license for 6-7 figures. He made his publishers take that absolute minimum they would take and we were charged nearly nothing for that song. Rest in peace, Mr. Bowie - you are my hero.
Louie PsihoyosDirector of The Cove
(c) Press Association
First Uploaded: 18th January 2016. Credits to Paul Fletcher for picture use and Fishinabox for use of track ‘Taiji Cove’
Press articles reached millions of people around the world
- Dolphin activists pay tribute to David Bowie at demo
- David Bowie Remembered as a ‘Hero’ For Taiji’s Dolphins Thanks to This One Kind Act
- David Bowie Is a Hero to Activists Fighting the Dolphin Slaughter in Japan
- David Bowie hailed ‘ultimate animal hero’ for allowing song to be whaling protest anthem
- David Bowie’s Song ‘Heroes’ an Anthem for Dolphin and Whale Activists Worldwide
- We Can Be Heroes
- David Bowie to enter Wildlife Hall of Fame after helping dolphin slaughter protests
- Why David Bowie Is A Hero To Animal Rights Activists Everywhere
- Japanese embassy protest: Activists sing David Bowie classic to campaign against the killing of dolphins
- Dolphin activists pay tribute to David Bowie at demo
- David Bowie to enter Wildlife Hall of Fame after helping dolphin slaughter protests
- Dolphin activists pay tribute to David Bowie at demo
- Capital London Radio / LBC Radio / Sussex News / Heart Radio
(c) Jo Phillips – We Can Be Heroes by Sharon Bull, Huffington Post
