TANZANIA: 'Tusimame,' A Call To Action on World Elephant

Today is World Elephant Day, a global event dedicated to raising awareness about the crisis these animals face at the hands of poachers and the illegal wildlife trade.

An estimated 96 elephants die every day for their ivory. That's four elephants every hour.

As WildAid celebrates this annual call to action, we'd like to share a music video project by four talented African artists who are using their celebrity for good: Emmanual Jal, Vanessa Mdee, Juliani and Syssi Managa. Check out TUSIMAME ("Let's Stand") below.

South Sudan's EMMANUEL JAL, the internationally acclaimed recording artist, author, actor and inspiring humanitarian has joined forces with some of music’s biggest stars, including Tanzania's VANESSA MDEE, Congo's SYSSI MANANGA and Kenya's JULIANI in the making of TUSIMAME, a pan-African musical stand against the destruction of Africa's heritage and for the protection of Africa's elephants - as part of We Want Peace's (WWP) #StandForElephants campaign.

‘In 1970, there were approximately 1.5 million elephants residing in Africa. Today there are fewer than 500,000. An average of 90 elephants are slaughtered every day and if this continues, there will be no African elephants left in the next 200 years’ said Emmanuel Jal. ‘Music is one of the world’s most powerful tools when it comes to provoking emotion and inspiring real change. We need to take responsibility of our eco-system, and our nature, and elephants are a beautiful and crucial part of that nature’.

All 4 participating music stars, We Want Peace advocates, international influencers, artists, the diplomatic sector and international organisations such as Wild Aid, The Woodtiger Fund, Tribe hotel, bougi, Ambassador Robert F. Godec, Wildlife Direct, Sauti Sol, Octopizzo, Just A Band, Rozan Ahmed, Dr. Paula Kahumbu and many more have come together in musical solidarity and support of We Want Peace's latest movement - highlighting the significance of cultural heritage in the urgency of wildlife conservation.

TUSIMAME's accompanying music video, filmed in partnership with WildAid, is one of the most memorable music videos the African continent has ever produced. Shot entirely in Kenya, TUSIMAME takes you on a strikingly beautiful journey of joy, unity, style and African tradition. The breathtaking footage of all elephants used in the video is courtesy of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and WildAid.

Directed by: Enos Olik
Art Direction: Rozan Ahmed
Styling: Annabel Onyango
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Special thanks to: The WoodTiger Fund, The David Sheldrick WildLife Trust, WildAid, WildLife Direct, EarthTones and Tribe Hotel, Kenya