Album Notes

Famous names line up for the Wilberforce Project: a commemorative album celebrating 200 years since the abolition of the UK slave trade. WILBERFORCE 200 is a compilation album commemorating the bi-centenary of the abolition of slavery. This is an exquisite collection of popular songs, sung by famous music artists we all know and love, and some we don’t... The CD features performances by legendary acts such as Billy Ocean, Junior, Ruby Turner and Janet Kay as well as younger well known musical figures such as Roachford and the X Factor’s Maria Lawson to name but a few. The album features both new songs and classics such as ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ and ‘Respect.’ ‘Wilberforce 200’ is named after William Wilberforce, the English politician and philanthropist, who headed the parliamentary campaign against the slave trade, culminating in the passing of the Slave Trade Act in 1807. 200 years later in 2007 -to commemorate this important historical landmark - the City of Hull has run events and activities throughout the year focusing on slavery and emancipation. Unimaginable as it seems, slavery and bonded labour still persists today. Although the slave trade was officially banned in the early 1800s, the last 50 years have seen a resurgence of slavery due to changes in the world’s economy and societies. Factors such as population growth (particularly in the developing world), rapid social and economic change, as well as corruption have all made their mark. The Wilberforce 200 album is not just about history and Hull, but about connecting with projects and partners to put the abolition into a modern context. With music being such a powerful force of expression, this compilation is the perfect partner to such a vital historical event.