VIDEOS

How does one respond to the horrific and inhuman invasion of Ukraine by Russia? Millions of people around the world, including many Russians, have united against this atrocity. Meanwhile, I have written a song dedicated to the courageous people of Ukraine. My hope is to spread the song/video virally to people around the world to help raise spirits and money - the latter, to three of many organizations providing humanitarian and medical relief to the brave and deserving Ukrainian people! UNICEF Ukraine Relief Fund Ukraine - Doctors Without Borders United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) I want to thank Rick Riso for his heartfelt performance, Marty Rifkin for his extraordinary musicianship and production, Grant Maloy Smith for the video - and many friends and family whose contributions are making this entire project possible. ~ Ron O.

Songwriter Ron Ovadia is pleased to announce the release of his latest song and video, "Make America Whole Again," dedicated to restoring unity in our deeply divided nation. Ron was inspired to write the song and produce a companion video in the run-up to the 2018 election as a response to the “Make America Great Again” campaign. He felt compelled to do an updated music video prior to the 2020 election that was more in tune with current events in our country. But the basic message is the same. "I try to write songs that are relevant and can help connect people," said Ron. "At a time when our country is so politically fractured, I wanted to try to infuse a spirit of unity – celebrating our diversity and reminding people that we are at our best when we are ‘one’ instead of bickering factions.” The song, "Make America Whole Again," has been released across all major music platforms, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, TIDAL, Spotify and more. There is also a powerful music video available on YouTube and on Ron's official website. “Make America Whole Again” was a collaborative effort that evolved from its initial video, created by Chip Garamella, to this current version, created by Billboard® Top 10 artist Grant Maloy Smith. Ron was fortunate to collaborate with Grant, who had done his previous music video for “Heroes of the Front Line,” which celebrates the essential workers, as everyday heroes, who have put themselves on the line in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. “I always love working with Ron – he has a clear vision of what he wants to say, and that makes my job a pleasure to do. And of course, we Americans need to start listening to each other instead of fighting all the time,” commented Smith. The lead vocalists are Markey Lennon, long-time lead singer of the popular LA-based band, Venice, and Teresa James, a Texas-born, LA-based recording artist with several albums to her credit. Ron loved the musical connection they had created on another song project, “Voices of Democracy” (Levine/Ovadia, 2009), and wanted to recapture that energy. Ron hopes the song will not only help celebrate our unity, but also galvanize voters to elect a unifying figure as president who will restore a sense of normalcy in a nation that has become increasingly divided under the current administration. Learn more about Ron and his music on his official website at www.ronovadiamusic.com.

"Heroes of The Front Line,” by songwriter Ron Ovadia, celebrates the everyday heroes who put themselves in harm's way to protect the rest of us. And they’re still doing it! Ron was inspired to write the song after seeing the selfless sacrifice so many healthcare and essential workers were making in response to the Coronavirus. He wanted to make sure there was an anthem honoring them. "I write songs and anthems with positive messages," said Ron. "An epochal event like COVID-19 creates heroes. Our neighbors. Our friends. Our family. Regular people going about their daily lives, like all of us, until circumstances put them in critical positions requiring heroic response. They’re regular people who rise to the occasion to meet these challenges." In this case, that challenge had life and death consequences. The song, "Heroes Of The Frontline," has been released across all major music platforms, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, Google Play and Spotify. There is also a powerful music video available on YouTube and on Ron's official website. “Heroes of the Front Line” was a collaborative effort featuring award-winning producer, Jeff Silverman of Palette Music Studio Productions (MSP) and Virtual Studio Networks, in Nashville. "Ron asked me to produce his song, and I was proud to be part of it," commented Jeff. "This song goes right to the heart of what we're all going through.” Ron was also fortunate to collaborate with Billboard Top 10 artist Grant Maloy Smith, who created the video. "This was not just a job, but a celebration of the nurses, doctors, EMTs, police and everyone who stepped up when the Coronavirus hit. It was so fulfilling to work on it.” The lead vocalist was Rick Riso, whom Ron has worked with over the years on several music projects. Rick brought not only the right voice to the track, but also the right sentiment, with a heartfelt performance worthy of the many deserving heroes. Ron hopes the song will create indelible connections between people and communities in the face of the Coronavirus and remind us that we are all in this together. Learn more about Ron on his website at https://www.ronovadiamusic.com

Songwriter Ron Ovadia is pleased to announce the release of his latest song and lyric-video, "No Place For Hate," dedicated to restoring unity in our deeply divided nation. Ron was inspired to write the song as an antidote to the pain so many of us have felt these past few years, and as a way of hopefully beginning to heal some of the wounds.   "I try to write songs that are relevant and can help connect people," said Ron. "At a time when our country is so politically fractured, I wanted to try to infuse a spirit of unity, reminding people that love and respect are so much more powerful that the hate and bitterness that is so prevalent.   The song, "No Place For Hate,," has been released across all major music platforms, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, TIDAL, Spotify and more. There is also a lyric-music video available on YouTube and on Ron's official website. "No Place For Hate" should be distributed along with any COVID-19 vaccine as a hate-antidote companion." ~ Ron Becijos, M.Ed., San Diego, CA   “No Place For Hate” was a collaborative effort that began when a close friend sent Ron the image of a lady at a demonstration holding the placard, “No Place For Hate.” “This concept was a song waiting to be written!” said Ron, who realized how timely the message was. Ron collaborated on the video with Billboard® Top 10 artist Grant Maloy Smith, who had previously done music videos for Ron’s songs, “Heroes of the Front Line” and “Make America Whole Again.” “I always love working with Ron – he has a clear vision of what he wants to say, and that makes my job a pleasure to do. And of course, we Americans need to start listening to each other instead of fighting all the time,” commented Smith. ​ The song features vocalist Tina Meeks, with LA-based r&b singer Teresa James, who has sung lead on two of Ron’s previous songs, singing background vocals. It was co-produced by Ron and Santa Monica-based producer-musician, Marty Rifkin. Because of the logistical obstacles of having a single recording session due the Coronavirus pandemic, it was recorded at five different studios.   Ron hopes the song will not only help bridge the divide between those who have different points of view—and, in the words of the song, help us “let hate go (so we can) “let love in.” As Coretta Scott King said, “Hate injures the hater more than it injures the hated.” The song and video can be seen here on Ron's official website at: www.ronovadiamusic.com. ​

Music by Matthew Levine; lyric by Ron Ovadia. This song pays tribute to Iran’s fearless Green Movement and the courageous Iranians who protested Iran’s controversial 2010 election results. During this peaceful protest, millions took to the streets, demanding the removal of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from office. The color “green” was initially used as the symbol of Mir Hossein Mousavi, his rival, but after the election it became the symbol of unity and hope for Iranians demanding democratic and fair elections. The song features both Western and Iranian musical instruments and was recorded under sensitive conditions in which most of the Iranian musicians did not want to be named for fear of reprisals to their families back in Iran. Markey Lennon and Teresa James sang the lead vocals, with the Farsi vocals and chanting by Shifteh Menalagha and Farbod Jinchi, who also wrote the Farsi parts. Director and editor Rod Baharloo had access to all the footage that made the video possible. The video’s unrefined quality reflects the spirit of the overall project, which was to show this event with all its rough edges and not try in any way to sanitize it.