Hamilton/Toronto’s TRIBZ Bring Indigenous Soul, R&B, and Blues to International Day of Peace With “Save the World”
On International Day of Peace, TRIBZ bring their Indigenous roots and genre-spanning soul, R&B, and blues to the forefront. With the release of their official video “Save the World” and a live performance at Hamilton’s Corktown Pub, the band affirms its role as PEAC’s Official ‘Pause for Peace’ International Peace Ambassador for Canada.
TRIBZ is more than a band; it is a coalition of experience, heritage, and conviction. Comprised of Juno Award–winning vocalist Errol Starr Francis, Six Nations Tuscarora guitarist Earl Johnson, Mohawk bassist Donny Hill, and Hamilton drummer Dave Davidson, the group has over four decades each of lived musical history. Their music is a melting pot of R&B, blues, Motown, reggae, rock, and Indigenous tradition, unified under a mission of peace, love, and empowerment.
“Save the World” carries both urgency and uplift. “Save the world… let’s save the world for the children,” the chorus insists, sung over modern reggae with an R&B feel and a reggaeton intro. The song is described by the band as a statement on global crises — war in the Middle East, conflict in Ukraine, and the displacement of Indigenous people worldwide. Yet it is also deeply personal.
Francis reflects,
“I do have grandkids and I am wondering, what kind of world are they going to be in if we don’t start to turn some of this around?”
The track was born from guitarist Johnson’s initial lyrics, fleshed out collectively by the band. Donny Hill describes it as both message and method:
“Maybe we can show other people through music… it’s nice to show that we can come together no matter what our lineage is, and hopefully put on something positive.”
Recorded with community contributions, the single includes a children’s choir and features Candy Barrotti on vocals, Don Baird on keyboards, and Isax InJah on horns. This intergenerational collaboration amplifies the message of legacy and responsibility, embedding hope in the very structure of the song.
As Peace Ambassadors, TRIBZ emphasize that peace is not abstract. “Peace comes from within,” Francis notes. “It starts at home and in the end that vibration can go out into the community, into the culture and eventually into the world.” For the band, the International Day of Peace is not symbolic — it is a chance to practice peace in real time, through performance and community gathering.
The Corktown show, scheduled from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m., will be broadcast internationally as part of PEAC Institute’s 24-hour “Pause for Peace” global concert. Organized in partnership with LIVE Peace, the festival brings together voices across continents, with TRIBZ representing Canada’s Indigenous and R&B lineage.
TRIBZ’s trajectory has always reflected a balance of lived heritage and contemporary urgency. Johnson’s history with King Biscuit Boy and Moxy, Hill’s grounding in Rez Blues and collaborations with Murray Porter, Davidson’s decades on global stages, and Francis’s legacy as the voice behind the Canadian soul hit “Angel” all converge in this new chapter.
For the band, “Save the World” is not just a song but a declaration. “We are for Peace! This is the main thing,” Francis states. It is an anthem for a moment that demands attention, a soundtrack for a day that insists on change.
The music video, produced by Vance World Media, captures TRIBZ in landscapes that mirror the scope of their vision — rooted, expansive, and urgent. With each refrain, the band extends an invitation: to sing, to act, and to remember that peace is collective work.