Diplomatic

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Rise and Shine : to see the world shine, let your heart rise

Rise & Shine is the first album and graphic novel by electro funk-rock artist Diplomatic. Through words, pictures and music, he shares his deeply personal transformation into a real-life superhero with a humanitarian mission. Told with the aid of medical journals based on actual meetings with a psychiatrist, the story reveals how Diplomatic overcame the inner turmoil of his early life by embracing the spiritual practice of Falun Gong. Since his awakening, he has dedicated his musical talent to helping end the ongoing persecution of his fellow practitioners in China. Born in Finland to a Swedish diplomat family, Oliver Actis Hallqvist moved around in his childhood. He grew up in Tokyo, New York, Helsinki and Stockholm. Oliver dropped out of high school to pursue a career in music, but when he was 18 he suddenly found himself haunted by invisible energies.The strange sensations made him question his sanity and hindered his ability to function normally in society. Suffering from deep-set anxieties and emotional isolation, Oliver sought professional help. Unable to find answers in psycho-therapy, he turned his attention to Eastern philosophies. He discovered the spiritual practice of Falun Gong, which taught him how to accept the invisible energies and break free of his inner turmoil. Not long after Oliver´s discovery of Falun Gong it was outlawed in China, the land of it´s origin. The Communist Party viewed the practice as a threat and issued a crack-down. Chaos soon replaced the lives of Falun Gong´s peaceful adherents. Those who did not disown their faith were sent to the notorious Lao Gai concentration camps, where their organs were harvested for global, commercial trade. This persecution continues today. Medias of the world have remained silent due to China´s political clout. Oliver took to the streets handing out flyers to spread information about what was happening in China. Feeling he could reach more people through music, he adopted a superhero persona and set out to make an album and an autobiographical comic book about how he discovered Falun Gong. After a decade of relentless work, his efforts now come to fruition on the graphic album, Rise and Shine. Blending together different styles of music, notably electronica, alternative rock, funk and hip hop, Diplomatic takes to the stage to shine a light on the injustices against Falun Gong´s followers. Book contains CD. Listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/album/5fUafZcV49etxsamHazCnq