More than one hundred artists and personalities from culture and politics came together this Saturday (18th) under the motto "One World: Together At Home". Promoted by WHO, the musical event, in the spirit of "Live Aid", from 1985, raised USD 127.9 million, destined to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Thanks to health professionals and slogans of hope were the most repeated messages during the eight hours of presentations and speeches on social networks, which culminated in a great televised concert in which stars like the Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga (who acted as "curator" Jennifer Lopez, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder sang from their homes
Although the charity concert sought to raise donations for the Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund, viewers were asked from the beginning to "not touch their pockets", because on this occasion, the responsibility for donations was in the hands of large companies and leaders worldwide.
From the artists' house to the world. The performance that best summed up the spirit of the moment was that of Taylor Swift, who at the end of the night presented her song Soon You'll Get Better, with lyrics dedicated to her mother, in treatment against cancer, which this time seemed like a message from encouragement for the whole planet.
The global situation was remembered during the event. Images of cities like Paris, Madrid, London, New York and Buenos Aires were projected completely empty.
One of the most anticipated moments was the appearance of the Rolling Stones, which, if in their almost 60 years of career they still needed to do something, added a very peculiar performance to their list: they interpreted, by video call, You Can't Always Get What You Want. Each did it from their home, with the screen divided into four. Mick Jagger started to sing on his guitar; Keith Richards - with a beer on the table - and Ronnie Wood got together then, and finally Charlie Watts played a peculiar drums, built with everyday objects and a lot of imagination. It was a pleasant and homely scene, which was repeated in each of the musical attractions. Because, although the lack of audience and scenery made this type of concert a meeting without physical presence, those responsible for the entertainment of the public did not fail to give it a soul.
Even social distance did not prevent collaborations like that of John Legend and Sam Smith, who together played the classic Ben E. King Stand By Me. Jennifer Lopez, who sang People, by Barbra Streisand, in her garden, and Lady Gaga, who played Smile, by Nat King Cole, on the piano, also opted for classical songs.
There were also times for the Spanish language by the voices of Maluma, with his own version of Carnaval, by Celia Cruz, and an appearance by J Balvin in which he gave advice, in English and Spanish, to prevent the spread of the virus. Invoking the "carnival" of life, asking that the "smile" not be lost, inviting the "union of the people" or stating that "soon everything will be better", the titles of the chosen songs built the great message of the event.
The exceptional circumstances and social media allowed the public to find remarkable moments outside of the official broadcast. Netizens applauded the excitement that Lady Gaga showed on Instagram before the event started, and she even posted videos dancing in front of the television while Elton John and Stevie Wonder performed. Other celebrities, like Oprah Winfrey, shared on Twitter images of the dinner prepared to accompany the occasion. Taylor Swift used social media to thank the support of her fans as soon as she finished her presentation.
Among the presentations, several - and varied - personalities took the opportunity to send their messages. One of the first was the UN secretary general, António Guterres, who asked that "the universal language of music" be used to thank health workers and people affected by the pandemic. Former United States first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush also appeared in the same video, minutes before Bill and Melinda Gates. Beyoncé, who did not sing, sent a message of thanks, dedicating the night "to doctors, nurses, those in the food industry, postal and cleaning services who make it possible that we can be safe in our homes"
