Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli Reunited for Incredible Star-Studded 'The Prayer' Performance
Andrea Bocelli has been keeping busy lately with a new breed of concert: Remote, social-distance-respecting online performances.
While typical concerts require fees and travel, these new concerts can be enjoyed from wherever you are. It’s different for the performers, too, who no longer face scores of people in an audience or have the razzle-dazzle of a stage and crew.
But that hasn’t stopped them from making music, and on April 18, the One World: Together at Home event featured a ton of well-known artists in a bid to raise funds for WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
“One World: Together At Home is a campaign rallying funds for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization,” the Global Citizen website states. “The WHO’s mission for COVID-19 is to prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic.”
“This Fund, powered by the UN Foundation, goes directly to WHO’s rapid response to COVID-19. So far, the WHO has shipped over 2 million items of PPE to 133 countries and 1.5 million testing kits to 126 countries.”
So, in honor of the medical employees who’ve put their lives on the line, in support of those fighting the virus and in solidarity with everyone sheltering in place, musical stars came together to use their talents for good.
The concert was available across a variety of platforms.
⭕️We’re LIVE! Tune in to One World: #TogetherAtHome for performances from some of the world’s biggest artists, stories from frontline workers, and insights from health experts. It’s all in support of the @WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Watch now: https://t.co/Yu68OWPvHG
— Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn) April 18, 2020
The performances were punctuated by speeches and first-person accounts from those on the front lines.
One of the performances, of course, was by four big names belting out a big song. As such, it was the last song of the concert and left the event on a powerful note.
Sung by Andrea Bocelli and Céline Dion in 1999 (nominated for an Academy Award and winning a Golden Globe award for Best Original Song), this rendition was performed by the original two plus John Legend and Lady Gaga. Lang Lang, the Chinese concert pianist, played the piano.
“@LadyGaga, @CelineDion, @AndreaBocelli, @Lang_Lang, and @JohnLegend’s incredible One World: #TogetherAtHome final performance will leave you speechless,” Global Citizen tweeted with a video of the performance. “Join us as we all unite as a global community against COVID-19.”
The fundraiser — which was curated by Lady Gaga — was a success. Shortly after the event aired, the Global Citizen Twitter account announced how much had been raised.
“$127.9 million for COVID-19 relief,” the organization shared. “That is the power and impact of One World: #TogetherAtHome.”
“To everyone around the world: Stay strong, stay safe, we will be together in person soon.”
Lady Gaga sent out her own thanks to viewers as well.
“Thank you with all of my heart for watching #TogetherAtHome, sharing in a global moment of kindness with each other, and spreading positive and loving intentions,” Lady Gaga shared on Facebook. “We love you.”
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