In 2009 a group made up of 56 italian musical artists joined together and made [this song](https://youtu.be/kaiekFL69dM?si=Jm02QqNmn3Rsbeyr) to raise money for the italian region of Abruzzo, recently hit by an earthquake. A lot like “We are the World.”

So I was wondering, has there ever been one or more occasions in which a group of artists from your country has come together to work toward a common cause? I’d love to know and maybe see/hear what was created.

11 comments

  1. [Forente Artister – Sammen for Livet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beXKK0WHZCk&ab_channel=Mimre-TV) (1985)

    All the greatest artist of norway’s music scene from 70s/80s gathered to raise money for starving people in africa.

    [Forente Artister – Venn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LyaYmHP9yg&ab_channel=JensKristianJacobsen) (2005)

    Some of greatest artist of norway’s music scene from 90s/00s gathered to raise money for victims of the tsunami.

    You non-norwegian has most likely not heard of 90% of them.. though as an italian.. maybeyou would recognize Lene Marlin ? Was said to have had great success in italy then.

  3. There might be others, but there’s the ~~kinda amusing~~ iconic “Swedish Metal Aid” singing “[Give a helpin’ hand](https://youtu.be/lby7ZSfGmEY?si=pDyuOXDZTtvmEwO0)”. I can’t find the classic video for it on YT, but it’s a load of metal bands singing a song to help the children in Africa, in 1985. It’s clearly very inspired by band aid, but looks more like a cut scene from Spinal tap. They sold ca. 50,000 copies, so they presumably did some good (while collectively being responsible for at least one ozone hole).

  4. No, my countrymen aren’t so arrogant as to think they know what the rest of the world needs or wants.

  5. We have a children’s choir founded by the social democratic broadcaster in 1979, called “Kinderen voor kinderen” (“children for childen”). Their songs are written by professional songwriters based on topics submitted by schoolchildren. Initially the songs were meant to raise funds for a toy donation campaign for children in developing countries, hence “children for children”. This action ended 1991 however. Nowadays the choir is more about giving voice to domestic societal or personal issues affecting children, rather than international solidarity. Nevertheless, they have occasionally released charity singles for natural disaster relief since then.

  6. I dont think we have anything on that scale and that famous in the Netherlands. There are some collaborations though

    [Als Je Iets Kan Doen – Artiesten voor Azië](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l12kpnnUyVQ) (for the 2004 tsunami)

    not really artists, but YouTubers: [Geef om jou](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkrc9t_sFNU) (2017, hurricane Sint Maarten, donated to red cross)

    [Koningslied](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEUKyKb4g6k) (2013, to celebrate the new king). Let’s just say this song should never have been made public

    [Zon – Samen voor Elkaar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePixC1jTOG4) (2020 corona, donated to foodbanks and some Dutch charities)

  7. They did not make a song, but a month ago when there was flooding, there was a tv show on national tv, with tv personalities or local celebrities, and they were picking up the phone and were writing down information from the callers who wanted to donate to charity.

    This wasn’t the first time, that something like that was organized, even tho it was the first time we had such flooding.. can’t imagine how Greece is doing right now.

    During the tv show, they also had live coverage from affected areas, with locals telling personal stories, etc.

  9. We are the Kings of charity singles featuring various artists, including [multiple](https://youtu.be/j3fSknbR7Y4?si=5e2d2yoGsBrwzzSb) [iterations](https://youtu.be/RMZjb3YEUQ8?si=VudnClx7pYJRgVfX) [of](https://youtu.be/ZZAAOcNz6bw?si=KWOK5h6tYRvRkRmM) [Band-aid](https://youtu.be/-w7jyVHocTk?si=Fv1OfkgnbFCQKhqc) and one for [Haiti](https://youtu.be/1zugOJU8bds?si=Ynz0Va_IMzyuS80A).

    *Do They Know It’s Christmas* has come under more criticism in recent years for its patronising lyrics and for furthering a kind of White Man’s Burden narrative. Even the creator of the song himself (Bob Geldof) regrets making it.

  10. There were some minor collaborations with raising money, but the only real [Croatian Band Aid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgOnq62rA-4&ab_channel=PeterOkorn) is the one from 1991 made in support of independence and against the war. These were more or less all of all the singers that were important at that time. Some are still active. Europe might know a few from Eurovision.. Later the song became one of the hymns of Croatian national football team..

  11. In Poland, there is a song that was written to raise money for victims of the flood in 1997. It is called “Moja I twoja nadzieja” (My and your hope). It was performed by various artists who were relevant in the 90s.

    There is a song called “Pokonamy fale” (We Will Defeat the Wave) that was used to raise money for the victims of the Tsunami in 2004.

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