Black Pumas, Jack Johnson, Rodrigo y Gabriela and more are lending their talents to a greater cause. Playing for Change and the United Nations Population Fund will welcome the talent along with another 200 artists for Peace Through Music: A Global Event for the Environment.
The online event and fundraiser seeks to unite the world in taking action for a sustainable future and advance progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Additional performers for the global event will include Sara Bareilles, Slash, The Lumineers, Ben Harper, Rosanne Cash, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Tephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction and Tony Kanal of No Doubt. Producers for the event say more artists are expected to be announced for the Dec. 15 event.
“During this important time in human history, we are honored to continue our partnership with the United Nations for our 2021 Peace Through Music global event for the environment,” said Playing for Change co-founder Mark Johnson in a release. “Through music, we eliminate boundaries, hierarchy, and status. Through stories and ideas, we learn from our Indigenous ancestors how to listen to the rhythm of our planet.”
The event will be broadcast at 9 p.m. ET (2 a.m. GMT on Dec. 16) on the Playing for Change YouTube channel. All net proceeds will go to organizations that prioritize real time solutions that facilitate environmental justice and sustainability. Organizations include Conservation International, American Rivers, World Wildlife Fund, Reverb, and the Playing For Change Foundation.
“Climate change multiplies existing inequalities and vulnerabilities, disrupts access to life-saving health services and limits people’s ability to exercise their fundamental rights and choices,” said UNFPA executive director Dr. Natalia Kanem in a release. “We know we must work together to achieve real change, and music has the power to unite, energize and inspire us as we confront these challenges together and work towards a better future.”
The hourlong event, which will feature artists from 35 different countries, will also include special documentaries that help capture the “beauty and fragility of the environment.” This year’s event follows 2020’s Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice, which featured more than 200 musicians — including Aloe Blacc, Annie Lennox, Becky G, Brandi Carlile, Carlos and Cindy Blackman Santana, Gary Clark Jr. and Ringo Star — from more than 40 countries and received 4 million-plus views, raising more than $1 million for charity partners.
