One World: Together at Home (global television and social media special)

Poster art copyright: Global Citizen. Image from Wikipedia.

One World: Together at Home: The Rolling Stones, clockwise: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood. Photo: Getty Images. Please click to enlarge.

Supertähtien koronatukikonsertti
    US © 2020 Global Poverty Project IP Pty Ltd. PC: Live Animals, Global Citizen. Created by: Global Citizen and Lady Gaga. EX: Audrey Morrissey, Hugh Evans, Lee Rolontz. Presented by: Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert.
    Production locations: Virtual.
    120 min
    Worldwide release: original network: syndication, and global social media, 18 April, 2020
    Finnish release: Yleisradio, Yle TV2 channel, 19 April 2020.
    Corona lockdown viewings.
    Yle Areena edition, the 120 min version, viewed on a 4K tv set at home, Helsinki, 19 April 2002.

Data from Wikipedia: "Together at Home (also known as One World: Together at Home) is an ongoing virtual concert series organised by Global Citizen in support of the World Health Organization. The special is intended to promote the practice of social distancing during the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic."

"On April 18, 2020, a 6-hour preshow was streamed online immediately prior to the television global broadcast. The online portion of the event was hosted through YouTube by actress and presenter Jameela Jamil (hour 1), actor Matthew McConaughey (hour 2), actress Danai Gurira (hour 3), singer Becky G (hour 4), actress Laverne Cox (hour 5) and actor Don Cheadle (hour 6). It featured many appearances from celebrities."

During the 2-hour global television broadcast
Artist(s)     Song     Location

Lady Gaga: "Smile" US
Stevie Wonder: "Lean On Me" / "Love's in Need of Love Today" US
Paul McCartney: "Lady Madonna" UK
Kacey Musgraves: "Rainbow" US
Elton John: "I'm Still Standing" UK
The Roots featuring Jimmy Fallon: "Safety Dance" US
Maluma: "Carnaval" Colombia
Chris Martin (previously recorded on Instagram Live): "Yellow" UK
Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello: "What a Wonderful World" US
Eddie Vedder: "River Cross" US
Lizzo: "A Change Is Gonna Come" US
The Rolling Stones: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" UK
Keith Urban: "Higher Love"  US
Burna Boy: "African Giant" / "Hallelujah" Nigeria
Jennifer Lopez: "People" US
John Legend and Sam Smith: "Stand by Me" US and UK
Billie Joe Armstrong: "Wake Me Up When September Ends" US
Billie Eilish and Finneas: "Sunny" US
Taylor Swift: "Soon You'll Get Better" US
Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, John Legend, Andrea Bocelli and Lang Lang: "The Prayer" US/Canada/Italy/China" (data from Wikipedia)

Yle TV2: "Lady Gagan käynnistämä huipputapahtuma kansainvälisten tähtien seurassa. Tapahtumalla tuetaan maailman terveysjärjestön WHO:n, hoitoalan ja koko maapallon kamppailua koronavirusta vastaan. YleX:n Katri Norrlin ja Womma Seppälä juontavat lähetystä suomeksi. Yle Areenasta löytyy myös lähetys pelkästään alkuperäiskielellä, ilman kommentointia. Tapahtumassa ovat mukana Lady Gagan lisäksi mm. Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Celine Dion, Chris Martin, Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Lizzo, Paul McCartney, Pharrell Williams, Sam Smith, Shawn Mendes, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift ja Usher." (Yle TV2)

AA: One World: Together at Home is an engrossing global television and social media programming event to strengthen the fighting spirit in our combat against the coronavirus, a show of support to the medical professionals and everyone risking their lives in the frontline and a message of love to all who are suffering.

Personally, this show helps me make better sense of the frontlines around the globe. The montages of the deserted cities all around the world are unforgettable. This show does embody the concept of "one world".

I know that for many superstar benefit and charity concerts are among the worst things they can imagine, but I have always been a fan, ever since The Concert for Bangla Desh (1972), not forgetting Band Aid ("Do They Know It's Christmas?", 1984 etc.), USA for Africa ("We Are The World", 1984 etc.), Artists United Against Apartheid ("Sun City", 1985), Dionne and Friends ("That's What Friends Are For", for AIDS research, 1985), Live Aid (dual venue benefit concert to help Ethiopia in famine, boosted by giant concerts in seven other countries, organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, 1985 etc.), One World Project ("Grief Never Grows Old", for the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami relief) and Earth Day ("Earth", 2019).

This time it's different because the artists themselves are sheltering at home and cannot perform for live audiences. Its an unheard-of and frightening situation for everyone. But this is "no time to wallow in the mire". What we need is that fighting spirit, and joy and love. There are no immortal performances in this show, but the cast is amazing.

The opening number is Lady Gaga's performance of Charles Chaplin's "Smile" from Modern Times (1936), recently revived in Joker (2019). A song of multiple meanings, and this concert adds a new one. Favourite numbers of mine include Keith Urban's performance of Stevie Winwood's "Higher Love" (1986) and "Soon You'll Get Better" (2019) by Taylor Swift, a major WHO solidarity activist. It's amazing to see Stevie Wonder and Elton John here, as well as a representation of the Beatles and the Stones. Paul McCartney remembers his mother who was a nurse before embarking on "Lady Madonna". The Rolling Stones are ageless in their ramshackle but vigorous performance of "You Can't Always Get What You Want".