Features
David Guetta Gives Support, Song To UN Campaign
The song is at the heart of a new partnership with the United Nations, and the 46-year-old French producer and DJ hopes it will inspire fans to donate money for humanitarian relief around the world, simply by tweeting. It also shows a brand new side of his musical personality.
“It’s a big turn for me,” Guetta said of the song that features singer Mikky Ekko. “I’ve never had songs that are like this kind of subject, so I’m really excited about this. It’s a big change lyrically, but also sonically. Just, you know, growing up, trying to do something bigger than myself. It’s a big stretch from ‘Sexy Bitch.’“
Guetta will project a video for “One Voice” on the side of the U.N. building in New York on Friday night with the help of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, helping raise awareness for the “The World Needs More … “ humanitarian aid campaign. Fans can trigger $1 donations by choosing a word to finish the sentence, “The world needs more … ,” and tweeting #worldneedsmore# #yourword#.
Guetta is backing the word love. Other sponsors chose words like inclusion, education, dreams and empowerment. Fans can also donate $1 by sending a text. Details are available at the campaign’s website where the video unveiling also can be watched via livestream Friday night.
The campaign launched in August on World Humanitarian Day and was spurred by the devastation caused in the Philippines by Typhoon Hyian. The money also will go to “other parts of the world like Syria, and everywhere people are suffering,” Guetta said.
The producer spoke by phone last week from the U.N. building, where he was learning more about the United Nations’ humanitarian programs. He first met officials when he donated a song for another fundraiser. The more he learned, the more he wanted to help.
“People don’t realize how much the U.N. is just giving food to people that are hungry and water to people who need water to survive, and just helping people in crisis everywhere in the world,” Guetta said. “I was saying like how much I was surprised. If you watch the news, you see more of the political aspect of it. Hopefully the people that are following me on social media can be touched by this.”