Latin music stars such as Marc Anthony, Luis Fonsi, Chayanne, Feid, Jay Wheeler, and many more will perform in an international benefit concert that will be broadcast live from Miami on August 16 to raise funds for those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia.
The funds raised through online donations and ticket sales during the “United for Our Own” concert will be used to cover both immediate and long-term needs, including housing reconstruction, the repair of schools and community spaces, support for children, and the provision of mental health support, among other initiatives.
“Uniting for a common cause—to act and help our fellow human beings who are going through difficulties—is a duty we all share,” said Anthony, a multiple Grammy Award winner, whose non-profit organization Maestro Cares Foundation will manage the funds together with the Univision Foundation.
The proceeds from the concert will go to support the non-profit organizations All Hands and Hearts, CARE, Global Empowerment Mission, Techo, and World Central Kitchen.
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The concert was expanded after Monday’s disaster in Colombia.
The event was initially created to benefit Venezuela after two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 shook the north of the country just 39 seconds apart on June 24, causing the death of at least 6,300 people. Those plans changed on Monday, when western Colombia also suffered a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake, which prompted the organizers to include the neighboring country.
Authorities and residents are just beginning to grasp the devastation in Colombia, where at least 181 people died and more than 2,500 were injured, but investigators have called it the country’s worst earthquake so far this century.
For Venezuela, the fundraising comes at a crucial time, as public and media attention wanes in the face of a humanitarian crisis that will last for years, said Rodner Figueroa, co-founder and vice president of the I Love Venezuela Foundation, which channels resources to non-profit organizations working in Venezuela and is a partner of Global Empowerment Mission.
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“The biggest challenge right now is to keep this momentum alive,” said Figueroa. “The needs in Venezuela continue to be of an incredible magnitude.”
Tens of thousands of displaced survivors need housing, drinking water, sanitation, and ongoing medical care. More than six weeks later, people are still searching for missing friends and family members, often without official help.
Artists from all over Latin America join the cause.
The benefit concert will take place on August 16 at 6:00 PM (Eastern Time) at the Kaseya Center in Miami and will be broadcast live on Univision, ViX, WAPA and TelevisaUnivision radio stations, iHeartLatino and Venevision Play in Venezuela.
Viewers can make donations by scanning the QR codes that appear on screen, by texting the word UNIDOS to 707070, or by visiting univision.org during the broadcast.
Additional musical acts include Piso 21, Gente de Zona, Elena Rose, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Ricardo Montaner, Mau y Ricky, Olga Tañón, and others. The artists span Latin genres, from salsa and reggaeton to pop, and join from across Latin America, including Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.
Dozens of Latin television personalities, journalists, and other celebrities will help present the event, including Don Francisco, the long-time host of the television program “ Sábado Gigante ”, and former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres.
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“We have all witnessed the devastation that has affected our communities at some point; we have seen it happen time and time again in many of our countries and around the world,” said Anthony, who also advocated for aid and raised funds after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017. “The need is immense.”
Some Colombian artists committed to fundraising long before they knew an earthquake would soon affect their country. Medellín-born Urbano Latino musician Feid has been reaching out to his more than 14 million Instagram followers this week to support relief organizations in the area.
Latin music also shares a special connection with Cali, Colombia, one of the most affected cities and a world-renowned hub for salsa music and dance.
“Unidos por Los Nuestros” is organized by Cárdenas Marketing Network, Maestro Cares Foundation, TelevisaUnivision and PIMIENTO Entertainment.
Additional benefits are also expected.
Other musicians are also joining the relief initiatives. The Venezuelan band Rawayana founded the El After Foundation shortly after the disaster to support the affected youth. Shakira and other Colombian musicians, such as Karol G, Ryan Castro, and J. Balvin, mobilized their support for Colombia on Monday through social media. Metallica’s foundation donated $100,000 to Venezuela to the humanitarian organization Direct Relief.
Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will offer a benefit concert for earthquake recovery on August 23 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, his final performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic before joining the New York Philharmonic.
The funds raised at Dudamel’s “A Concert for Venezuela” will go to the recovery funds of the United Nations Development Programme and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF). Beck, Natalia Lafourcade, and Carlos Vives will join Dudamel.
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