Black Eyed Peas
Nabil Elderkin*
Black Eyed Peas, Sting, Pitbull and more are using their powers of performance to help the environment. On Wednesday (May 25), Atlantis Entertainment announced the first-ever installment of Atlantis Concert for Earth, a two-day nonprofit concert that will celebrate global conservation efforts.
The event is set to take place from July 22 to July 23 in Sete Cidades, Portugal; the concert is held in partnership with the country’s Azores Islands. Stone Temple Pilots, Bush, Mod Sun and Girlfriends are also set to perform, with Sting doing a special virtual performance, and Nicole Scherzinger doing double duty as the event’s host and performer.
The venue will be a spectacular one. According to the press release, Sete Cidades is a natural amphitheater that sits along two lakes inside the crater of an ancient volcano, and offers 360 degree views.
“Nature is the true headliner at the Atlantis Concert for the Earth,” said will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas in a statement. “It is a surreal other-worldly experience to perform on the rim of an extinct volcanic crater to celebrate the Rockstars of Conservation while using music as a megaphone to call attention to the need for global conservation.”
The idea for the zero- to low-emission hybrid event came from Nuno Bettencourt, who is not only the CEO and co-founder of Atlantis Entertainment — a media, TV and film production company, as well as record label — but also the frontman of ’90s rock band Extreme, and has since worked with artists including Rihanna and Janet Jackson.
“These days, words ‘climate’ and ‘climate crisis’ trigger so many different emotions from all walks of life,” said Bettencourt, who has been working for over a decade to make Concert for Earth a reality, in a statement. “It shouldn’t matter who you voted for, we don’t judge what your political color is internationally or, here in the U.S. if you are Republican, Democrat, Black, white, Hispanic, rich or poor. Because whatever we are, whether we like it or not, we share the same air, the same water and the same soil. We have all heard about the urgency, but fear is not the answer.
“Instead, together during Concert for Earth, we are taking our universal language and power of music to celebrate the conservationists and entrepreneurs from around the world who are game changers leading the way with real, tangible solutions to flip the current narrative of climate and conservation from blame, anger, and doom; to positivity and hope by shining a light on inspirational SOLUTIONS to get us back in balance with our planet,” he added. “It’s time to stop telling everyone how we are all going to die, but instead show them how we’re all going to live.”
Conservationists and organizations who are dedicated to helping the Earth will be highlighted during the event. They include Re:wild, Sea Legacy, Blue Azores, The Ocean Cleanup, Innerspace, Juccce, The White Feather Foundation, Grounded, Earth Uprising, Earth Percent and more.
Ticket for the two-day concerts are available to Azores locals on the event’s website. Performances will be livestreamed worldwide for free on July 23 via Veeps.
Source: billboard.com
