More than 15,000 people filled Miami's Kaseya Center on Sunday night as some of Latin music's biggest stars turned a concert into a show of solidarity with earthquake victims in Venezuela and Colombia, with an international fundraising broadcast.
For the large Venezuelan and Colombian communities in South Florida, "Unidos por los Nuestros" was also deeply personal. The international concert and telethon brought together more than 100 artists, television personalities and other public figures as families across the region continue searching for missing relatives, mourning thousands of deaths and facing the enormous task of rebuilding.
Marc Anthony, Chayanne, Luis Fonsi, Olga Tañón, Feid, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Chyno y Nacho, Gente de Zona, Mau y Ricky, Elena Rose, Silvestre Dangond, Lasso, SanLuis, Jay Wheeler, Zhamira Zambrano and Piso 21 were among the performers.
Don Francisco opened the event with a message that captured the purpose of the night.
"In the face of a tragedy this great, every contribution is welcome, even the smallest one," said the veteran Chilean television host, whose decades of work with Teletones have made him one of the most recognizable faces of Latino philanthropy.
The music began with 'Color esperanza,' performed by a group of emerging and established Venezuelan artists that included Corina Smith, Nella, Micro TDH, Manu Manzo, Jonathan Moly, Jorge Luis Chacín, Jerry Di, Isadora, Noreh and Free Cover.
The choice of song immediately established the emotional tone. Rather than opening with one of the headliners, the telethon placed a new generation of Venezuelan voices at the center of the stage.
The mood shifted throughout the night between grief, hope and celebration. Chayanne performed 'Bailando bachata' and spoke about the "deep connection" he feels with Venezuela and Colombia.
Fonsi and Tañón delivered one of the evening's most emotional moments with 'No me doy por vencido,' bringing audience members to their feet and others to tears. Marc Anthony and Gente de Zona later transformed the arena with 'La gozadera.'
"If there is one thing about us Latinos, it is that when something happens to one of our own, we all come together," Tañón told the audience as she encouraged viewers to donate.
There were also major additions that had not been announced in advance. Yandel appeared to a roar from the crowd, while Camilo and Evaluna Montaner surprised the audience with a joint performance.
"No one gets back on their feet alone in life," Evaluna said before singing 'Por primera vez' with her husband. "In Venezuela and Colombia, there are many people who need us to extend a hand and not leave them alone."
The event carried particular weight in Florida, the state with the country's largest populations of Venezuelan and Colombian immigrants. Together, the two communities number more than 1 million residents, according to the latest U.S. Census estimates.
The telethon also reflected the reach of U.S. Latino media. Univision and ViX carried the broadcast alongside TelevisaUnivision Radio, 15 iHeartLatino stations, Colombia's Caracol TV and RCN, WAPA's platforms, VenevisionPlay and other participating outlets.
Donations were collected through QR codes, Univision.org and text messages containing the word "UNIDOS" sent to 707070.
Before the broadcast ended, organizers announced a $500,000 donation from CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. The final amount raised was expected to be revealed Monday on Univision's "Despierta América."
CMN, Maestro Cares Foundation, Pimiento Entertainment and TelevisaUnivision organized the event. Univision Foundation and Maestro Cares Foundation will oversee the distribution of funds through All Hands and Hearts, CARE, Global Empowerment Mission, TECHO and World Central Kitchen, founded by Spanish chef José Andrés.
The concert concluded with Lasso and a medley by Chyno y Nacho, but the night in Miami was only one part of a growing musical response to the disasters.
Twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela on June 24, killing at least 6,301 people and injuring 73,356, according to the latest official report. More than 50,000 homes were declared uninhabitable, while the number of people still missing remains unclear.
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on Aug. 10 had killed at least 295 people, left 320 missing and injured 3,935 as of Sunday, according to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.
On Aug. 23, the relief effort will move to Bogotá, where "Voces por la Vida: Concierto para la Reconstrucción de Colombia" is scheduled to take place at Vive Claro Distrito Cultural. Silvestre Dangond, Andrés Cepeda, ChocQuibTown, Sebastián Yatra and Miguel Bosé are among the announced performers, while Karol G is expected to participate by livestream. Proceeds from ticket sales will support reconstruction in the affected areas.
Hours later and thousands of miles away, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in "A Concert for Venezuela" at the Hollywood Bowl.
Beck, Eduardo Betancourt, Meme del Real of Café Tacvba, Jorge Glem, Natalia Lafourcade, Lasso, Moisés Torrealba and Carlos Vives are scheduled to participate. The performance will benefit Dudamel's Earthquake Recovery to Support Venezuelan Communities fund, created in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and CAF.
Dudamel and the musicians will donate their services, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic has pledged $50,000. From Miami's arena to stages in Bogotá and Los Angeles, Latino artists are turning separate concerts into a shared international campaign to help two countries rebuild.
