Helping Haiti - A Worthy Cause

The debates can rage on about the subject, but as long as it is giving to the people who need it the most, the sufferers in Haiti, then that’s the most important thing.

Having bought and listened to the single, I would agree that this isn’t the strongest charity single I’ve ever heard, certainly nowhere near the famous 1984 hit ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas,’ which raised millions for the dreadful famine conditions in Ethiopia.  However, sometimes we must put musicality aside to see what the real story is.

The people of Haiti need all the support they can get, following the devastating earthquake, which struck just under a month ago.  Many survivors are battling against the elements, still in urgent need of aid, such as water and food to stay alive, and in a country so poor as Haiti, there is always the risk of disease setting in.  Therefore, everyone needs to give and donate as much as they can to help these unfortunate people who do not deserve what they are going through.  The emotions are still running along, and although it’s not so much a feature on news broadcasts, we must not forget those who need your support.

Together, Simon Cowell and the Sun newspaper have teamed up for a real charitable course.  The demand of artists who wanted to get involved in the single just shows how much dedication there is in the music industry, to human causes. In the end, cuts had to be made – as there weren’t enough lines for everyone to sing a cover version of R.E.M’s 1993 hit ‘Everybody Hurts.’  Cowell’s choice in song is a bit odd, it doesn’t really go with the cause, but nevertheless, it is still a powerful effort from everyone, despite it lacking the obvious feeling and musicality of the original version.

Twenty-one artists feature on the single, including Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Rod Stewart, Alexandra Burke, Cheryl Cole, Susan Boyle, Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Joe McElderrey and Gary Barlow.  Like mentioned earlier, it doesn’t have the voices of the original, but sometimes that doesn’t matter, especially for these worthwhile causes.  This is not a money-making exercise, it’s another source of income for the people of Haiti and I encourage everyone to download or buy the single, because it is going to a worthy cause, not Cowell’s back-pocket, as some music people have suggested.  I also must ask about musicality and what would you buy?  This version of ‘Everybody Hurts,’ is a decent attempt and wins hands-down over Jedward’s horrific cover of Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice, Ice, Baby,’ which quite frankly, a bunch of primary school students could do better.

It may turn out to be one of the weakest No.1’s of the entire year, but already a million downloads have been purchased in just over twenty-four hours – so it will be amongst one of the fastest singles of all-time.

To sum it up, this is a ‘must-buy,’ for a worthy cause.  Let’s not forget, the people of Haiti need all the help and hope they can get in such a depressing situation.