Especially at Christmas we like to review the year and are grateful for what we have in our lives. The fact that there are many families and especially children and young people who are less fortunate than us also makes us think and there is a great willingness to give something back. Year after year, the Christmas concerts of the SOS Children’s Villages are an excellent occasion for music fans.
2021: Alice Phoebe Lou plays digital Christmas concert
With the support of Alice Phoebe Lou in 2021, the SOS Children’s Villages worldwide financial support for the particularly vulnerable inhabitants of our planet. The event was close to the heart of the singer-songwriter from South Africa, because many children around the world need help to find love, security and education. The motto of the fundraiser she supports was therefore: collect money together for children in need and listen to good music at the same time. This special gig was available to watch via YouTube for 72 hours starting Sunday 12th December 2021 at 18:00 and was also featured on the website of the SOS Children’s Villages worldwide as well as on Rollingstone.de and Musikexpress.de broadcast.
You too can help now with your donation!
Alice Phoebe Lou: thoroughbred musician and globetrotter
Alice Phoebe Lou released her self-financed debut album Orbit in April 2016. In it she addressed the moments she experienced as a street musician all over the world. The song “Berlin Blues”, which had been released shortly before, is about her experiences as an artist, but also about her past and childhood in Cape Town. With the accompanying video, Alice gave Phoebe Lou private impressions of growing up herself. It features carefree moments of a little girl who enjoys singing and exploring the world around her.
Over the years, Alice Phoebe Lou has continued to hone her sound and find her voice as an artist, as evidenced in this live performance of Witches:
The South African currently lives in Berlin and can often be seen live there. With her album “Glow” and songs like “Dirty Mouth”, “Dusk” and “How To Get Out Of Love” she has written catchy up-tempo tracks but also thoughtful, layered songs.
Watch the official video for Dirty Mouth here:
Why do you want to help children in need with this concert?
Alice: As I’ve gotten to a point in my music career where the hard work is starting to pay off and I can keep my head above water, the next step for me is very clear to find more and more ways to use music as a tool to help others and bring people together around important causes. It’s so important and fulfilling to help children in need around the world, and it’s so beautiful to be able to use music as a vehicle for that help.
What inspires you about the SOS Children’s Villages?
Alice: It is an incredible organization that not only helps these young people and families once, but long-term and sustainably and causes real change – instead of just changing something on the surface. This way they educate local people to do the work and find relevant ways to bring about real change – this is what drives me to support SOS Children’s Villages Worldwide and makes me proud power to do this.
What is your greatest hope for children around the world?
Alice: That the adults of the world act now and take responsibility for climate change that is affecting the world’s most vulnerable and will rob them of a future. I hope for them that world leaders will look beyond greed and political alliances and find ways to secure that future for children.
What can each individual do to improve the situation for children worldwide?
Alice: Finding ways to donate time or money to good charities, helping members of your community in any way you can, finding ways to help the environment, and practicing kindness and generosity.
What does a child urgently need in order to grow up well?
Alice: A safe home, a creative and balanced upbringing, nourishing food and love.
What would you say to 7 year old Alice?
Alice: That the world often feels dark, scary or overwhelming, but that there are so many small ways to create magic and a sense of security.
Help that works – and it’s proven
The world needs strong personalities who experienced love and security in their childhood – and pass this experience on as adults.
SOS Children’s Villages worldwide is an independent, non-governmental and non-denominational aid organization for children that is active in 137 countries around the world. The organization has set itself the task of accompanying abandoned and needy children into a better future and giving them a loving home. There are now 540 SOS Children’s Villages and over 2100 other projects worldwide. “As a children’s charity, we contribute to the sustainable development of communities in poor countries: through educational work and self-help projects for families. There are also emergency aid campaigns after natural disasters and in crisis areas. Today, our worldwide work benefits over a million people: children, young people and family members,” reports Boris Breyer, spokesman for SOS Children’s Villages worldwide.
For every euro that is donated, the local SOS Children’s Villages make five euros for society. Because helping families to help themselves and education for young people are investments in the future that benefit the community. The example of the little ones shows how this help works for the youngest in the world Lin from Vietnam: Her father lost a leg in a traffic accident when the girl was a baby. This stroke of fate plunged the smallholder family into misery and Linh’s mother left her child with her husband. SOS Children’s Villages worldwide support Linh and her father: They were able to buy an ox and thus significantly improve the family’s income. Linh also receives help with school fees and her disabled father can take her to class on a special bicycle. The girl is now in sixth grade. Linh’s dream is to become a doctor.
Anyone who supports SOS Children’s Villages worldwide helps to strengthen children and young people so that they can reach their full potential. This allows them to grow into self-confident and committed personalities who, as adults, actively help shape their society.
2020: Nico Santos plays an exclusive Nikolaus concert for a good cause
It’s actually almost impossible to get away from Nico Santos: in recent years, the singer can be heard on all channels with his sophisticated mix of hip-hop, soul, R’n’B, pop and catchy lyrics. In 2020 he played a St. Nicholas concert exclusively with ROLLING STONE and on his YouTube channel for a good cause. All donations came entirely via children and families in need SOS Children’s Villages worldwide benefit.
Nico Santos’ hit single “Rooftop” ran up and down on Spotify and radio in 2017 (as well as other single successes: “Unforgettable”, “Safe and “Oh Hello”), with colleague Lena Meyer-Landrut and the duet “Better ‘ he conquered the charts last year.
Nico Santos as personal as never before
But 2020 was another Santos year – and not just because he was a juror on “The Voice Of Germany”! The singer’s second, self-titled album was released in May 2020 and is likely to be his most personal for the time being. The then 27-year-old sang about a great love that broke up, about longing, shared memories, jealousy, self-doubt, new beginnings. Of course, Santos had several chart successes at once – the irresistible “Like I Love You” and the somewhat rough “Play With Fire” for example.
But above all, thoughtful tones dominate: “Walk In Your Shoes” is about his best friend in his youth, who died in a car accident. Hard stuff! Yet Santo’s soft, cutting voice, which audibly follows Michael Jackson’s example, still conveys confidence and warmth.
The new album “Nico Santos” is now also available as a special edition with new tracks such as the single “Running Back To You” with DJ greats Jensen and Alle Farben.
Exclusively for readers of ROLLING STONE, Nico Santos presented several of his songs live on the festive season on St. Nicholas Day. Viewers were encouraged to enjoy live versions of, among others, Play With Fire, Safe, Rooftop and Better for Children and Families in Need SOS Children’s Villages worldwide and donate to a good cause.
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