NEW YORK — Grim-faced celebrities and musicians with mournful tunes set the tone for the international “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon, which featured two hours of desperate pleas for an even more-desperate nation. But it ended on a hopeful note, with a buoyant call for Haiti’s revival by native son Wyclef Jean.
“Enough of this moping man, let’s rebuild Haiti, let’s show ’em how we do it where we come from!” Jean shouted after singing the slow song “Rivers of Babylon,” with a Haitian flag around his neck.
He segued into the joyful tune “Yele” with an island beat, as musicians danced around him, singing the refrain: “Earthquake, we see the earth shake, but the soul of the Haitian people will never break!”
It was a stark contrast from the opening of the telecast: no words, simply photos of Haiti’s tragic citizens as a backdrop, as Alicia Keys called for the help of angels in somber tune.
There was no audience or applause, allowing the moment to sink in for the millions expected to watch.
“The Haitian people need our help,” said George Clooney, who helped organize the two-hour telecast. “They need to know that they are not alone. They need to know that we still care.”
Stars such as Mel Gibson, Reese Witherspoon and Julia Roberts staffed phone lines while CNN’s Anderson Cooper gave reports about the situation from Haiti. Musical performers included Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Madonna, Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen and Bono.
Although the celebrity phone bank appeared to be busy with donation calls, it was not immediately known how much money was raised.
