Mercator research institute on global commons, Research institute in Berlin, Germany

Grammy award winner Ricky Kej and nominee Lonnie Park, along with other Grammy winners from across the world, will be holding a one-hour concert on World Music Day on June 21 to sing songs based on the Sustainable Goals set by the United Nations.The team has created 'My Earth Songs' that highlight the needs of the planet and the corrective action people need to take to check the imbalances, ensuring a cleaner, greener planet for future generations.There are 27 songs in all which are based on improving environment and sustainability, written for children between the ages of 5 to 11 years.life spoke to the Rickey Kej and Lonnie Park about the importance of "meaningful" entertainment for children ahead of the concert.Read Excerpts:Tell us about the World Earth concert and the rationale behind it?Park: This is a concert for children but really appeals to all ages. All the songs are songs written by Ricky Kej, Dominic D'Cruz and me with a specific unifying theme. While travelling the world and performing concerts where Ricky is deeply involved in environmental movements, we discussed the fact that it is challenging for adults in this world to change bad habits. We realised that to make a long-term impact, we need the following generations to start good habits and practices early.This also brings an early awareness that kids will carry for their entire lives. So rather than singing meaningless nursery rhymes, we want them to sing about our amazing earth, equality, kindness, and initiative. We believe that this can have a meaningful impact across the whole world. So, we began writing based on the themes on the 17 UN's Sustainable Development Goals.Once the songs were completed, they began to be adopted and supported by the education system and organizations like UNICEF. Then it became obvious that it was time for us to do a full concert during this lockdown for the 850 million children who are forced to not attend school.This is so important to focus ou initiative on children?Kej: We have to start with children if we are to raise a generation of environmentally conscious citizens and that it what we are setting out to achieve with this initiative. These songs already appear in over 5 million schoolbooks and 'My Earth Songs' was also recognised and honoured by the United Nations in Bonn, Germany for its innovation, creativity and outreach. During the current pandemic, countries around the world and their school systems are struggling to provide uninterrupted learning for children and this is affecting a critical part of their lives. This concert will provide meaningful entertainment to children while conveying really important messages around our environment. Tell us about your performance on World Music Day.Kej: We are bringing in eight Grammy winning and Grammy nominated artistes from around the world for this performance including the winners of the Grammy for 'Best Children's Album' for the last two years, Lucy Kalantari and Jon Samson. We are performing 15 songs. All these songs convey powerful messages in a fun way and children around the world will be inspired to protect the only home that we have, our beautiful planet.Park: It is World Music Day and it is also Father's Day. Seemed like the perfect day to do a children's music concert with people from all over the world. We are fortunate to have an amazing group of participants including six Grammy winners, two Grammy nominees, and a core band of NY music. As a fun addition, I was able to convince my beautiful wife Jody to sing backing vocals too!How has the pandemic impacted the music world? What changes do you see in a post COVID era?Kej: As performing music, we feed off the energy of the crowds in a concert and performing online deprives us of this. I use my live concerts to connect emotionally to hundreds of thousands of people to inspire mass behavioural change and also perform intimate concerts to world leaders to remind them of their commitment to climate action. However, arenas always have physical limitations. With virtual concerts, the whole world is our playground.My last online concert on Earth Day( With inputs from IANS )

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