French Stars Sing in Aid of French Hospitals

350 French show business and sports stars including Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sophie Marceau, Zinedine Zidane and Jean Dujardin have participated in a virtual online choir for a song called “Et Demain?” (“And Tomorrow?). The project was created for the benefit of the Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris/Hôpitaux de France, chaired by the President’s wife, Brigitte Macron.

You can watch the montage video and star-spot here

The song’s lyrics include:

“It had to come to this point to bring us together/To become aware of the importance of humanity/The whole world has to fight this war/ Because there is no colour or religion to be confined/It had to come to this point to thank them/Those everyday heroes who sacrifice their lives for our health/The very people who were shouting in the street: come and help us!”.

The full list of celebrity chanteurs/chantries is impressive – it also features singers Benjamin Biolay and Clara Luciani, chefs Hélène Darroze and Cyril Lignac, actors Mélanie Laurent, Guillaume Canet, Omar Sy, Monica Belucci, Fabrice Luchini, Dany Boon, Julie Gayet and Franck Gastambide, as well as familiar presenter Nagui, comedian Kev Adams and Estelle Hallyday.

The aim of the initiative is to collect donations for hospitals. “In this difficult period of reflection and solidarity (…), the aim of this initiative is to collect funds from each of us in order to support and help all these anonymous people who work every minute and tirelessly to enable us to hope for another… tomorrow. More than ever, let’s stay at home and think of them”, said the collective Et Demain? in a press release.

After a couple of days the project had raised over €35,000. You can donate on the Facebook page here.

Meanwhile the singer-songwriter Arthur H has gathered over 30 artists to make a new charity album.

Music for Containment (on the Mille Feuilles label) was released on 8 April, to “help the most destitute, as quickly as possible” during the period of containment to counter the epidemic. Alongside Arthur H, Malik Djoudi, Etienne de Crécy, and Molécule – who initiated the project – the album features Rebeka Warrior, Bertrand Burgalat, Etienne Jaumet and Alex Gopher.

The proceeds from the compilation of new electro and ambient compositions will be donated to the Fondation de France.

Elsewhere, from the art world, street artist C215 has put prints of his latest work up for sale with profits going to the Fondation Hôpitaux de France.

The work, called ‘Love in the time of Coronavirus’, features a couple kissing while wearing masks, and was on the corner of a street in Ivry-sur-Seine, just before the confinement order on 17 March.

You can find out more about ordering a print via his Twitter page.