Music softens morals and sometimes it gives rise to projects that make you smile, create chains of sharing and span the world. This is the case of Humans Earthand humanitarian project and a song of the same name, to accompany it.
It is addressed, to say the least, to everyone: “ To lovers, all ducks; The confused, the resourceful; All the sons of, the pistonned; All the shitty ones, the bored ones; The not serious, the not helpful; The unfortunate, the miserable ».
The story could have started 34 years ago in Ajaccio, at the birth of Vincent Colonnabetter known as The little pantiesbut we won’t go that far. His father having always loved to sing and play the guitar, Vincent quickly landed in music: ” I joined the Natale-Luciani singing school in Ajaccio, then the group Canta U Populu Corsu at 18, for three years. » It was in the restaurant business, in his establishment La petite culotte in Bonifacio where he performed regularly, that the turning point happened: « I met a great London producer who motivated me to embark on the adventure ” The context is set. Now, direction the Caribbean, more precisely Cuba, where the Umani Terra seed began to germinate.
A trigger during a trip to Cuba
After the sale of the restaurant, many trips followed: ” I generally moved to poor countries, I didn’t have much money, and I liked Cuba. It’s actually the destination where I stayed the longest. I found people there who didn’t have much and who were dedicated to music and singing. Already there I noticed that they were playing on lousy instruments, but they were playing and were happy. “Humanitarianism is part of the singer’s decor: ” I always did a little during my travels, I distributed water and caps. »
The Umani Terra project came to fruition with a second trigger, during yet another stay in Cuba, this time with his father. We saw a guy playing a very old piano and I said to myself that just us, at home, we have around ten guitars lying dormant. » A real realization for the artist: to make something of these unused instruments, from the school flute to the guitar which ultimately hurts the fingers, including the harmonica which gathers dust in a drawer. “ I talked about it around me and everyone thought it was a good idea. »
Collect the instruments that lie dormant in houses
The quest begins and Umani Terra is born. The goal: to collect unused instruments to fill a container that will be shipped to a destination that needs them. “ The idea would be to send one every year to a different place. This year’s will go to Africa. To Gabon or Senegal. “In less than a month, more than 45 instruments had already been collected.” I think there will be room for around 300 instruments, 80% of which will be guitars. It will go to only one city each time. » And like any project, its share of difficulties: “ It’s complicated to find people locally who don’t resell instruments. We are already discussing with large associations based there because it has to go to the children. ” To sum up, ” people who give are happy, those who receive too and the same for me when I get up in the morning “. Simple and efficient. A real chain of joy which will perhaps end with songs created together, who knows.
A song to accompany the project
A humanitarian project that sounds even better with the song that accompanies it, Umani Terra. “She came to accompany this project, we really talk about instruments, containers, going to give smiles.” Smiles that don’t have just any meaning for the artist. He himself having needed his guitar in difficult times. “I know how important it was in times when things weren’t going well, the good it did me.” From a real life, Vincent wishes, thanks to the power of music, to give a little love to children around the world. Because “music is life,” he emphasizes. “We don’t know what it will give, maybe songs, even groups, that would be wonderful.”
And why not play and sing with the Umani Terra world.
To follow the progress of the project and the remaining days to participate and donate instruments: https://www.umaniterra.fr/
