Stars unite to help devastated Haiti in telethon

It ended with a buoyant call for Haiti's revival by native son, Wyclef Jean

Last updated: September 16, 2018 | 00:04

1 MIN READ

AP/Hope for Haiti Now

New York: Grim-faced celebrities and musicians with mournful tunes have set the tone for the all-star, international "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon, which featured two hours of desperate pleas for an even more-desperate nation.

However, it ended Friday on a hopeful note, with a buoyant call for Haiti's revival by native son, Wyclef Jean.

Jean shouted after singing the slow song Rivers of Babylon, with a Haitian flag around his neck, "Enough of this moping man, let's rebuild Haiti, let's show 'em how we do it where we come from!"

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!"

(From left) Actors Mark Wahlberg, George Clooney and Jack Nicholson helped man the phones at the event in Los Angeles. The telethon was also broadcast from New York, London and Haiti.

(From left) Model Cindy Crawford, actresses Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts took part in the Los Angeles telethon.

Director Steven Spielberg answers the phone during the two-hour long event, which took place on Friday.

Bono of U2, Jay-Z and Rihanna were just some of the artists who performed as part of the event.

Madonna sings at the

Shakira (right) and Wyclef Jean pose backstage at the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief in New York.

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