Hong Kong Stars Revamp ‘We Are the World’ for Tsunami Aid Effort

The 1985 African famine relief song “We Are the World” is being revived for tsunami recovery efforts in a new, Chinese version featuring Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung and other Hong Kong stars.

The new rendition, titled “Love,” will be the featured song in a Crossing Borders charity performance Friday organized by the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild.

Organizers think that “We Are the World” captures their belief that disaster relief shouldn’t discriminate by ethnicity or national boundary, guild official Patricia Ho said Tuesday.

“Love” retains the English chorus of the original song, but otherwise contains entirely new Chinese lyrics. Hong Kong’s version will be sung in the Chinese dialects of Cantonese and Mandarin.

Unlike the original song, “Love” will not be released commercially, Ho said.