Musicians will.i.am and Neil Young, and Salesforce.com’s Benioff Show Support for Japan and TOMODACHI
December 16, 2011 – Three-time GRAMMY Award winner will.i.am, music legend Neil Young, and Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff expressed their support for Japan and the TOMODACHI Initiative at an event in Tokyo. The gathering, which took place at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, included students who participated in earthquake/tsunami relief efforts in Tohoku.
“I’m blessed and proud to be here,” said will.i.am, one of America’s biggest hip-hop icons, who returned to Japan for the first time since his visit to the country just one week before the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world to come to Japan to support my friends. To come here means a lot to the rest of the world, so they know that Japan is still the most inspirational, safest, kindest place on the planet.”
Neil Young, the legendary writer of such songs as “Heart of Gold” and “Ohio,” told the audience of his admiration for the Japanese people, particularly in the wake of the March 11 disasters.
“I’m amazed by the way the people act towards each other, the way they thank each other, the way they respect one another,” said Young.
Marc Benioff of Salesforce.com, which is described by Forbes Magazine as “the most innovative company in the world”, announced during the event that his company is seeking to establish a presence in Japan with “1,000 employees and $1 billion in revenues,” and that Salesforce.com is investing in new Japanese companies to help spur the recovery and reconstruction efforts.
On December 15, will.i.am also participated in a TOMODACHI program in Sendai with university students who volunteered in relief efforts. In honor of the tsunami victims, he laid a bouquet of flowers on a memorial to the March 11th deceased during his tour of a heavily tsunami-damaged coastal town. In the afternoon, 530 students gathered in Sendai for a lively Q&A session covering topics from volunteerism to will.i.am’s advice for overcoming personal challenges, as well as an impromptu musical performance. Lead singer Blaise Plant of Sendai-based pop band Monkey Majik joined will.i.am on stage for an acoustic performance.
One student commented: “I feel energized to keep volunteering thanks to seeing mega-stars themselves giving so much back to their communities.”
