Joe Satriani Releases UNICEF Benefit Single ‘Music Without Words’

Several months after it was first unveiled at a general assembly of the United Nations, Joe Satriani and UN Musical Director Robin DiMaggio have released their collaborative benefit single "Music Without Words."

The song, available for purchase now, came together earlier this year when DiMaggio — who made Satriani's acquaintance while serving as musical director of The Arsenio Hall Show — reached out regarding the possibility of teaming up.

"Robin came to me with a beautiful challenge," Satriani explained in a press release. "To create a melody that would touch the hearts of six billion people, a call to humanity, a message of love. He sent me an awesome groove to get the ball rolling, I sent him back a melody, and we kept the collaboration going until we were both blown away. I'm thrilled with the final mix and can't wait for people to hear it."

The song, titled "Music Without Words," also features vocals from singer Ms. Monét, and was unveiled at the June 30 Annual Presidential General Assembly of the UN 69th Session Gala in New York, accompanied by a video helmed by director Ramin Ouladi, which you can watch above. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to support UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.

"Joe and I had a concept of doing a song about healing, where the music spoke without words. That's why I think we called it ‘Music Without Words,'" explains DiMaggio. "When it came time to add some images, it was tough to create abundance through visual statements. Ramin was the perfect addition. He brought a palette of pastels needed to make the story sync with the music. ... I am sure that when the audience, young and wisely aged, watches this, they will feel the message, whether they just listen to the audio or intensely watch the video."

"Collaborating with Robin evolved naturally," adds Satriani. "Starting with him challenging me to create a melody that would touch the hearts of seven billion people, a call to humanity; a message of love. I’m thrilled with the song and this video fits the music perfectly."

Satriani is currently gearing up for a lengthy retrospective tour celebrating 30 years as a recording artist. His most recent release, Shockwave Supernova, set the record for highest-charting instrumental rock LP of the SoundScan era when it debuted at No. 19 in August.

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