Udo Lindenberg: Unicef ​​is re-releasing its anti-war song

In 1981, Udo Lindenberg (78) released his single “What are wars for?” as a duet with the then ten-year-old Pascal Kravetz (54). The background at that time was the Cold War. Now the anti-war song is being published in a new international version by the United Nations Children’s Fund Unicef. The organization announced this in a press release on Tuesday (October 29). The current background is the wars in conflict areas such as Ukraine and the Middle East and the resulting suffering of many children.

According to Unicef, Lindenberg’s song now gives a voice to the children of the world affected by wars and crises. The new recording of the song will be released in English on November 1st under the title “What Is War For”. From then on it will also be available on all common streaming platforms. The song is sung by the trio Halle, Henri and Katharina alias “Voices of Unicef”. In keeping with this, the United Nations Children’s Fund is calling for people to support children in war this winter. Calling for more protection and help for children is more important than ever today, says Unicef ​​Germany Managing Director Christian Schneider.

The updated classic song will be performed publicly for the first time on November 9th on the “Giovanni Zarrella Show” during prime time on ZDF. “How loud do children actually have to scream before they are heard? No child wants war? We can’t get used to the horror and so the idea came up to re-sing the song ‘What Is War For’ with Halle, Henri and Katharina, for the world, in English,” explains Lindenberg in a statement.

The musician has been actively involved with Unicef ​​for over twenty years. Since 2011, for example, he has designed a Christmas greeting card for the aid organization every year. Any proceeds derived from his rights to re-record “What Are Wars for?” are donated to Unicef.