The global collaboration Planet Drum has returned after 14 years. Planet Drum was founded in 1990 with the intention of showing how the power of rhythm can connect people from all over the world.

During the ongoing pandemic, the value of the shared connection has grown even more. What began as a pre-pandemic in-person studio meeting with Sikiru Adepoju, Giovanni Hidalgo and Zakir Hussain quickly transitioned into virtual sessions arranging and recording, now, a full project is on its way. “Rhythm is at the center of humanity. One who knows rhythm knows the world,” writes the U.N. on their website.

The first release of the pandemic sessions for Planet Drum titled “King Clavé” premiered Sept. 23, during the United Nations General Assembly. The track and its corresponding video were created with Playing For Change specifically for the event. The video features a posthumous appearance by the West African drum virtuoso Babatunde Olatunji.

You can watch the short video here.