'Michael Jackson, King of Pop: "I believe I was chosen as an instrument to bring music, love, and harmony to the world"'
The American artist understood music as a way to convey emotions and connect with millions of people
"M ichael Jackson saw music as much more than a profession. For him, singing, dancing, and stepping onto a stage were ways of conveying a message and reaching people from anywhere in the world. “I believe I was chosen as an instrument to give music, love, and harmony to the world,” he said during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1993.
These were not words spoken at random. Throughout his career, the artist made that philosophy a fundamental part of his way of understanding music. Songs, music videos, and performances turned Jackson into a global figure and, over the years, into one of the most influential artists in history.
Michael Jackson: A night that ended up making history
On September 10, 2001, Michael Jackson returned to New York's Madison Square Garden to celebrate his 30 years as a solo artist. The singer had given a first concert three days earlier, but it would be the second that would end up being remembered as his last official performance on a stage.
That night he was accompanied by some of the biggest names in music . Jackson performed several of his best-known hits, including “Billie Jean”, ‘Black or White’, ‘Beat It’ and ‘You Rock My World’. He also shared the stage with his brothers as The Jacksons and featured appearances by artists such as Usher, Slash, Nelly Furtado and Missy Elliott.
What no one could have imagined then was that that celebration would become a farewell. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50, after having marked several generations with songs that are part of music history.
His legacy, however, goes far beyond his greatest hits. 'Thriller,' 'Man in the Mirror' and 'Earth Song' remain part of the collective imagination and keep the figure of the King of Pop alive . And it is precisely for that reason that the phrase uttered years earlier takes on even more meaning today: Jackson always wanted his music to serve to convey something more than entertainment.
