Empowering communities through music

A foundation created by Luciano and his family to turn every night out into lasting support for communities and the planet.

How it works Our projects

I have travelled extensively due to my amazing career, experiencing many cultures and ways of life. Now is the time to use what I do to give something back. By adding just one coin to the price of every ticket, a night out can provide a sustainable future to many.
Lucien “Luciano” Nicolet
Composer & DJ · Founder of Cadenza and One Coin For Life

Our mission

Music as a force for good

One Coin For Life is a foundation established to support disadvantaged communities, individuals and the natural environment worldwide through the transformative power of music.

Our mission is to raise social awareness and foster consciousness within the electronic music community, and to show that the impact of a night out can reach far beyond the last record played.

A woman of the Sierra Nevada carrying her child, standing on a mountain path in Colombia — Colombia

How it works

One ticket. One coin.

The idea is very simple. For every ticket sold to one of Luciano’s performances, he and his team ask promoters and clubs to contribute one coin to One Coin For Life.

01
A ticket is sold
Every ticket for a show by Luciano counts: in a club, at a festival or at a Cadenza event.
02
One coin is added
Promoters and clubs contribute one coin per ticket. The currency depends on the region: a euro, a dollar, a yen…
03
Funds reach the field
The money goes to small, trusted partners working directly with communities on the ground.

Other ways we raise funds

Beyond tickets, the foundation draws on the whole music ecosystem.

Cadenza showcases and residencies
Selected events
Merchandise
Guest-list contributions
Exclusive podcasts and downloads

Our approach

Close to the people we support

The foundation cultivates close, personal relationships with its partners and beneficiaries and takes a hands-on approach to its work with communities. This sets us apart from large corporate charities and lets us make the most of every coin.

Small, independent partnersWe work with local charities that know their communities best.
AccountabilityWe stay close to every project so that funds reach those who need them most.
Long-term relationshipsWe build lasting bonds, not one-off campaigns.

An indigenous woman in white clothing weaving a traditional mochila bag — Colombia

Our projects

Where it all began

Our work includes reforestation, health training, nutrition programmes and school building, with a particular focus on indigenous peoples.

Since 2012

Colombia

Arhuaco and Kogi communities · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

The foundation was born from time spent by Luciano and his family with the Arhuaco and Kogi peoples of Colombia in 2012. That meeting became a long-term relationship.

Supporting these communities was one of the foundation’s first projects, with a focus on education, schools for children and the preservation of their culture and land.

Education
Schools
Culture
Environment

Children and families of an indigenous community gathered in front of a school building in Colombia

Luciano sitting with members of the Arhuaco community and their children

Three Arhuaco men in traditional white clothing and hats

Traditional houses with thatched roofs and stone walls in the Colombian mountains

VipingoKenya · 40 km north of Mombasa

Kenya

Vipingo Village

40 km north of Mombasa

One Coin For Life has worked in Vipingo Village alongside the Vipingo Village Fund, a small family-run charity that cares for children orphaned or affected by HIV/AIDS.

Through this partnership, Luciano also sponsored a pupil of the village’s Future Hope school throughout her secondary education.

Children
Education
Family-run partner

Uniting for good

The Cadenza family

One Coin For Life’s fundraising model extends to Cadenza, the label founded by Luciano. Showcase events and residencies open new opportunities for contributions.

The label’s roster, its artists and its events all take part. Music makes a positive impact, and the Cadenza community grows closer through it.

One Coin For Life stand and donation table at Pacha Ibiza — Pacha Ibiza

One Coin For Life donation box on a table at Pacha Ibiza — Pacha Ibiza

Luciano & family

A family story

In the early months of 2013, Luciano and his sister Amélie founded One Coin For Life, a non-profit organisation that supports disadvantaged communities and individuals worldwide.

Having grown up between Chile and Switzerland and travelled widely, they saw social and environmental challenges in every corner of the world, whatever a country’s wealth. It was time for our culture to embrace greater social consciousness.

The causes we support reflect the passions of Luciano and his family: environmental emergencies, indigenous communities in South America and Luciano’s work in South African townships.