Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel join Mandela for 46664 ARCTIC
2005-05-26
"The situation with HIV /AIDS in Africa has become a genocide of unprecedented proportions. Generations are simply being wiped out. As a woman, a mother, and an ambassador of Nelson Mandela's 46664 campaign, I feel compelled to do my best to help raise awareness on this totally unacceptable scenario." Annie Lennox. London. 25 May, 2005Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel are the latest world artists to answer former president Nelson Mandela's call across the globe for more to be done to fight HIV/AIDS and send a message to the forthcoming G8 Gleneagles gathering.
Lennox and Gabriel today announced they will join Mandela in his journey to the Arctic Circle next month where Mr. Mandela's latest campaigning will take the form of 46664 Arctic, a truly global music concert featuring a host of artists from both hemispheres which takes place in Tromsø, Norway on Saturday June 11.
The two artists add their support to that of already committed artists such as Queen's Brian May, legendary Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant performing with his new band Strange Sensation, UK band-of-the-moment Razorlight, Italy's Zucchero, Ireland's Sharon Corr alongside more than a dozen African and Scandinavian artists.
It will be the first concert on such a scale to take place in the Nordic region and has been deliberately sited to provide a platform for Mandela's 46664 cause to deliver a message to the youth of the northern hemisphere that the HIV/AIDS threat now exists on their doorstep, particularly in the former Soviet Republic on Norway's border where millions of lives are already affected.
The timing of the Arctic event - coming three weeks ahead of the G8 summit, will also offer Mr. Mandela a window to address the gathered crowd with a message specifically aimed at the leaders who will gather under Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair for G8 Gleneagles in Scotland 6-8 July which will focus on the challenges Africa faces, telling them that far more needs to be done to fight HIV/AIDS and the poverty which lies at the heart of it.
46664 Arctic is the fourth event held under the banner of his former prison number since the campaign was first launched in October 2003. The 46664 initiative was born out of the determination of some of the world's biggest artists, initially Bono, Dave Stewart, Annie Lennox and Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor to mobilise the music industry and leading world figures into helping Mr. Mandela in his quest to bring about change in attitudes and help given to tackling the cause and affects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Since then, many of the biggest names across all areas of public recognition have come on board accepting the roles of ambassadors' to 46664: music artists such as Anastacia, Beyoncé, Bono and The Edge, Sir Paul McCartney and Sting, and popular figures such as Will Smith, Brad Pitt, Robert de Niro and Bill Clinton, many of whom will send messages to 46664 Arctic.
Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel have been among 46664's most committed supporters. Both appeared in the founding 46664 concert held in Cape Town in November 2003. Lennox appeared again at the recent 46664 Fancourt concert in George, South Africa, where she gave an impassioned address on the issue of women living with HIV/AIDS as well as performing with her own band.
Said Lennox today: "The situation with Hiv /Aids in Africa has become a genocide of
unprecedented proportions. Things are not improving..in fact, they are getting worse, and very little is being done to effectively turn the tide of this preventable disaster.
An estimated 50,000 people a day become infected with the Aids virus in Africa, and six out of every ten of those are women. Generations are simply being wiped out.
"As a woman, a mother, and an ambassador of Nelson Mandela's 46664 campaign,
I feel compelled to do my best to help raise awareness on this totally unacceptable scenario."
46664 ARCTIC is being made possible by a grant of 12 million NK (c.1.2m sterling) from the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) of which Mr. Mandela said: "46664 Arctic recognizes the fight to stop AIDS is global. The support of the Parliament and people of Norway is leading the way in helping to try and secure a future for everyone, everywhere, free from HIV/AIDS".
46664 ARCTIC will be televised by NRK and will be produced by Jim Beach, together with much of the same team behind the previous 46664 South African concerts, including Tim Massey as event co-ordinator and Robbie Williams as concert producer.
Lennox and Gabriel today announced they will join Mandela in his journey to the Arctic Circle next month where Mr. Mandela's latest campaigning will take the form of 46664 Arctic, a truly global music concert featuring a host of artists from both hemispheres which takes place in Tromsø, Norway on Saturday June 11.
The two artists add their support to that of already committed artists such as Queen's Brian May, legendary Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant performing with his new band Strange Sensation, UK band-of-the-moment Razorlight, Italy's Zucchero, Ireland's Sharon Corr alongside more than a dozen African and Scandinavian artists.
It will be the first concert on such a scale to take place in the Nordic region and has been deliberately sited to provide a platform for Mandela's 46664 cause to deliver a message to the youth of the northern hemisphere that the HIV/AIDS threat now exists on their doorstep, particularly in the former Soviet Republic on Norway's border where millions of lives are already affected.
The timing of the Arctic event - coming three weeks ahead of the G8 summit, will also offer Mr. Mandela a window to address the gathered crowd with a message specifically aimed at the leaders who will gather under Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair for G8 Gleneagles in Scotland 6-8 July which will focus on the challenges Africa faces, telling them that far more needs to be done to fight HIV/AIDS and the poverty which lies at the heart of it.
46664 Arctic is the fourth event held under the banner of his former prison number since the campaign was first launched in October 2003. The 46664 initiative was born out of the determination of some of the world's biggest artists, initially Bono, Dave Stewart, Annie Lennox and Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor to mobilise the music industry and leading world figures into helping Mr. Mandela in his quest to bring about change in attitudes and help given to tackling the cause and affects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Since then, many of the biggest names across all areas of public recognition have come on board accepting the roles of ambassadors' to 46664: music artists such as Anastacia, Beyoncé, Bono and The Edge, Sir Paul McCartney and Sting, and popular figures such as Will Smith, Brad Pitt, Robert de Niro and Bill Clinton, many of whom will send messages to 46664 Arctic.
Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel have been among 46664's most committed supporters. Both appeared in the founding 46664 concert held in Cape Town in November 2003. Lennox appeared again at the recent 46664 Fancourt concert in George, South Africa, where she gave an impassioned address on the issue of women living with HIV/AIDS as well as performing with her own band.
Said Lennox today: "The situation with Hiv /Aids in Africa has become a genocide of
unprecedented proportions. Things are not improving..in fact, they are getting worse, and very little is being done to effectively turn the tide of this preventable disaster.
An estimated 50,000 people a day become infected with the Aids virus in Africa, and six out of every ten of those are women. Generations are simply being wiped out.
"As a woman, a mother, and an ambassador of Nelson Mandela's 46664 campaign,
I feel compelled to do my best to help raise awareness on this totally unacceptable scenario."
46664 ARCTIC is being made possible by a grant of 12 million NK (c.1.2m sterling) from the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) of which Mr. Mandela said: "46664 Arctic recognizes the fight to stop AIDS is global. The support of the Parliament and people of Norway is leading the way in helping to try and secure a future for everyone, everywhere, free from HIV/AIDS".
46664 ARCTIC will be televised by NRK and will be produced by Jim Beach, together with much of the same team behind the previous 46664 South African concerts, including Tim Massey as event co-ordinator and Robbie Williams as concert producer.