African musicians will stage Africa Calling, a concert at the Eden Project Arena in Cornwall, England, on July 2nd to coincide with Live 8, the concert series organized by Live Aid creator Bob Geldof. The shows are being staged to urge citizens to call on the leaders of the world's eight most powerful nations -- the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, Russia and Japan -- to take action during the G8 Africa Summit on July 6th to eliminate extreme poverty on the continent.
In response to the criticism that the Live 8 lineups were lacked participants from the very countries the event is intended to benefit, Africa Calling host Peter Gabriel told Sky TV, "Bob's sole criteria is that he has to keep millions of eyes around the world glued to the television, and he felt . . . if it was an unknown artist . . . people might switch off."
Africa Calling will feature West African vocalist and songwriter Angelique Kidjo, Somalian vocalist Maryam Mursal and "the golden voice of Africa," Salif Keita.
Geldof originally organized five main concerts to be held on July 2nd in London's Hyde Park, Paris' Eiffel Tower, Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, Rome's Circus Maximus and Philadelphia's Museum of Art. While 50 Cent has dropped off Philadelphia the Philadelphia lineup due to a scheduling conflict in Toronto with his biopic, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Linkin Park and Destiny's Child just joined.
A July 6th concert is also planned as part of the Long Walk to Justice, in which Geldof is calling for 1 million people to march to an anti-poverty rally in nearby Glenagles, where G8 leaders will be meeting from July 6th to July 8th. Artists participating in the show, set for Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland, include Garbage, Dido, Annie Lennox, Snow Patrol, Travis and Youssou N'Dour.
Details are to be announced Friday for additional Live 8 concerts in Tokyo, Toronto and Johannesburg.
The Live 8 concerts will be both televised (a U.S. network is yet to be determined) and Webcast on America Online.
Live 8 concert lineups:
Hyde Park, London: Annie Lennox, Bob Geldof, Coldplay, the Cure, Dido, Elton John, Joss Stone, Keane, the Killers, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Ms. Dynamite, Muse, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Queen, Razorlight, R.E.M., Robbie Williams, Scissor Sisters, Snoop Dogg, Snow Patrol, Stereophonics, Sting, Travis, U2, Velvet Revolver, the Who
Museum of Art, Philadelphia: Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Destiny's Child, Jay-Z, Kaiser Chiefs, Keith Urban, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, P. Diddy, Rob Thomas, Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Wonder
Eiffel Tower, Paris: Andrea Bocelli, Axelle Red, Calo Gero, Craig David, Jamiroquai, Johnny Hallyday, Kyo, Manu Chao, Placebo, Renaud, Youssou N'Dour, Yannick Noah
Brandenburg Gate, Berlin: A-Ha, Bap, Brian Wilson, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Die Toten Hosen, Green Day, Lauryn Hill, Peter Maffay
Circus Maximus, Rome: Duran Duran, Faith Hill, Irene Grandi, Jovanotti, Laura Pausini, Nek, Tim McGraw, Vasco Rossi, Zucchero
Eden Project Arena, Cornwall (Africa Calling): Akim El Sikameya, Angelique Kidjo, Ayub Ogada, Daara J, Maryam Mursal, Modou Diouf and O Fogum, Salif Keita, Shikisha, Tinariwen, Thomas Mapfumo and Blacks Unlimited
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh (Long Walk to Justice): Daniel Bedingfield, Jamie Cullum, Dido, Embrace, Garbage, Ronan Keating, Annie Lennox, McFly, the Proclaimers, Snow Patrol, Sugababes, the Thrills, Travis, Texas, Wet Wet Wet, Youssou N'Dour, the Zutons
