Concert in New York

Having retired from the group Eurythmics that he formed with Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart, who was already very active within Greenpeace, has, since 2003, organized Festival 46664 held on Nelson Mandela’s birthday — July 18. Referring to the anti-apartheid activist’s number when he was imprisoned on Robben Island, the concert is part of the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s actions to fight the spread of AIDS in Africa. After a first edition in Cape Town followed by events in Madrid, Tromso (Norway), Johannesburg and London, the Mandela Day concert took place in New York this year. On July 18, 2009, for Nelson Mandela’s 91st birthday, Alicia Keys, Cindy Lauper, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Will.i.am, Gloria Gaynor and Jesse Clegg, son of the ambassador for the 46664 campaign, Johnny Clegg, got together at the Radio City Music Hall (audience of 5,900). On Dave Stewart’s request, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who appeared on stage for the last time in January 2009 alongside Julien Clerc, performed two songs. After an introduction by Forest Whitaker, the singer, backed by two guitars only, performed her initial hit, Quelqu’un m’a dit, and the Bob Dylan standard, Blowin’ in the Wind. Nelson Mandela was physically unable to undertake the journey. Celebrating his birthday with his friends and family and the new South-African President, Mr. Mandela send a video message from South Africa that was broadcast during the concert. Barack Obama also wished Nelson Mandela “happy birthday”. “His life history could be resumed in his own words: it always seems impossible until it’s done. His life teaches us that the impossible can happen”, the US President reminded us. On this occasion, the Mandela Foundation inaugurated Mandela Day: symbolic devotion of 67 minutes of this day to volunteer work, where 67 corresponds to the number of years Nelson Mandela fought for equality in South Africa.