Zain Group, the leading mobile telecommunications in the Middle East and Africa, will sponsor the international concert honouring Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday. 

At the concert, which will be held in London’s Hyde Park on June 27, many of the world’s most powerful and instantly recognisable figures and an audience of 46,664 will pay their tributes to one of the world’s most loved leaders, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and icon of freedom, Nelson ‘Madiba’ Mandela, as he turns 90 later this year. 

Mandela will arrive in London in June to take part in a series of events to mark his birthday: a very rare occasion since he is now finally “retired from retirement.”

“We are proud to be part of this event honouring Mr Mandela, a global icon whose sacrifices for the African people are well known to all. It is in line with Zain’s global ambitions and corporate social responsibility philosophy that we participate in the raising of funds for the Mandela Foundation,” said Zain Group CEO Dr Saad Al Barrak.

Zain is offering people in Africa the chance to participate in this event by using its mobile phone networks in Africa to send text messages wishing Nelson Mandela a happy birthday.

All the money raised from this will be given to the Nelson Mandela Foundation to be used in its charitable work. In addition Zain is making arrangements for people in Africa to see the event.

Mandela said at the announcement of the concert: "You all know that I am supposed to be retired but my friends and the charitable organisations that bear my name want to use my 90th birthday year to raise funds to continue our work and so of course I want to help them. So, we have a bargain - I am going to London and they will host a concert in Hyde Park, which will raise awareness of our continuing work and much needed funds.”

Royalty and politicians from around the world, leading names from business, sport, film and entertainment – and some of the most successful musicians of the past 20 years – make up the birthday list for three days of celebrations, culminating in a
three-hour evening concert.

Former US president Bill Clinton, UK prime minister Gordon Brown, Will Smith, Oprah Winfrey, Robert de Niro and Forest Whitaker are amongst those who will attend some of the events.

In keeping with its drive to promote African arts and culture Zain, through its African subsidiary Celtel, is funding several of Africa’s most famous artists including the legendary Papa Wemba and Kenya’s Suzanna Owiyo to perform at the international concert.

Other African artists who will perform at the concert to celebrate the life of the world’s most respected statesman include Johnny Clegg, Sipho Mabuze, multi-South African Music Awards winner Loyiso, Kurt Darren, the Grammy award winning Soweto Gospel Choir, Aids orphan choir The Children of Agape - the subject of the award winning film feature ‘We Are Together’ and Sudanese rapper Emmanuel Jal.

Other artists specially invited to perform for Mandela include Queen + Paul Rodgers, Annie Lennox, Simple Minds, Leona Lewis, the Sugababes, Dame Shirley Bassey, Razorlight, Andrea and Sharon Corr, Eddy Grant, and Jamelia, along with international 46664 Ambassadors Italy’s Zucchero and Spain’s Amaral.

The concert will feature numerous unexpected appearances, with several major artists   keeping silent about their involvement in order to take both Mandela and the audience by surprise. – TradeArabia News Service