The 46664 Concert is a series of AIDS charity concerts played in honour of Nelson Mandela featuring a mixture of local and international artists performing, in an attempt to raise global awareness for HIV AIDS.
The first concert was held in Cape Town in 2003.
The 46664 Concert: Honouring Nelson Mandela at 90 took place in London's Hyde Park on 27 June, 2008. An edited version of the concert aired on SABC2 from 21h00-23h00.
Synopsis
Many of the world’s most powerful and instantly recognisable figures and a concert audience of 46,664 payed their tributes to one of the world’s most loved leaders, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and icon of freedom, Nelson ‘Madiba’ Mandela, as he turned 90.
Mr. Mandela arrived 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.”
Royalty and politicians from both sides of the Atlantic, leading names from business, sport, film and entertainment – and some of the most successful musicians of the past 20 years – made up the birthday list for three days of celebrations, culminating in a three-hour evening concert in London’s Hyde Park on Friday June 27.
President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Will Smith, Oprah Winfrey, Robert de Niro and Forest Whitaker were amongst those who attended some of the events.
Lewis Hamilton, British Formula 1 driver for the McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team attended his very first 46664 event.
Artists specially invited to perform for Mr. Mandela at the Friday night 90th birthday concert included Queen and 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.
Joining them to celebrate the life of the world’s most respected statesman were South African and African artists including Johnny Clegg, Sipho Mabuse, multi-South African Music Awards winner Loyiso, Kurt Darren, the Soweto Gospel Choir, Aids orphan choir The Children of Agape - the subject of the award winning film feature We Are Together, the legendary Papa Wemba and Sudanese ‘war child’ rapper Emmanuel Jal.
The concert featured numerous unexpected appearances, with several major artists having kept silent about their involvement in order to take both Mr Mandela and the audience by surprise.
Among the specially-chosen artists were many whom Nelson Mandela recognised for having voiced their support for him over the past 20 years, dating back to London’s historic Free Mandela concert of June 1988, which called for Mr. Mandela’s release from incarceration on Robben Island and which Mr Mandela has said gave him and his fellow prisoners great inspiration.
Simple Minds were instrumental in making the 1988 event happen. Annie Lennox appeared with The Eurythmics and has since become of one of the most active ambassadors for Mr. Mandela’s 46664 AIDS organisation.
Lennox, along with Dave Stewart and Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor played a key part in the foundation of 46664 in October 2003.
Since then, Queen and Paul Rodgers have gone on to write songs especially for the organisation, including the track Say It’s Not True from their forthcoming album which the band donated to 46664 for World AIDS Day 2007.
With the Corrs, Sharon and Andrea Corr appeared at the inaugural Cape Town concert and together and separately have since participated in further concerts for Mr. Mandela’s 46664 charitable organisation.
Zucchero has been another stalwart supporter, appearing in the first concert as well as two further concerts.
Rounding out the twenty years since the Free Mandela event in 1988, the concert also featured top artists of today including worldwide No.1 artist Leona Lewis and Britain’s most successful female group, the Sugababes.
Fundraising events as part of the celebrations benefit the charitable organisations established by Mr. Mandela: the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, which through their work have sought to bring about change and make a difference to lives in South Africa, Africa and elsewhere over the past 14 years.
The concert proceeds went to the 46664 campaign which raises awareness about the impact of AIDS, especially in Africa, and promotes effective HIV prevention measures throughout the world.