A series of cross-cultural collaborations will feature on the official album of the Athens Olympics later this year. The bulk of the compilation album, which will be released by EMI in early Aug, features duets that "stretch across international borders".
Jamaican dancehall artist Wayne Wonder joins Neneh Cherry for 'Eyes on the Prize'; Mozambique-born vocalist Mariza and Sting collaborate on 'A Thousand Years'; Iraqi singer Kadim Al Sahir links with American singer/guitarist Lenny Kravitz for 'We Want Peace'; and US rapper/producer Timbaland and singer Kiley Dean work with Japanese artist Utada on 'By Your Side'.
Announcing the album, called 'Unity', Athens 2004 president Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki told reporters: "The 'Unity' album is so much more than a collection of songs. It is a message of participation, friendship and peace. As the Olympic flame makes its way around the world for the first truly global torch relay, this album will also be an invitation for people everywhere to join us in the historic homecoming of the Olympic Games to Greece."
The album will be sold in aid of UNICEF, with EMI pledging a minimum donation of $180,000 to the organization's HIV/AIDS programmes in sub-Saharan