More artists have joined the line up at Nelson Mandela's South African AIDS Benefit Concert taking place on 2 Feb on Robben Island, in the grounds of the prison where Mandela was incarcerated for nearly two decades as a prisoner of South Africa's apartheid regime (now a museum).
Coldplay, Ludacris, Jimmy Cliff, Femi Kuti, Queen, and Deborah Cox have now been confirmed as joining the existing line up, which already includes Bono, Macy Gray, Shaggy, Joe Strummer, Baaba Maal, Eve, Angelique Kidjo, Johnny Clegg, Nelly Furtado, Ms Dynamite, Lamya, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Bongo Maffin, Vusi Mahlasela, and Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens).
No word yet on who will take the role of vocalist for Queen. In a statement Roger Taylor said only, "We can think of no better time, place, or cause for us to return to the stage."
As well as the main concert on Robben Island which 3000 invited guests will attend, another "peoples concert" will be concurrently held at Cape Town's Green Point Stadium – footage from Robbins Island will be broadcast at the Cape Town event, with many acts expected to play live at both venues. The show will also be televised around the world.
All proceeds will be distributed to the Nelson Mandela Foundations, the Robben Island Museum, the United Nation's (UN) HIV/AIDS program UNAIDS, and the UN's Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights.