Look To The Stars News: Yusuf

Annual Charity Gathering Attracts Rich And Famous

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0000

The ‘Fortune Forum Summit’ is an annual charity gathering that brings together heavy hitters from the world of the rich and famous. And earlier this month, the gathering attracted the likes of billionaire philanthropist Ted Turner, singer Joss Stone, designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, actress Milla Jovovich, easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, former Rolling Stones member Bill Wyman and Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens.

Held at the Dorchester hotel in Mayfair, London, the event was a virtual who’s who of giving, and was basically a ‘philanthropy party.’ According to the invitation, it was billed as a “a deep humanitarian experience.”

Ted Turner spoke about his $1B donation to United Nations causes.

“I’ve given a billion and a half away,” Turner told the Guardian before taking to the stage. How did it feel? “I enjoyed it. Better than just sitting on it.”

Also mingling in the crowd was Saudi Prince al-Walid Bin Saud al-Saud, whose fortune is estimated at about $17B; Vincent Tchenguiz, an Iranian property tycoon worth an estimated £200m; and Daily Express Publisher Richard Desmond, who’s net worth hovers around £1.9bn.

The super rich weren’t there to compare each other’s wealth, but to raise money and help launch a campaign to persuade the Treasury to provide a 50% tax break for donations to the UN millennium development goals.

“Tonight is about galvanizing awareness for the tax scheme and convening some of the most powerful philanthropists, billionaires, celebrity activists and major NGOs,” said Renu Mehta, the events organizer.

Turner apparently stole the show, advising the millionaires and billionaires to “give while you still have something to give.”

Yusuf Islam Records George Harrison Song For Gaza

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Singer Yusuf Islam – formerly known as Cat Stevens – has released a charity song originally recorded by one of the Beatles, with all proceeds going to a United Nations agency helping refugees in Gaza.

The Day The World Gets Round is a song written by the late George Harrison, and has be re-recorded by Yusuf and Klaus Voorman, a German artist/musician who befriended the Beatles during their early days in Hamburg.

Yusuf said he hoped the music will “help remind people of the immense legacy of love, peace and happiness we can share when we get round to looking at mankind’s futile wars and prejudices, and start to change our foolish ways.”

Proceeds from the single, which can be downloaded here, will go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and Save the Children to help families in the Gaza Strip.

UNRWA said it has provided over 50,000 civilians refuge in over 50 improvised shelters since the latest violence erupted on December 27. Over 1,300 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks already, which were sparked by rocket fire by Hamas into Israel. A tentative ceasefire has been in place since January 18.

Bid On Celebrity Autographs At Heart Ball

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Autograph Store, a leading online auction dealer of celebrity signed collectibles and memorabilia, is pleased to sponsor the American Heart Association’s charity auction at the Heart Ball on February 7, 2009.

The Heart Ball will be held at the Oasis Convention Center, Springfield, MO at 6:00 p.m. The theme for this year’s Heart Ball is “Heart & Soul Tour 2009.” In addition to bidding on the unique signed celebrity collectibles in the charity auction, attendees can dance to the music of The Allie Catz, and enjoy a one-of-a-kind “World Tour Buffet” provided by Fire & Ice, Touch, Restaurante’ Gilardi, Kai and Bijan’s with dessert provided by Hiland Dairy.

Autograph Store is proud to be the supplier of autographed celebrity memorabilia items for this fundraiser. The Heart Ball charity auction will feature a variety of unique celebrity autographed memorabilia from Autograph Store including albums signed by Aretha Franklin, Billy Idol, Carlos Santana, and Yusuf, and a photo signed by Eric Clapton.

Anthony Nurse, CEO of Autograph Store, is pleased to partner with the American Heart Association for this event. “Autograph Store strives to assist celebrity charity auctions as often as we can throughout the year. It is Autograph Store’s pleasure to be associated with such a vital organization. This is a big event and it is another example of how Autograph Store Charity Fundraising supports charities in increasing their fundraising through our silent and live auction program."

The Heart Ball will raise funds to support American Heart Association cardiovascular disease research which will improve the lives of Springfield community residents. The American Heart Association has allocated over $21 million for 179 research studies at seven institutions in Missouri in the past five years. The vital issue of children’s heart health will also be highlighted at the Heart Ball through the American Heart Association’s Learn and Live Special Appeal. This special campaign focuses on a number of issues including teaching kids about the dangers of smoking, childhood obesity and heart-related birth defects.

Tickets are $125 and for more information interested parties can contact Candy Letterman by phone at (417) 881-1129, or via email at Candy.Letterman@heart.org. Check out the Autograph Store here.

Yusuf Urges People To Help Children

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:42:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Yusuf – formerly known as Cat Stevens – has used Bono’s new (RED) Wire music service to call on people to help children in 2009.

The singer took a break from filming a new music video in California to tape the message, dedicated to “the youth of the world.”

“This world needs children to kind of remind us of which way we want this world to go,“ he said.

Yusuf also wrote a New Years message of peace on his official website.

“Beyond the safe veil of our dreams, morning breaks over much of the world in fear of what another day may bring; more hatred, more death, less sunshine of hope – just more darkness… So I wish you all a better and more promising new year.“

Yusuf’s message can be viewed here.

Peace Day Concert 2008 To Rock London

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

After last year’s sell out show, the annual Peace One Day concert is set to rock the Royal Albert Hall in London.

World Peace Day has been held on September 21 annually since 2001, when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted September 21 as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. The initiative came from an idea by Jeremy Gilley, who founded his non-profit organization – Peace One Day – in 1999. Since then he has amassed an impressive list of supporters, including Chris Martin, Sir Richard Branson, Angelina Jolie, Alan Rickman, and Michael Douglas.

This year’s concert will see performances from Annie Lennox, Bryan Adams, and a guest appearance from Jude Law. There will also be a gala screening of The Day After Peace, the acclaimed new documentary film made by Jeremy Gilley. The film, which received a great reception at its premiere during the 61st Cannes Film Festival, features Kofi Annan, The Dalai Lama, Angelina Jolie, Jude Law, Annie Lennox and Jonny Lee Miller.

The 2007 concert featured acts such as Corinne Bailey Rae, Kate Nash, James Morrison, and Yusuf, with video segments from David Beckham and the Dalai Lama.

Tickets to the 2008 Peace Day Concert can be bought from Ticketmaster, and cost between £35 and £55.

Live Earth Rocks the Planet

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 13:16:25 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

They came, they rocked, they conquered. 07/07/07 saw the Live Earth concerts take place on 7 continents, and the event will go down in history and in people’s hearts as one of the greatest spectacles ever staged.

The nine concerts held around the globe attracted hundreds of thousands of music lovers, and another 9 million internet streams – a world record internet audience. Many more are expected to watch replays over the next few weeks.
Concert-goers partied for a total of 22 hours at the events organized by Al Gore to raise awareness of climate change and environmental issues.

“You are Live Earth,” Gore told the crowd in New Jersey, on a stage made from recycled tires. “Today 2 billion of us have come together in over 130 countries… Times like these demand action.”

Despite the rain and low temperatures, 30,000 fans in Hamburg enjoyed stunning and energetic performances by Yusuf – formerly known as Cat Stevens – Shakira, Snoop Dogg, Enrique Iglesias, and former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell. German comedian Elton joked about the inclement conditions with the comment “We’re here to fight against global warming in such c—p weather.”

It was also a cold affair in Antarctica, where a previously unknown band Nunatak – made up of polar researchers – played for 17 fellow scientists, allowing Gore to keep his promise to hold concerts in all seven continents.

45,000 people turned out in warmer circumstances in Sydney, where they were treated to performances by Jack Johnson, Toni Collette’s band The Finish, and a newly reformed Crowded House. Sydney was the first of the concerts to open, and was followed by Japan, where thousands rocked to performances by Linkin Park, Rihanna, and a host of local acts.

Johannesburg, experiencing its first snow in ten years, swayed to the rhythms of some of their best known local acts, as well as an intense performance by Joss Stone.

It was a smaller and quieter affair in Washington, where a subdued crowd was entertained by a few lesser known blues and hip hop acts.

The most popular concerts were held in London and New York. The newly refurbished Wembley Stadium was rocking under the weight of 70,000 concert-goers, all enthralled by stellar performances from the Beastie Boys, Kasabian, Metallica, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 1980’s comedy rock act Spinal Tap reformed for the event to perform their new single, “Warmer Than Hell”, and there was also a touching performance by singer/songwriter Terra Naomi. Naomi wrote the track “Say It’s Possible” after seeing An Inconvenient Truth, and was asked personally by Al Gore to perform it at Live Earth.

The finale of the Wembley show was a set by Madonna, which included “Hey You”, the song she wrote especially for Live Earth. She also thanked Gore “for giving the world the wake-up call it so badly needs, and for starting the avalanche of awareness that we are running out of time.”

Over 50,000 people crammed Giants Stadium in New Jersey to join Al Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, and Kevin Bacon for a night to remember. Cool rhythms from Alicia Keys and the Dave Matthews Band gave way to rockier beats later in the evening from Kelly Clarkson, Melissa Etheridge, and Jon Bon Jovi. The show ended with Sting and The Police performing a duet of their hit, “Message In A Bottle”, with rapper Kanye West
.
The free show in Rio De Janeiro, almost cancelled over security concerns, drew a crowd of 600,000 to listen to sun-drenched performances by Lenny Kravitz and Macy Gray, and the show in Shanghai was also a success.

The Chinese crowd were made aware of the International Energy Agency warning that China could become the top emitter of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, by later this year.

The Live Earth concerts were a great day’s entertainment for those who witnessed them, and only time will tell if they achieved their goals.

“Thank you for coming to Live Earth,” said Al Gore as the concerts ended. “Harness the energy in your hearts and help us solve the climate crisis.”

Look To The Stars News: Yusuf

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