Nelson Mandela: Prepares for 90th birthday at London concert : Netglimse.com News

Nelson Mandela: Prepares for 90th birthday at London concert

Nelson Mandela will celebrate his 90th birthday with a giant concert in London's Hyde Park tonight in support of his AIDS campaign.

Stars including Annie Lennox, Queen and Leona Lewis will perform at a concert for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday in London.

Amy Winehouse will sing at the celebrations. Recently, she has been warned by the doctors that her career could soon be over after she was diagnosed with empysema, a serious and incurable lung disease.

All eyes are also likely to be on whether Nelson Mandela, now retired from public life, elaborates on his description of the "tragic failure of leadership" in Zimbabwe during the gig.

Some demonstrators plan to protest outside the concert about Mandela's comment on the unrest in Zimbabwe.

Other performers on the concert include Simple Minds, Josh Groban, Joan Baez, the Sugababes, Andrea and Sharon Corr, Eddy Grant, Jamelia, Zucchero, South African artists and the Sudanese "war child" rapper Emmanuel Jal.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and US actor Denzel Washington will also attend the party.

According to a 46664 spokesman, "The reason why Mr Mandela is coming to this concert is that it is his way of saying thank-you to the British people for the Free Nelson Mandela Concert at Wembley in 1988. It's going to be a night with a mix of performers from the original concert 20 years ago and the new younger generation who wish to show their support for Mr Mandela".

South Africa is one of the countries worst-hit by HIV, with 5.41 million people living with the illness.

Nelson Mandela's one son died of AIDS in January 2005.

Nelson Mandela said, "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".

Former Free frontman Paul Rodgers, who will sing with Queen, said, "It's typical of the man's humility that on his birthday he should make this huge effort on behalf of other people".

Tickets for "The 46664 Concert Honouring Nelson Mandela at 90" cost 65 pounds each.

Nelson Mandela, who will turn 90 on July 18, arrived in London on Monday and met Prime Minister Gordon Brown at his hotel. He also met Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday.