46664 campaign

Nelson Mandela launched a worldwide music-led campaign to raise awareness of AIDS in Africa in London on Tuesday.

The initiative is called 46664, Mr Mandela’s prison number while he was kept prisoner in South Africa’s Robben Island jail.

A three-hour concert at Cape Town’s Greenpoint Stadium will take place on November 29. The BBC report Bono will be headlining the show alongside Queen and Beyonce. Mark Fisher and Willie Williams are part of the show’s production team.

A song, 46664 (Long Walk to Freedom), – performed by Bono, Youssou N’Dour, Abdel and Dave Stewart – is released on Tuesday. It will only be available throughout the world via telephone lines, and then on the Web at www.46664.com.

We tried ringing the Dutch number (“Make the call ….. Give one minute of your life to AIDS”. ) as listed at 46664.com, but it was ‘unavailable’.

U.S. editor’s note: The U.S. phone number is functioning properly. You’ll need a credit card to hear the song at $1/minute. It’s worth every penny.

Bono on the Wall

A portrait of Bono by Louis le Brocquy, appropriately titled “Image of Bono,” will be unveiled today at a private reception at the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin (see Masterpiece). The portrait will be shown in the Irish Life and Permanent National Portrait Gallery “Irish Life through the Ages” exhibition, which opens to the public tomorrow. Admission to the gallery is free.

  • Photo of Bono and le Brocquy
  • Photo of Bono and le Brocquy at portrait unveiling
  • Band Belfast-Bound?

    U2 are reportedly adamant about performing in Belfast City on the band’s next tour. An “extremely well-placed source” told the Belfast News Letter that the band wish to perform at Odyssey Arena to make up for all the times they were unable to schedule a tour visit to the city. The source also told the paper that Bono believes the new album is “the closest they have ever got to making the perfect album” and that he is “desperate” to tour again.

    Bono iChats With Steve

    At an Apple event today announcing the new iTunes for Windows software, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, video conferenced with Bono in Dublin using iChat.

    Bono: “It’s like the Pope of software meeting up with the Dalai Lama of integration. I’d like to teach the world to iTune… uh, sorry, wrong company. We really appreciate it. That’s why I’m here to kiss the corporate ass – I don’t kiss every corporate ass.”

    Steve: “Well thank you very much.”

    Steve also talked with Dr. Dre (“iTunes is a way for kids to get this new music in a legal way”) & Mick Jagger (the self proclaimed “archbishop of canterbury”).