NEW YORK (Quincy Jones Official Website) -
Music legend
Quincy Jones announced today that MTV:
Music Television and Yahoo! will serve as the international broadcast partners for his all-star
"We Are the Future" benefit concert scheduled for Rome, Italy on May 16, 2004. In addition, XM
Radio will broadcast the concert live over its digital radio network. The deals ensure that the concert will reach millions of viewers worldwide.
Nearly two decades after producing the historic "We Are the World" recording, Quincy Jones will gather many of the world's best-recognized artists and personalities for a global concert marking the launch of a worldwide humanitarian effort to help children in war-ravaged cities.
To date, the "We Are the Future" performers include Jay-Z, Eve, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Josh Groban, Take 6, Herbie Hancock, Juanes, Angelique Kidjo, Andrea Bocelli, and Zucchero, among many others; and presenters include Oprah Winfrey, Chris Tucker, Pele, Angelina Jolie, Muhammad Ali, Naomi Campbell, and Serena Williams, among many others.
The concert will be made available to all 42 MTV channels globally, which collectively reach 402 million households in 166 countries. The concert will air as either a live 4-hour broadcast on TV.
The event is free, but proceeds from the concert's broadcast and related merchandise sales will benefit "We Are the Future" programs, including the creation of child centers in six cities worldwide. At the centers, children will not only receive much-needed humanitarian services and care, but also have access to resources and training in health, nutrition, technology, sports, and the arts. The first center opened April 8, 2004 in Kigali, Rwanda. Other centers will open later this year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Asmara, Eritrea; Freetown, Sierra Leone; Kabul, Afghanistan; and Nablus on the West Bank.
"We Are the Future" is executive produced by Quincy Jones in association with the Rome based production company Zone Attive and directed by award-winning director Julia Knowles.
The campaign is the collective dream of Quincy Jones' Listen Up Foundation; The Glocal Forum, the nonprofit organization designing and implementing "We Are the Future" programs and founded by chief Oslo Peace Accords negotiator Uri Savir; the City of Rome, led by Mayor Walter Veltroni; and visionary leader for peace Hani Masri. Together in a strategic partnership with the World Bank and its president James Wolfensohn, the "We Are the Future" co-founders are working to improve the lives of children victimized by conflict.
