Exactly 12 years after Queen’s lead singer, Freddy Mercury, told the world that he was dying from Aids, his band members arrived in Cape Town to prepare for the 46664 Aids Awareness Concert.
Brian May and Roger Taylor jetted into Cape Town on Friday to make the final preparations for the much-anticipated concert, which they are arranging on behalf of Nelson Mandela.
”Everything is pretty fluid at the moment. We don’t have set lists … but there is an overall plan,” Taylor told journalists at a press briefing.
He said there were going to be mass collaborations between the different artists.
”Anastacia has said she’d like to do a set with us as a tribute to Freddy,” May said.
The concert boasts a line-up of international superstars that include the likes of Bono, Queen, Beyonce, The Corrs, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and The Eurythmics.
Commenting on the stigma attached to being infected with Aids, both May and Taylor agreed that it was still a hurdle for many people to get over.
”I think the stigma still exists and it is deep. One of our aims is to take away this shame thing,” May said.
May said he hoped that the fact that well-respected musicians were putting their names to the event would help lessen the stigma.
Freddy died on November 24 1991, 48 hours after revealing his Aids status.
Taylor said he hoped that the high visibility of the event would make people around the world aware that Aids was a global problem.
”It’s not just in China or in South Africa … it is a world problem and we all need to get in there and do something,” he said.
Both artists expressed their admiration for Mandela — who has given his prison number 46664 to the campaign — saying he is the ”right hero for this moment”.
”In these days he shines out like a beacon of light. With his name behind this cause everyone will pay attention,” May said.
The concert is the culmination of the 46664 campaign — ”Give one minute of your life to stop Aids” — that Mandela launched in October.
Mandela allowed the use of his prison number on Robben island for the campaign, saying millions of people infected with Aids were serving a prison sentence for life.
”46664 was my prison number for 18 years when I was in prison on Robben Island. I was known as just a number. Millions of people today infected with Aids are just that, a number,” he said.
A 46664 CD and DVD are planned for release early next year. — Sapa