Franklin & Latifah To Lead Mandela Day Celebrations In New York

The soul queen, rap royal and hip-hop duo will join Wyclef Jean, Cyndi Lauper, Baaba Maal and Josh Groban, among others, at The Mandela Day Celebration on 18 July (09).

The Madison Square Garden concert marks the first time the U.S. will host a Mandela Day concert following successful all-star shows in the U.K., South Africa, Spain and Norway.

Last year's (08) Mandela Day celebration in London's Hyde Park fell on the former South African leader's 90th birthday.

The 2009 concert will come at the end of a week of Mandela-related events in the Big Apple, including a fundraising gala hosted by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.