Rome, February 28, 2002 - Against a backdrop of acute food shortages in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe and an alert from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of a growing food emergency across southern Africa, musical artists and performers from across the continent are converging on Johannesburg, South Africa, to lend their support and to contribute their talents to the fight against hunger.

They are gathering under FAO's TeleFood campaign banner for the South African Solidarity Concert. The aim of this concert, as with all TeleFood supported events, is to reach out and raise awareness of world hunger and to mobilize resources for hundreds of hunger-fighting projects. FAO launched the TeleFood Campaign in response to the 1996 World Food Summit resolution to halve the world's hungry by the year 2015. To date, more than 1,000 hunger-fighting microprojects all over the world, in developing countries as well as in countries in transition, are financed by TeleFood funds. The South African Solidarity Concert, the first major TeleFood event of 2002, is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg's FNB Football Stadium from 18:00 on 2 March to 06:00 the following morning.

The dusk until dawn concert will feature 12 hours of continuous musical performances by all African artists, including Brenda Fassie, Phuzekhamisi, Mandoza, Beeskrall, Caiphus Semenya, Lebo Matoza and Bonga Maffin of South Africa, as well as Salif Keita of Mali, Kapa Dech of Mozambique, Oliver Mtukudzi of Zimbabwe, Kai Kai of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tony Nguxi of Angola and Guinea's Mory Kanté. This is a distinguished appearance for Mory Kanté because the popular griot singer and instrumentalist became a FAO Ambassador in 2001. By accepting the appointment, Kanté has committed himself personally and professionally to helping address the universal humanitarian issues that underpin FAO's mission - to build a food-secure world for present and future generations.

The importance of personal dedication to the fight against hunger, whether musical or political, was the message that FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf delivered during last week's announcement of the South African concert. He applauded those taking part in the festivities, saying: "Fortunately, the solutions to hunger are personal. One person after another - one donation after another - one voice after another - you are spreading the message and influencing public opinion, gradually building up a powerful global force. You are a part of that force and part of the solution."

The South African Solidarity Concert is the official launch of an 8-month nationwide communication and awareness campaign highlighting the links between hunger and poverty. As a result, for the months leading up to World Food Day on 16 October, radio and television partners throughout the region and around the globe will broadcast the rhythms and melodies of Africa in concert with TeleFood messages.

The entire event will be broadcast live across the nation by Radio Metro, a South African FM radio broadcaster. The broadcast will be carried by 34 national community radio stations under the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF), a member of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).

In celebration of Africa Day on 25 May, Africa 2 Africa - an exclusively African programming satellite channel - is scheduled to broadcast a two-hour wrap-up of the event. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC2) will televise a special regional broadcast on 6 June 2002. Following the regional televised debuts, PanAmSat has granted the South African Solidarity Concert full capacity on its worldwide satellite network and will carry the sound and images of TeleFood to broadcasters across the planet, making the event a truly global undertaking.

On 19 February 2002, a global alert issued by FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) warned that an acute food shortage situation in Sub-Saharan Africa has arisen "as a result of a sharply reduced 2001 cereal harvest, caused by adverse weather and reduced planting in parts." The global alert warned that in the hardest hit countries of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, "emergency food assistance is urgently required until the next main harvest from mid-April 2002 for over 2 million people." Even before the crisis, some 194 million people were suffering from chronic malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to FAO's State of Food Insecurity (SOFI) 2001.

********


Audio Clip 1:
FAO Director-General, Dr. Jacques Diouf, in a special message to the people and the government of South Africa, has warmly welcome the Johannesburg TeleFood Concert as another "NO" to hunger."

Duration: 2min21sec

In Realaudio (Instant play, 155Kb)
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/Radio/RealAudio/2002/TF-WFD/SA-DG.ram

In mp3 (Broadcast quality, 1,108Kb to be downloaded)
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/radio/MP3/2002/TF-WFD/SA-DG.mp3

Audio Clip 2:
A press conference for the upcoming UNFAO Telefood concert was held on the 13 February 2002, at the Department of Agriculture in Pretoria, South Africa. The press conference was to inform the public about the concert, which is to be held on 02 March 2002 at South Africa's biggest stadium, the FNB Stadium, in Johannesburg. The communications coordinator for the concert, Jacqui Mofokeng, explained the importance of the concert and how it affects the public.

Duration: 38 seconds (credit: the National Community Radio Forum-NCRF-Johannesburg)

In Realaudio (Instant play, 79Kb)
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/Radio/RealAudio/2002/TF-WFD/SA-J-Mofokeng.ram

In mp3 (Broadcast quality, 297Kb to be downloaded)
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/radio/MP3/2002/TF-WFD/SA-J-Mofokeng.mp3

Audio Clip 3:
Artists from different parts of Africa will be participating in this concert. The artists are playing the social responsibility role to contribute towards food security and the eradication of hunger. Among the artists will be Mandoza, a South African multi-award winning artist, who told us about his feeling about the concert.

Duration: 21 seconds (credit: the National Community Radio Forum-NCRF-Johannesburg)

In Realaudio (Instant play, 46Kb)
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/Radio/RealAudio/2002/TF-WFD/SA-Mandoza.ram

In mp3 (Broadcast quality, 168Kb to be downloaded)
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/Radio/MP3/2002/TF-WFD/SA-Mandoza.mp3

Audio Clip 4:
Another South African group that is looking forward to contribute effectively at the concert is Bongo Maffin. One of the group members Thandiswa Mazwai, represented the feeling of the group about being part of the concert.

Duration: 25 seconds (credit: the National Community Radio Forum-NCRF-Johannesburg)

In Realaudio (Instant play, 54Kb)
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/Radio/RealAudio/2002/TF-WFD/SA-Bongo-Maffin.ram

In mp3 (Broadcast quality, 199Kb to be downloaded)
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/Radio/MP3/2002/TF-WFD/SA-Bongo-Maffin.mp3

Audio Clip 5:
One of the artists who have been part of the Telefood concert for sometime is Angolan songster Tony Ngushi. Ngushi has effectively contributed in his country in reducing hunger and assisting with finance for development. Ronnie Makgothokgo spoke to Ngushi about his contribution to the concert.

Duration: 90 seconds (credit: the National Community Radio Forum-NCRF-Johannesburg)

In Realaudio (Instant play, 180Kb)
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/Radio/RealAudio/2002/TF-WFD/SA-Tony-Ngushi.ram

In mp3 (Broadcast quality, 683Kb to be downloaded)
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/radio/MP3/2002/TF-WFD/SA-Tony-Ngushi.mp3



If you can't download, please call the radio unit for a feed: Tel: 039-06-5705 3749