The deadline for the ticket competition for the Live 8 Africa Calling event at Eden has been extended to midnight on Sunday June 26 via text message and email.

It is the last chance for people to get tickets for one of the Live 8 events, with the competitions already closed for tickets to the events in Hyde Park, London, and Murrayfield, Edinburgh. Entries cost £1.50 for the chance to win a pair of tickets to the event.

Organisers of the Live 8 Africa Calling event at Eden took the decision to extend the deadline as demand for the tickets escalated prior to the original deadline on Friday night.

Eden’s Howard Jones said: “We have had a really good response to the competition so far and the rate of response has been increasing rapidly which tells us that this weekend was potentially the peak for entries.

“We didn’t want to deny anyone the chance of coming to Live 8, this fantastic once in a lifetime event, and we felt we needed to include a full weekend in the ticket competition to give everyone the chance to enter.”

The concert will be held during the afternoon and evening of Saturday 2nd July in the Eden arena, with the world’s biggest greenhouses providing a spectacular backdrop. The event is being programmed and presented in association with WOMAD and its co-founder Peter Gabriel, together with Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour.

This truly outstanding all-Africa line-up will bring the Eden site alive with unbeatable African party spirit. Transmissions will be made from the event by the BBC as part of the Live 8 celebration.

The line-up is as follows, with more still to be announced:

Akim El Sikameya (Algeria), Angelique Kidjo (Benin), Ayub Ogada (Kenya), Chartwell Dutiro (Zimbabwe), Coco Mbassi (Cameroon), Daara J (Senegal), Frititi (Ghana/Angola/UK), Geoffrey Oryema (Uganda), Maryam Mursal (Somalia), Modou Diouf & O Fogum (Senegal), Shikisha (South Africa), Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited (Zimbabwe), Siyaya (Zimbabwe), Tinariwen (Mali). (line-up is subject to change)

The previously-billed Salif Keita will now be performing at the Live 8 concert in Johannesburg, South Africa. Africa Calling at the Eden Project is sharing airtime and creative content with Johannesburg to ensure that the partnership gains maximum media coverage - with a global audience of approximately 2 billion people.

Comments from some of the artists:

Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni of Tinariwen:
“In my opinion, the essential thing is that there is at least one stage on which African artists will be heard during Live 8. That’s a beginning and we have to look at it in a positive light. It means that things are developing and progressing and that they’re not blocked. It’s good. Live Aid in 1985 was set up to benefit the people of Ethiopia. The problems of my people, the Touareg, are very similar to those of the Ethiopians. We live in the same geophysical zone, the southern Sahara. This year my homeland is blighted by drought, malnutrition, the devastation of animal herds and the destitution of nomads. The difference between the Touareg and the Ethiopians is that the Ethiopians have their own country. We don’t, which makes it harder. I’m in favour of concerts like Africa Calling because it permits us to bring these kinds of problems to people’s attention, whilst also celebrating and talking about Africa as a whole.”

Chartwell Dutiro:
“Music is a way of building bridges and ‘Africa Calling’ is an opportunity for us to do that. The voices of the artists of Africa and their ancestors need to be heard.”

Daara J:
‘We are honoured to play at Live 8’s Africa Calling. We wish to bring a little part of Senegal to the world and to bring the Live 8 message back to Senegal.’

Modou Diouf:
“I want to perform with other musicians from Africa at Africa Calling to share my culture and the music of Senegal with the world.”

Frititi:
“Is a great honour to be part of the SOLUTION to end poverty by doing what we’ve been blessed with: drumming and dance!”

TICKETS

Entrants to the competition will have to answer a simple question:

Where is the Eden Project?

A) Cornwall
B) London
C) Gleneagles

There are two ways to enter:

1. Text the answer (A, B, or C) to 83008.
Each text entry costs £1.50 plus your operator’s standard text charge.

2. Online at www.live8.edenbookings.com Each entry costs £1.50.

The competition is open to all residents of the UK and Channel Islands, aged 16 or over. Lines will close at midnight on Sunday 26th June.

All profits generated from this promotion will go directly to funding the event costs, with any surplus being invested into causes directly relating to the Eden Project’s work in Africa.

For further information on the event at Eden and ticket allocation details, go to www.live8.edenbookings.com

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AFRICA CALLING - Artist Biographies

Akim El Sikameya (Algeria/France):
At their closest point, Europe and Africa are a mere seven miles apart. In the music of Akim El Sikameya, they seem even closer together, such is the beauty and power of this fusion of Arabic and Andalusian music.

Angelique Kidjo (Benin):
The music of African-born songstress Angelique Kidjo offers a great perspective, that the world is much smaller than we think. No matter how far flung its peoples may be, subtle lines of interconnection span the globe, creating unity between them. Angelique’s work has cross-pollinated the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America.

Ayub Ogada (Kenya):
A member of the Luo people of Western Kenya, Ayub plays the traditional lyre of his tribe, the nyatiti. Ayub’s warm and sensual voice creates a close bond between him and his audience, whilst the nyatiti helps him to entertain and expose social issues. While the music is based upon traditional African roots, time spent in the varied cultures of his upbringing has influenced both his musical style and lyrical content.

Chartwell Dutiro (Zimbabwe):
Chartwell Dutiro has been playing mbira most of his life - including 20 years playing for spirit medium ceremonies in Zimbabwe. He has toured the world as mbira player, saxophonist and arranger with the internationally acclaimed Thomas Mapfumo and The Blacks Unlimited. Chartwell imparts a deep level of understanding and appreciation of Zimbabwean culture through his charismatic and spiritual approach to music.

Coco Mbassi (Cameroon):
A famously soulful singer and songwriter known for stirring acoustic performances, Coco made her name as a backing vocalist with leading African and French pop artists based in Paris, including Salif Keita, Oumou Sangare, Touré Kunda, Manu Dibango and Ray Lema.

Daara J (Senegal):
This charismatic, award-winning young group have taken international audiences by storm over the last year or so with their global (and socially conscious) redefinition of the hip hop genre. Incorporating rumba, ragga, Spanish guitar and myriad African beats, their music is instantly infectious and delivered with impeccable artistry.

Geoffrey Oryema (Uganda):
Forced to flee his native Uganda in the seventies, Oryema writes and performs his own hauntingly melodic music which blends the culture and traditions of Africa with the structures of Western pop. His songs are often introspective, and their themes include, naturally enough, reflections on the nature of exile: their melodic style gives them a universal appeal.

Maryam Mursal (Somalia):
Maryam Mursal’s life and art have intertwined to produce a sound that is profoundly moving and totally unique; a unique blend of Islamic and African influences that she calls “Somali Jazz”. A strong woman who uses her art to rail against the injustices heaped upon African women, Maryam may be a refugee living in exile but her extraordinary talent is certain to guarantee her a heartfelt welcome wherever she sings.

Modou Diouf and O Fogum (Senegal):
Modou Diouf and his family (O Fogum) spring from a long lineage of Griot musicians from the Serre peoples of Senegal. Their Sabar drums and Tama (talking drum) provide an explosive rhythm section, which captivates audiences and inspires the group’s dancers in the most astounding moves.

Siyaya (Zimbabwe):
Siyaya means “we are on the move” and this exciting young arts company from Bulowayo with its raw collective energy brings a visually exciting and unique contemporary African combination of theatre, dance and music.

Shikisha (South Africa):
Zulu trio Shikisha - the name means “belt it out, dance and sing like you never have before” - have been delighting WOMAD audiences for many years with their combination of deft footwork, soaring vocals and infectious humour. The trio, originally from Durban, are renowned for their stunning costumes as well as their vocals. The beadwork is intricate and symbolic, with designs having particular meanings and associations for tribal, religious and social groups.

Tinariwen (Mali):
The Touaregs are the nomadic Berber tribes of the Sahara desert; and Tinariwen, from the remote north east of Mali, are legendary throughout the region. The music recalls the African blues of Ali Farka Toure, only edgier, meaner and deeper. Roots rock rebels for real.

Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited (Zimbabwe):
Thomas Mapfumo’s live shows transfix the audience, taking them to his plane of musical spiritual possession; they dance until the lights come on, and go home smiling. The electric mbiras lay the beat for the guitar, bass, and drums, which pulse out the Chimurenga style, both masters and creators of a unique musical genre. The full 10 - 12 piece band blows like a hurricane. The smaller groupings smolder and ignite. It’s the ROOT of the Roots, something that must be experienced.

Photo of Tinariwen by Damian Rafferty