January, New York: World Economic Forum  © Achinoam Nini / NOA: Noa's Message about concert of the W.E. Forum.

    Just wanted to tell you a bit about the amazing few days we just spent in NY. Gil and i were invited to perform in the special opening event of the World Economic Forum, together with amazing artists from all over the world. The event was produced by Quincy Jones and Phil Ramone, both legendary producers.   Some of the other artists that participated were Bono and Peter Gabriel (who spoke), Lauryn Hill, India Arie (who is a new, talented artist that is nominated for 7 grammys this year. her album, Acoustic Soul, is really cool), Andjelique Kidjo, Youssou N'Dour, Khaled, Hakim, Olga Tenon (great merengue singer from Puerto Rico), Anoushka Shakra (the daughter of Ravi Shankar...amazingly beautiful and talented sitar player), Henri Salvador, Herbie Hancock, Branford Marsalles, Arturo Sandoval, Soundz of Africa choir and many more.

Isn't that list breathtaking? we were honored and thrilled to be on the same stage with so many talented people. I felt I was learning something every minute, and we made lots of new friends.  I sang Ave Maria, after welcoming the Palestinian leaders in the audience, our partners in peace (there was lots of applause after that statement). I also said, speaking for Gil and myself, that we believe that in order to make peace we must be able to put ourselves in the other person's place, overcoming cultural and religious barriers. We believe that music, through the grace of it's beauty, enables us to transcend those limitations and connect on a higher level. That is why we were all there on stage that evening. Ave Maria was perfect after that introduction, and then Khaled joined Gil and myself on stage for 'Imagine' in Hebrew, Arabic and English. John Lennon's timeless lyrics moved everyone in the hall to tears, and for a moment, there was a revival of hope and a whisper of magic in everyone's hearts. It was a great moment.After the show we met Jean Marie Messier, the president of Vivendi who now own Universal Music, our record company. Vivendi was hosting the event. Mr. Messier is a very nice man, seems to care deeply about music and conveying a message through music. I was very happy to meet and talk to him.
 
    The next day, I had another exciting encounter. For the last couple of years i have been part of something called the GLTs, the Global Leaders of Tomorrow: people under 40 who are leaders in their communities. This group meets every year as part of the World Economic Forum. This year there was a special, round-the- table discussion with Colin Powell, the American Secretary of State. I sat right across from him. He was very nice, spoke warmly and intelligently. He seems like a sincere human being and a caring leader. The issues being discussed were trade agreements and all kinds of things like that, so i basically listened, until a Moroccan member of the group brought up the issue of the middle-east. As soon as the issue had been brought up, i decided it was my responsibilty as the only Israeli in the group to make a comment.
So i suggested a few ideas Gil and i had been discussing about possible new approaches to the problem. I will share one with you. The idea is, creating a symmetry of 'rights'. We recognize on the one hand that the Jewish people have a right to settle in their historic, biblical homeland of 2000 years, including Hebron and Bethlehem. We also recognize the right of the Palistinian people to settle in their homes of 200 years, including Jaffa and Haifa. We then trade off rights: the right of return to israel for the right of return to the west bank. we understand, mutually, that although both rights are legitimate, their implementation would mean the destruction of both homelands, Palestine and Israel, and the end of both people's dreams. We give up those rights, from a place of mutual respect, in order to live in peace.
    The reaction in the room to these statements, from people of all nations, was extremely positive. Mr. Powell listened attentively and told me that that's basically what they were trying to do. He was ok, but i felt he didn't really get the idea of the new approach..obviously these are old issues but the novelty is in how you percieve and present them.  Anyway, it was interesting and extremely informative. I hope something of what was said found it's way to Mr. Powell's heart.

Noa.
  

January 31, 2002 © Vivendi Universal
 

Vivendi Universal Hosts Special Music Concert Tonight at New York's Waldorf Astoria to Celebrate Unity in Diversity Concert Marks Opening Day of World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2002

Artist Appearances include:

India.Arie ¨Joshua Bell ¨ Bono ¨ Olu Dara

Renée Fleming ¨ Peter Gabriel ¨ Josh Groban ¨ Hakim ¨ Herbie Hancock

Lauryn Hill ¨ Khaled ¨ Angélique Kidjo ¨ Branford Marsalis ¨ Noa

Youssou N’Dour ¨ Henri Salvador ¨ Arturo Sandoval ¨ Simon Shaheen

Ravi and Anoushka Shankar ¨ The Soundz of South Africa

Olga Tanon ¨ Hikaru Utada

New York, January 31, 2002 – Jean-Marie Messier, Chairman and CEO of Vivendi Universal [NYSE: V; Paris Bourse: EX FP], and Klaus Schwab, President of World Economic Forum, today jointly announced that Mr. Messier has initiated and is hosting tonight a music concert celebrating cultural diversity in the Grand Ballroom of New York’s The Waldorf Astoria from 9PM-10:30PM (EST). The concert marks the opening day of World Economic Forum’s annual meeting 2002 held in New York this week.

Artists from all of over the world – representing diverse cultures and genres – will perform tonight in cross-cultural collaborations to celebrate unity in diversity. This unique and celebratory cultural event is produced by renowned music producers Quincy Jones and Phil Ramone.

Jean-Marie Messier, Chairman and CEO of Vivendi Universal, said, 'We are delighted to be able to bring together to New York tonight talented artists from around the world and to share their cultural artistry. And we are especially proud and honored to host this event in a city that has recently shown such tremendous spirit, resilience and unity.' Mr. Messier added, 'This special evening of world music was conceived to celebrate cultural diversity. Music is a means by which we can build bridges and bring people together, and engage all of us behind the values of freedom, tolerance and the right of self-expression.'

Klaus Schwab, President of the World Economic Forum, added, 'This event is a wonderful way to kick off our Annual Meeting 2002. I think it's a perfect example of the way the Forum community – members like Jean-Marie Messier of Vivendi Universal and cultural figures like Quincy Jones – can help bring the world closer together.'

Quincy Jones, producer of tonight’s program and renowned artist and producer, said, 'It’s always inspiring to me to watch a group of musicians without a common race, culture, political system, spoken language or socio-economic background, sit in a room and share their art. It is a very powerful thing. With nothing more in common than music, they communicate, cooperate and create. For this event, we have brought together some of the best artists in the world to celebrate not only diversity, but also that amazing universal ability to communicate through music. With this performance, we hope to inspire and encourage the application of that same spirit of communication, cooperation and harmony to the very real problems facing the world today.'

Producer Phil Ramone commented, 'This event is not only a chance to work with Quincy again. It gives both of us the opportunity to strike yet another blow in our long fight against intolerance. By working together, this incredibly diverse group of artists powerfully demonstrates what is possible. And by showing what is possible, we take one more step towards making it real.'

Following is brief biographical information on the artists making an appearance tonight:

India.Arie is a songwriter as well as a performer. She is a multi-GrammyÒ Award nominee this year and has garnered ample praise for her new R&B sound of melodicism and rootsey blues, demonstrated in her debut album, Acoustic Soul.

Joshua Bell is a GrammyÒ Award-winning violinist who has been showcased with the world’s leading symphony orchestras and conductors and on 27 albums.

U2’s Bono is a singer, song writer, poet and activist. Few icons in the history of Rock & Roll have created and performed their art with the consciousness and passion of U2’s Bono and only a handful have done it as successfully.

Olu Dara’s 1998 jazz hit, In the World: From Natchez to New York has been triumphantly followed by his Neighborhoods, which fuses Mississippi blues, modern funk and a wealth of African styles.

Renée Fleming is a GrammyÒ Award-winning American soprano who has worked on the operatic stage, in concerts, on television, and on recordings for over a decade, including world premieres for André Previn, Conrad Susa and John Corigliano.

Peter Gabriel was the leader of Genesis in the early '70s and helped move progressive rock to new levels of theatricality. A multiple award-winning solo artist, he is known for incorporating avant-garde, electronic, and worldbeat influences into his innovative music and videos.

Joshua Groban is a 20-year old baritone/tenor discovered by world-renowned musician David Foster. He has been acclaimed for his versatile vocalism, which spans pop and classical musical styles.

Hakim is called 'the lion of Egypt' and brings the sounds of Egyptian street pop sha’bi to the world-music scene.

Herbie Hancock is an icon of modern music and has taken a creative path moving fluidly between acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B since 1960, winning an Academy Award and eight GrammyÒ Awards along the way.

Lauryn Hill was formerly with the successful hip-hop trio the Fugees. She went on to critical and popular acclaim with her worldwide solo debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, winning five GrammyÒ Awards in 1999.

Khaled is an Algerian expatriate who has been recording since the mid-70s. He became famous as the premier singer of pop raï, an electric, Westernized version of the regional music known for its counter-cultural and often irreverent elements.

Angélique Kidjo makes it her mission to explore the relationships of diverse musical cultures. Her latest album blends tribal and pop rhythms with styles including funk, salsa, jazz, rumba, souk and makossa, reflecting her belief that music is 'a language beyond color of skin, country or culture.'

Branford Marsalis is equally accomplished on the stages of the world’s jazz clubs as in its classical halls. He challenges perceived musical boundaries and limitations and has garnered three GrammyÒ Awards.

Noa (full name Achinoam Nini) is renowned for her sophisticated pop. In Israel, Noa is the most popular contemporary singer in the country.

Youssou N’Dour has reached a worldwide audience, experimenting with new sounds and complex rhythms based on traditional Senegalese musical styles.

Henri Salvador is one of France’s great cultural heroes, with an illustrious recording history spanning seven decades and pioneering work in French television spanning thirty years. He has received many honors, including Officier de la Légion d’honneur and Commandeur de l’ordre du mérite.

Arturo Sandoval is a protégé of jazz master Dizzy Gillespie and renowned for jazz trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as classical trumpet. He has completed nine albums since his defection to the U.S. from Cuba in 1990.

Simon Shaheen is an internationally acclaimed Palestinian composer and master of oud and violin. He is a National Heritage Award winner and an 11-time GrammyÒ Award nominee.

Ravi and Anoushka Shankar are a father-daughter ensemble. Ravi Shankar is a prolific composer and a virtuoso sitarist, composer, teacher and writer who is renowned for his pioneering work in bringing Indian music to the West, while his daughter, Anoushka, has toured the world with her father’s ensemble. Anoushka’s 1998 debut recording was greeted with tremendous critical praise.

The Soundz of South Africa, led by Caiphus Semenya, is a group of hand-picked musicians and vocalists. The group performs traditional South African music.

Olga Tanon is a Puerto Rican sensation with seven platinum albums. She has been nominated for Best Merengue Performance for her hit production Olga Viva, Viva Olga at this year's Latin GrammyÒ Awards in Los Angeles.

Hikaru Utada has made Japanese history. When this young singer and student at Columbia University debuted her first CD, First Love in 1999, it sold more than 9.5 million copies, making it the best-selling album in Japanese history.