August 13, 2012 - 3:16 PM
TORONTO - Scottish pop star Annie Lennox is set to take her powerful pipes to a Toronto benefit concert for the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
Organizers say the former Eurythmics singer, who performed at Sunday's Olympics closing ceremony, is among the artists lined up for the second annual Hope Rising! event.
West African singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo has also signed on to the show, scheduled for Nov. 7 at Roy Thomson Hall.
CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi will host the event, which supports grassroots initiatives in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa.
The concert will also celebrate the 75th birthday of Lewis, a former UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa.
Tickets — which start at $59.95 — go on sale August 20 at 10 a.m. ET and are available via the Roy Thomson Hall website, phone line or box office.
Last year's inaugural Hope Rising! concert — which included sets by Alicia Keys, K’naan and Rufus Wainwright — was sold out and raised more than $500,000.
"As a passionate AIDS activist, I'm delighted to be performing at Hope Rising!" Lennox said Monday in a statement.
"I share the conviction of the Stephen Lewis Foundation that community-based organizations in Africa, and particularly the women who are at the heart of the grassroots response, are playing a critical role in turning the tide of AIDS."
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012