Queen Latifah to Keep the Promise in Durban

AWARD-WINNING hip-hop and Hollywood star Queen Latifah and Common will be part of a free concert at the city’s Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Saturday, 16 July.

The exciting event is part of the non-profit AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s (AHF’s) Keep the Promise 2016 (#KTP2016) Rally and March through the Durban CBD which hopes to commemorate the return of the the International AIDS conference to Durban after 15 years and help accelerate the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Keep the Promise, also known as KTP2016, is an advocacy campaign and call-to-action for governments and international funding bodies to increase needed AIDS funding and intensify their commitments to ending the global AIDS epidemic.

This year, #KTP2016 will feature acclaimed and multi-talented international artists Queen Latifah and Common. This is the first time Latifah, theGrammy Award-winning rapper, producer and actress best known for her roles in Set it Off, Bringing down the House and Chicago, will be coming to South Africa. “I am excited to be part of the Keep The Promise concert in Durban, South Africa. It’s my first time in South Africa and it feels good to be going for such a great cause,” Queen Latifah said.

Likewise, Common, the 2015 winner of the Academy Award – alongside John Legend – for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture for Glory from the motion picture Selma, will be performing for the first time for a South African audience. “This will be my first time back in S.A. in over 15 years and I’m excited to support the people of Durban and AHF. This is going to be cool!” said Common of his trip to Durban.

Popular local band Mi Casa, Kwaito group Big Nuz and Zambian-born artist B-Flow will also perform live. Media personalities Proverb and Ayanda-Allie Paine will be MCs at the event while the guest keynote speakers will inspire the audience and the world to “keep the promise” to fund research into ending HIV/AIDS.