3/12/04

(NEW YORK) The Rainforest Foundation has announced its 12th Carnegie Hall Benefit Concert taking place at 7pm, April 21st 2004 in New York. The list of performers include Elton John, James Taylor, Sting plus Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Billy Joel & Bette Midler. The theme is Singin' in the Rain Forest: Great Songs from the Movies.

According to Rainforest Foundation Co-founder and Concert Producer Trudie Styler: "The combination of some of the greatest performers of today and classic songs from the silver screen is going to result in a truly unforgettable evening for a cause that must never be forgotten."

The Rainforest Foundation was founded in 1989 by Styler and her husband, Sting. Over the past 15 years, the Foundation has been working with Indigenous peoples to help them assert their rights and make their voice heard. To date, the foundation has projects in rainforest countries in three continents and has raised over 19 million dollars to support its mission.

"In too many countries the voices of Indigenous people are still smothered by the darkness of intolerance and neglect. The threat to their home is part of a larger threat to the planet and our common future. While forests and its peoples are gaining greater global attention, deforestation and forest degradation are continuing at an alarming rate and Indigenous peoples' land and rights are at risk. Our work is more crucial than ever," comments Rainforest Foundation Fund Chairperson Franca Sciuto.

The concert will be the culmination of various awareness-building and fundraising events in New York known as "Rainforest Awareness Week." For more information go to www.rainforestfoundation.org or for benefit ticket information, please contact Event Associates at 212-245-6570.