Carlos Santana Pledges Funds to Fight AIDS

Reuters ^ | June 6, 2003 | Sue Zeidler

[ejdrapes]

Carlos Santana Pledges Funds to Fight AIDS
By Sue Zeidler

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rock guitarist Carlos Santana on Thursday pledged the proceeds of his summer tour -- estimated at up to $3 million -- to battling AIDS (news - web sites) as South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu predicted the disease may prove more devastating to his country than the scourge of apartheid.

"Join us in spreading a spiritual virus -- a masterpiece of joy on this planet," said Santana, joined by his wife, Deborah Santana and Tutu, in announcing the gesture, which is expected to raise an estimated $2.5 to $3 million.

Proceeds of the 2003 U.S. Shaman Tour, consisting of 23 concert shows, will go to the Artists for A New South Africa, a group formed in the late 1980s to support the economic sanctions aimed at toppling South Africa's then white-ruled apartheid regime.

Representatives of the group, including actress Alfre Woodard (news) and Samuel L. Jackson (news), as well as the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Tutu, joined Santana in announcing the pledge on Thursday.

"We had a scourge ... and it was apartheid. We defeated it," said Tutu at the conference in Beverly Hills.

"But now we have another scourge. It is a disease, HIV (news - web sites)/AIDS, which in fact may succeed where apartheid failed. If we don't fight HIV, it might decimate our people," he said.

Artists for A New South Africa (ANSA) has lately turned its focus to supporting organizations fighting AIDS on the front lines in South Africa as the disease has reached pandemic proportions in the region.

Currently, there are over 42 million people living with either HIV or AIDS worldwide, including 29 million in sub-Saharan Africa.

"There are parts of the region where the only booming business is the undertaking business," said LaTanya Richardson Jackson, a member of ANSA's board of directors.

According to the group, South Africa is home to more individuals living with either HIV or AIDS, over 5 million people, than any other country.

Each day, 1,600 South Africans become infected and 600 more lose their lives from AIDS-related illnesses.

[ejdrapes]

[katze]

My hat off to Santana, and I do like some of his earlier music. He should continue this work, soliciting all his celebrity friends for similar contributions.

[Victor]

Big amen to that. Carlos Santana doesn't just talk about faith, he acts on it.Hmmmm....."faith without works is dead..."

When is the last time that Sean Penn pledged his entire income from a single movie, to fight AIDS?

How about Barbra Streisand pledging an entire tour's worth...oh, never mind.

[A Navy Vet]

"Each day, 1,600 South Africans become infected..."

What's wrong with this picture?

[Jack Black]

Well I guess those who pushed for the installation of the pro-Communist ANC government do have a responsibility to help them out now that they are in power. Funny that Carlos doesn't feel more of a need to help out in the USA, which after all is the society that made him rich. None the less, any charity is a good thing and I salute him for being so generous.

[A Navy Vet]

I also give Santana credit for his generosity. However, something is terribly wrong if over 500,000 people a year are being infected in one country in this era of awareness. First, I don't believe the 1,600 a day figure. Secondly, is there NO sense of self-responsibility by the people nor the fedgov? Third, how much of the 15 BILLION our fedgov just pledged is going to South Africa, and how is it to be administered? Fourth, how much has already been poured into this and other African nations for education and treatment?

Just seems like the more the haves of the World give to the have-nots, the less they do. And no, I don't think we should turn our backs on the suffering. But there's got to be a better course of action.