OLIVER MTUKUDZI & THE BLACK SPIRITS in the Bay area

OLIVER MTUKUDZI & THE BLACK SPIRITS PERFORM IN SUPPORT OF ZIMBABWE AIDS RELIEF

The Allen Temple AIDS Ministry and Zimbabwe AIDS Relief proudly present Zimbabwean mega-star Oliver Mtukudzi and his band The Black Spirits in a fundraiser and concert to benefit Zimbabwe AIDS Relief on Monday, September 11, 2006. The event kicks off with a free pre-concert reception at 5:00 p.m. at the Stoneridge Gallery (424 - 2nd Street, Jack London Square, Oakland) and continues with a live concert at 8:00 p.m. at Yoshi’s Jazz House (510 Embarcadero West Jack London Square, Oakland).

Allen Temple AIDS Ministry’s Zimbabwe AIDS Relief campaign provides direct support, with no overhead or other administrative costs, in four areas: the Alameda County “Sister City” project; the direct purchase and dispensing of HIV medicines to patients at clinics in Mutoko and Harare; the Mother of Peace Community, a large orphanage with 155 children in rural northeast Zimbabwe; and the “Sponsor-A-Child” project, which supports the healthcare and Mother of Peace school fees, uniforms, supplies, and classroom needs. Proceeds from this benefit are earmarked for the direct purchase of AIDS medications, support and services in Zimbabwe. According to Zimbabwe AIDS Relief, the cost to buy AIDS medications for one person is $17.00 per month, or $200.00 for one year.

Currently touring North America, Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi’s career has spanned nearly thirty years and he has composed over forty original albums - nearly all of them best-sellers. Tuku’s music emphasizes tradition, respect, community, and dignity, and also brings attention to the dangers of alcohol and the devastation of AIDS in Africa. Tuku’s international breakthrough in recorded music came with the release of Tuku Music (1999), which was picked up by Putumayo Records for American distribution. Oliver Mtukudzi, along with his Black Spirits, has since performed around the world, but it is his dedication to the live music scene in Zimbabwe - continually playing to enthusiastic audiences in even the remotest parts of the country – that has earned him the place in people's hearts that he holds today. By all accounts, Oliver Mtukudzi is revered as one of Southern Africa's greatest musicians, writers and performers.

Tickets for the Zimbabwe AIDS Relief Benefit Concert featuring Oliver Mtukudzi and The Black Spirits are $75.00 per person or $500.00 per table of five. Tickets can be purchased online at www.yoshis.com or via Yoshi's Box Office at (510) 238-9200. For more information on Zimbabwe AIDS Relief efforts in the Bay Area, contact Allen Temple AIDS Ministry at (510) 544-7505 or visit www.ZimbabweAIDSRelief.org. More information on Oliver Mtukudzi and The Black Spirits, including music samples, can found online at www.tukumusic.co.zw.