SHAKIRA ANNOUNCES HAITI SCHOOL INITIATIVE TO AID RECOVERY

Barefoot Foundation will build new school for displaced children

Following her performance on the Hope for Haiti Now Telethon, Shakira has announced an initiative to build a new school in Haiti through her Barefoot Foundation. The Foundation will work in partnership with Architecture for Humanity to build the school and NGO partners to provide education, school feeding, clean water and sanitation services. Foundation board member Howard Buffett, World Food Program Ambassador Against Hunger and chairman of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, will fund the school feeding component of the initiative and other related services.

“There is a great need for immediate aid in Haiti, but also for longer-term reconstruction” said Shakira. “For that reason, we are doing our small part to help Haiti rebuild and give the children affected by this disaster the chance to learn and thrive. I hope we can use some of what we’ve learned working in Colombia to help Haiti’s children recover. When we educate children we empower societies, and right now Haiti needs all of our help. ”

The Barefoot Haiti School will be modeled after the work of the Fundación Pies Descalzos, the Colombia-based Foundation Shakira founded which provides education, nutrition and psychological support to over six thousand Colombian children displaced by violence.

“School feeding will be a critically important tool to ensuring the health of Haiti’s children—and their attendance at school” said Buffett. “Our foundation is proud to partner with Shakira on this incredibly important effort.”

The Barefoot Foundation will partner with Architecture for Humanity, a nonprofit design services firm dedicated to building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design. “It is vital to rebuild the educational infrastructure of Haiti. We urgently need to restore a sense of normalcy in these young hearts and minds and not allow this tragedy to dictate how they see their future. With this coalition of support we can build a holistic school that will inspire and encourage Haiti’s next generation of leaders” said Cameron Sinclair, executive director of Architecture for Humanity.

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EMPIRE STATE OF MIND (PART II) BROKEN DOWN

FEBRUARY 22ND

12 x Grammy Award winner, Alicia Keys releases ‘Empire State of Mind Part II’ on February 22nd. ‘Empire State Of Mind Part I’ with Jay Z was one of the biggest hits of 2009, and now she will release her own version of the song, taken from her brand new album ‘The Element Of Freedom’.

‘The Element Of Freedom’ is Alicia’s fastest selling album ever in the UK, and is still in the top ten after 4 weeks. The top ten single, ‘Doesn’t Mean Anything’, is still in the top 30 after four weeks, and is still a top 20 airplay hit. Alicia will be performing on the Jonathan Ross TV show on January 22nd and ‘1Xtra and Radio 1 Present Alicia Keys Live At Maida Vale’ airs on January 23rd.

Alicia describes ‘The Element Of Freedom’ as a dichotomy of strength and vulnerability: “The music is really strong, and the drums are really aggressive, but my voice is vulnerable and delicate,” states Keys.

Since Alicia first exploded onto the music scene she has proved that she is more than talented - she is gifted. Alicia Keys is now as much of a global superstar as she is a musician’s musician. She is not only a singer, songwriter, musician and producer, but also a credible actor. Unlike many figures in the public eye who appear to be politically aware and engaged, Alicia has proved that she doesn’t just talk, she acts, her work with Keep a Child Alive is testimony to this.

‘The Element Of Freedom’ is the follow up to Keys’ multi-platinum selling 2007 album As I Am, which featured the Grammy Award winning tune ‘No One’ as well as hit singles ‘Like You’ll Never See Me Again’ ‘Teenage Love Affair’ and ‘Superwoman’.

Alicia Keys will be touring the UK in May including two dates at the O2 arena.

SHAKIRA WILL SPEAK ABOUT UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION

International superstar Shakira will speak about Universal access to education today at Oxford University at 4pm.

Shakira’s foundation, ‘Barefoot’s work increases access to quality education and removes barriers to learning that keep many poor and disadvantaged children from achieving their true potential. Education is the key to fighting poverty and violence, but learning does not occur in a vacuum. The ‘Barefoot’ model is committed to responding to local needs and unique because it opens schools to the community, addressing obstacles to learning. ‘Barefoot’ schools become centers of their communities and catalysts for social change.

The Oxford Union is a debating, educational, and social society, membership of which is open to all matriculated members of Oxford University (and many other notable educational establishments). Over the years countless actors, writers, film stars, musicians, celebrities and politicians. These past guests of The Oxford Union include, the Dalai Lama, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, Presidents Nixon, Carter and Reagan, Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, Michael Jackson, Jon Bon Jovi and Albert Einstein to name just a few.

As well as speaking at Oxford, Shakira will be promoting her brand new single ‘Did It Again’ and performing on Capital’s ‘Jingle Bell Ball’. Shakira performed ‘Did It Again’ on X factor last week and it will be released physically on December 14th, it follows in the footsteps of her massive hit ‘She Wolf’, which remained in the U.K. top 5 for 5 weeks. The album, also titled ‘She Wolf’, entered the album chart at number 4 making it Shakira’s fastest selling album to date in the U.K. The video for Did It Again was directed by Jake Nava. Needless to say, it is just as hot, innovative and mind-blowing as the much talked about video for She Wolf.