GOVERNMENTS’ AID REQUESTED
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LONDON — Bob Geldof, mastermind of the “global jukebox” Live Aid concert that raised an estimated $55 million for famine relief, called Sunday on governments to follow the music industry’s lead and pour in massive aid to help Africa’s starving people.
A total of 52 chart-buster rock stars donated their talents for the transatlantic twin concerts Saturday in London and Philadelphia beamed to an estimated 1.5 billion people in 140 countries by an umbrella of 14 satellites.
In the biggest single pledge, the ruling Al-Maktoums family of Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates, promised 1 million pounds ($1.38 million).
“Hopefully this was the spark to push governments into doing quite evidently what 2 billion people wish them to do,” Geldof said.
“This was definitely the ultimate day that popular music can give. I just hope it doesn’t stop.
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