Sweet French Dreams

Nelson Mandela can bring just about anyone together.

On July 18, Eurythmics rock legend Dave Stewart and France's First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy will perform together at Madison Square Garden as part of Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday celebration. The event, dubbed "Mandela Day," will also feature performances by Aretha Franklin, Queen Latifah, Cyndi Lauper, Josh Groban and Wyclef Jean.

As a noted producer and songwriter, the Britain-born Stewart has worked with top artists like Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr, Jon Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan, No Doubt, Gwen Stefani and Bono, among others. Bruni, who released her first album in 2002, continues pursuing a music career despite marrying the French president. She's currently collaborating with Stewart on new songs, presumably for her fourth album. Her previous three all topped the album charts in France.

Interestingly, the former model also appears in Stewart's recent photography exhibit, which also included images of Demi Moore and Isabella Rossellini. The exhibit celebrated the release of the musician's new photography book "The Dave Stewart Songbook Vol. 1," which features his portraits of top artists stemming from their work together. Prints from the exhibit are available at the Morrison Hotel Gallery.

In years past, Stewart's worked with the former South African president to help fight the AIDS epidemic. He wrote songs with artists like Paul McCartney and Queen that could only be heard by dialing the number "46664," Mandela's former prisoner number. Listeners were charged for the calls and all proceeds went to the 46664 charity. Stewart and Queen later launched the 46664 concert in South Africa with appearances by Bono, The Edge, Beyoncé, Peter Gabriel, Annie Lennox and Live Aid creator Bob Geldof. More than 2 billion people saw the live concert broadcast, which aired on World AIDS Day in 2003.

Mandela Day, which is likely to become an annual event, will give music fans a taste of Stewart's latest collaboration with France's popular First Lady.