Carla Bruni to sing at Nelson Mandela concert in New York – breaking her promise to Sarkozy that she would stop performing

Posted by lena on Jul 16, 2009 in News | 0 comments

Carla Bruni is to perform live on stage for the first since since marrying French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The former supermodel vowed to stop performing in concert after becoming France’s First Lady last year.
But she has now persuaded her husband to let her sing in public again – at Nelson Mandela’s 91st birthday celebration in New York.
The 41-year-old will sing a duet with British music legend Dave Stewart, 56, at the star-studded bash at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Mr Sarkozy will take a ‘private trip’ to New York to watch his wife perform, his aides said.
Ms Bruni – who counts rockers Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton among her past lovers – used to perform regularly before marrying Mr Sarkozy in January 2008.
She then agreed to put live performances on hold after taking on her official duties, after Elysee palace officials told her it was ‘unfitting’ for a First Lady to stage live pop concerts.
But she is now said to have her husband’s blessing due to the ‘exceptional nature’ of the event, and because money raised will go to Aids charities that both she and Mr Mandela support.
The concert will also feature soul legend Aretha Franklin, 67, and Cyndi Lauper, 55.
Music industry insiders in Paris have said the one-off gig could also revive her flagging pop career, after her last two albums flopped in the French charts.
Ms Bruni faced faced further humiliation in March when she did not receive a single nomination at French music industry’s equivalent of the Brit Awards.
She said afterwards: ‘Of course it hurts me, but I suppose it’s quite natural. It’s understandable that people can’t help mixing up my work as an artist and my official role.’
An Elysee Palace source told France’s Le Post newspaper: ‘Sarkozy has agreed only because it is a concert for Mr Mandela, and because it’s not a tour to promote her music career.’
The French media suggested yesterday that Bruni had only been asked to sing for Mandela because of who she is, and not because of her qualities as an artist.
Le Post said: ‘She is not exactly the most famous musician on the planet. But she is one of the most famous women on earth, and it can only be for that reason that she’s been asked to perform.’
French music critic Gerard Delapont added: ‘Technically her music has very little merit, and she doesn’t sing, she just mumbles. But I am sure a great artist like Dave Stewart will carry her along, and disguise the fact that her fame as a First Lady is greater than her talent as a singer.’
source: dailymail.co.uk