Sunidhi Chauhan joins anti-poverty concert in New York

Indian Bollywood play back singer Sunidhi Chauhan. AFP

AFP

Leading Bollywood singer Sunidhi Chauhan was announced on Wednesday, September 16, as a new performer for next week’s major anti-poverty concert in New York.

The Global Citizen Festival, which hopes to spur activism to fight extreme poverty, has already announced Western superstars Beyoncé, Pearl Jam, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran as headlining acts.

Revealing further acts for the September 26 show in Central Park, the festival announced an appearance by 32-year-old Chauhan, considered one of her generation’s leading playback singers, who record songs for Indian films as actors lip-sync.

Other newly announced performers include Common, the popular rapper and actor who co-wrote the Oscar-winning song Glory from the civil rights drama Selma.

Singer Usher, Indian actress Freida Pinto and US film and television stars Katie Holmes and Laverne Cox were separately announced as part of a host committee that will mobilise fans in Central Park as well as social media users.

Stephen Colbert, who recently started as host of CBS television's premier Late Night show, was previously announced as the event's host.

Launched in 2012, the Global Citizen Festival coincides with the annual UN summit and gives out tickets to fans who commit to take actions against poverty.

The festival is broadcasting internationally for the first time this year, hoping to build pressure as the United Nations announces new targets at the end of its 15-year push known as the Millennium Development Goals.