Concert to benefit children

Quincy Jones is hoping to draw about 1 million people and a global television audience with an all-star concert May 16 in Rome aimed at easing the suffering of children in violence-racked parts of the world.

Among the participants confirmed for “We Are the Future,” which echoes the title of the “We Are the World” all-star charity single Jones produced in 1985, are Norah Jones, Jay-Z, Sting, Oprah Winfrey, Muhammad Ali, LL Cool J, Josh Groban and the casts of “Stomp” and Cirque du Soleil.

The concert will be held near the Colosseum on the grounds of Circus Maximus, the site of chariot races in ancient Rome.

Organizers are negotiating with a U.S. television network and the Arab world’s Al-Jazeera to carry the telecast, which will feature entertainment and efforts to raise awareness and money for young victims of hostilities. Any money raised will go toward supporting future concerts and fostering dialogue and cultural understanding among the world’s young people, a spokesman for Jones said.