The Black Ball is an annual fundraiser gala for

Keep a Child Alive Keep a Child Alive (KCA) is a nonprofit organization that provides healthcare, housing, and other support services to HIV/AIDS-affected communities in Africa and India. Co-founded by Leigh Blake and Alicia Keys, the organization aims to "realize ...

, the non-profit organization which brings dignified treatment, care and support to children and families affected by

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

. Keep a Child Alive's (KCA) Black Ball brings celebrity and philanthropy together to fulfill hopes, dreams and raise funds for children and families affected by HIV in Kenya,

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Hosted by KCA co-founder

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

, this event takes place in New York and has raised over $18.5 million since 2004. The evening features a cocktail party, seated dinner, live auction and unique musical performances and collaborations. The Black Ball is held annually in New York City and has been produced by Empire Entertainment. The Black Ball gala has also been held in London, England in 2008, 2010 and 2011. Every year, artists and other celebrities come together to support and perform to raise funds for the cause. The Black Ball has featured performances from an array of artists including

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended M ...

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''. Called the "punk poe ...

Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with ...

, Beyonce,

Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a reco ...

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...

, and

Roy Ayers Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Pol ...

. Activists and philanthropists have also been honored at the Black Ball, including

Oprah Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...

, former President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...

Youssou N'Dour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine describe ...

, Sir

Richard Branson Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is a British billionaire, entrepreneur, and business magnate. In the 1970s he founded the Virgin Group, which today controls more than 400 companies in various fields. Branson expressed ...

, and Bono. According to Keys, the Black Ball held in 2014 raised around 2.4 million dollars.

2012

The 9th Annual KCA Black Ball NY originally scheduled for November 1 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, was rescheduled due to Hurricane Sandy. The event was re-envisioned and took place on December 6 at the world-famous Apollo Theater and Emceed by Whoopi Goldberg. Performances were given by Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Angelique Kidjo, Bonnie Raitt and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes . KCA honored the philanthropic work of Oprah Winfrey and Angelique Kidjo.

2011

The 8th Annual KCA Black Ball NY was held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on November 3, 2011. Performances were given by Alicia Keys, Usher, Norah Jones, will.i.am, Richie Sambora, Gary Clark Jr, Jay Sean and Midival Punditz with Karsh Kale. KCA honored the spiritual, musical and philanthropic legacy of George Harrison. The event was sponsored by Sachin & Saurbah Foundation, United Airlines and Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits.

2011

The 3rd KCA Black Ball London was held at the Roundhouse on June 15, 2011 and hosted and musically directed by Alicia Keys and Mark Ronson. Performances included Alicia Keys, Mark Ronson, Tinie Tempah, Paloma Faith, Beth Ditto, Kyle Falconer, Spank Rock and the legendary Boy George.

2010

The 7th Annual KCA Black Ball NY was held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on September 30, 2010. Performances were given by Alicia Keys, Janelle Monáe, Sade and Jay-Z. The event was sponsored by COVERGIRL, Bing and Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits and produced by Empire Entertainment.

2010

The 2nd Annual KCA Black Ball London was held at St. John's Smith Square in London on May 27, 2010 hosted by Alicia Keys and Thandie Newton. Performances were given by Alicia Keys, Bryan Ferry and Kasabian.

2009

The 6th Annual KCA Black Ball NY was held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on October 15, 2009. Performances were given by Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Youssou N'Dour and Chris Martin from Coldplay. KCA honored Sir Richard Branson, President Bill Clinton and Youssou N'Dour. The event was sponsored by ARISE magazine, Moet Hennessy and Google and produced by Obo.

2008

The 5th Annual KCA Black Ball NY was held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on November 13, 2008. Performances were given by Alicia Keys,

, Daughtry, and Emmanuel Jahl. KCA honored Jackie Branfield,

Simon Fuller Simon Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer renowned for nurturing and inspiring world class entertainment talent. He is the creator of the ''Idols'' TV format, including the UK s ...

and

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...

. The event was sponsored by

Condé Nast Condé Nast () is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose Nast, and owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. The company's media ...

Media Group and produced by Empire Entertainment.

2008

Keep a Child Alive's Black Ball London premiered at St. John's Smith Square in London on July 10, 2008 hosted by Alicia Keys. Performances from Annie Lennox, Jennifer Hudson, Adele, Damian Marley, Julian Marley & Emmanuel Jal. The event was sponsored by The Sekhar Foundation.

2007

The 4th Annual KCA Black Ball NY was held in New York City on October 25, 2007. Musical performances were given by

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...

, Alicia Keys, the Agape Orphanage's children's Choir, and

. Honorees included Nick Reding,

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and Dr. Pasquine Ogunsanya,

, and Bono. Amy Sacco teamed with Empire Entertainment to produce the

Bungalow 8 Bungalow 8 was an exclusive nightclub chain with locations in Manhattan's West Side, London's West End, and Amsterdam's nightlife neighborhood Leidseplein. The New York location in particular was popular with celebrities in the early 2000s. Fre ...

Ballroom after party.www.observer.com

2006

The 3rd Annual KCA Black Ball was held in New York City on November 9, 2006. Hosts Alicia Keys and Iman were joined by KCA founder Leigh Blake, emcee

Wanda Sykes Wanda Yvette Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on ''The Chris Rock Show'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. In 2004, ''Entertainm ...

, and honorees Richard Beckman, Dr. Paul Farmer and Partners in Health, and "Mama" Carol Dyanti. Musical performances were featured by Alicia Keys,

Damian Marley Damian Robert Nesta "Jr. Gong" Marley (born 21 July 1978) is a Jamaican DJ, singer, lyricist and rapper. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards. Early life, education and family Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae musician Bob Marle ...

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

, and

, in his last public performance before his death in 2016.

2005

The 2nd Annual KCA Black Ball was held in Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on November 3, 2005. Alicia Keys performed songs with

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

and the Children of Agape,

Baaba Maal Baaba Maal ( ff, 𞤄𞤢𞥄𞤦𞤢 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤, italics=no, born 13 June 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several al ...

, Usher,

Angelique Kidjo Angelique or Angélique may refer to: * Angélique (given name), a French feminine name Arts and entertainment Music * Angélique (instrument), a string instrument of the lute family * ''Angélique'', a 1927 opéra bouffe by Jacques Ibert * ...

Femi Kuti Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti (born 16 June 1962), popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician born in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of political campaigner, women's ri ...

, and Bono.

2004

The First Annual KCA Black Ball (then known as the Pusher's Ball) was held at the

Angel Orensanz Center The Angel Orensanz Center is an art and performance space on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was originally built as a synagogue, running through a succession of congregations and continues to be used as one occasionally. The ...

on December 1, 2004 in New York City.

References

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