Cat Stevens to Perform at Nobel Concert

OSLO, Norway (AP) -- The former Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, will be among the performers at this year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert, promoters said.

The Oslo concert honors each year's Nobel Peace laureates, which for 2006 are Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh and the Grameen Bank he founded to help people rise above poverty with small loans to start businesses.

The concerts are always held Dec. 11, the day after the year's Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony. This year's concert will be hosted by Sharon Stone and Anjelica Huston.

Islam, who changed his name when he converted to Islam in the late 1970s, will join performers such as Lionel Richie, Rihanna, British pop band Simply Red, Wynonna, Renee Fleming and Paulina Rubio.

The London-born Islam had a string of hit songs, including "Moonshadow" and "Peace Train," before converting to Islam and withdrawing from the music industry. He is due to release "An Other Cup," his first new album in 28 years, on Nov. 14.

"There were 100 reasons for leaving the music industry back in 1979, not least because I had found what I was looking for spiritually," said the 58-year-old Islam, now a peace activist, in a statement issued late Monday.

"Today there are perhaps 101 good reasons why I feel right making music and singing about life in this fragile world again."

On the Net:

Nobel Peace Prize: http://www.nobelpeaceprize.org

Yusuf Islam: http://www.yusufislam.com/

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