Swizz Beatz recently revealed that he and his wife Alicia Keys have adopted an African village. In an interview with VladTV.com, Swizz explained, “We adopted…Suweto. We went there…just to film the process of a particular lady and her daughter. She’s a beautiful lady with a beautiful spirit. She’s HIV positive. We were filming the before-and-after effect of taking [certain] medications.”

Swizz continued, “They were filming giving the lady all these gifts and presents and food…I’m just there to support [Alicia]. I didn’t know that my wife did so many things in Africa. Like her face is in pictures in hospitals that she’s funded…I was like, ‘wow.’”

“I’m just sittin’ there, kickin’ it, talking to the locals. Mind you, they have no water, they have no heat, they have no electricity, they have tin houses. So I’m speaking to this one guy…and he was like, ‘This is beautiful what [you're doing], but we have no water, we have no this, we have no that. We have no tools. How can we help better ourselves?’” (Read more… )

This years Keep A Child Alive Black Ball is happening September 30 with special performances by Alicia, Sade and Jay-Z.

Superstar Alicia Keys has sung the praises of “brilliant, beautiful” Durban, and paid tribute to the unique wellness centre which she had funded.

And then, to the surprise of everyone at The Blue Roof Wellness Centre, she sang to her mother, Terri Augello, who was also visiting the Wentworth centre, and then to the dedicated staff.

She sang Pray For Forgiveness, to her mother and I am Superwoman, to the staff.

The state-of-the-art care centre, which provides Aids treatment and care for 1 000 patients a month, has been made possible by Keep A Child Alive. (Read more… )

Alicia spoke at a press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa launching Keep A Child Alive’s Africa vs. AIDS Campaign.

The Ricky Martin Foundation has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to raise money to rebuild homes and shelters in Haiti. Ricky  Martin recruited celebrity friends including Ellen  DeGeneres, Adam Lambert, Eva Longoria, Patti LaBelle,  Alicia Keys, and others for a public service announcement  to raise money for Haiti.

Martin has turned much of his energy to activism in recent years, lending his support to causes such as stopping human trafficking and hate crimes against LGBT people.

Donate to the Ricky Martin Foundation/Habitat for Humanity Haiti Recovery Fund

Watch the PSA

Alicia Keys is urging people to sign up to run the Brighton Marathon. The Grammy-winning singer is the ambassador and co-founder of the charity Keep A Child Alive, which has teamed up with the marathon.

Alicia isn’t doing the course herself, but is encouraging people to take part in the 26-mile run on April 18. ”As an avid runner myself I know how exhilarating it is to run but to run for a greater cause is the ultimate satisfaction,” she said.

The money raised will help people living with HIV and Aids in Africa and India. ”We will use the funds you raise and save lives, protect children and give hope to Africans and Indians who need our help because Aids has ravaged their communities,” Alicia added.

Over the weekend information came together about an international Hope for Haiti telethon scheduled for Friday, January 22, 2010 at 8 p.m. ET. Actor George Clooney (pictured) will host a portion of the event from Los Angeles. Wyclef Jean will host in New York, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper will be in Haiti. The telethon will be carried live and commercial free across most major broadcast and cable networks.

George Clooney told members of the press last night at the Golden Globe Awards that Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Bono and Sting are all scheduled to perform. Reports indicate that at least 40 celebrities are expected to take part in the event. All donations will directly benefit Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross, UNICEF, and Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation.

“I know I’m losing control,” Alicia Keys sang in “Love Is Blind,” the song that started her set at the Nokia Theater on Tuesday night. But she wasn’t, not for an instant.

Through her set Ms. Keys measured every note, every bit of between-song patter, every motion and every vocal inflection, even when she was making her voice sound tearful or imploring or driven. In a career as one of this decade’s most dependable hit makers, that underlying poise has been her strength. Her message, particularly to women, is to endure and prevail. But that same steadfastness has also emerged as a shortcoming — onstage more than in the studio, where the sound of her voice is persuasive.

Ms. Keys writes and sings about heartache and sorrow, usually on the way to overcoming them. She promises devotion and calls for determination through every struggle. Her craftsmanship and equanimity are a comfort, a demonstration of what she counsels. But they are also a barrier. She doesn’t let loose. (Read more… )

Alicia Keys made sure her fans didn’t forget about World AIDS Day this year. On Tuesday, the singer played a special concert at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square in support of the millions impacted by HIV and AIDS, with proceeds going to Keys’ Keep a Child Alive foundation. She performed previous hits, new tracks from her forthcoming album, The Element of Freedom, and most notably was joined onstage by Jay-Z for her final song.

When the show began promptly at 8, two video screens that lingered beside the venue’s golden chandeliers lit up and depicted Keys walking through the backstage corridors. Wearing a dark leather jacket, silver-accented jeans and a matching belt, the singer arrived to an applauding and camera-flashing audience.

“How y’all doing tonight?” she asked the crowd as she began with her first number “Love Is Blind,” a new song included on her upcoming LP. Two dancers dressed in white accompanied the singer as she displayed her everlasting piano skills. Then, following a festive remix of “Karma,” she took time for a chat with her hometown audience. (Read more… )

Last night Keep A Child Alive hosted it’s 6th annual Black Ball. I have added many pictures to the gallery of Alicia & others at the ball.