Englishman in Rabat - Sting to perform at the 9th Edition of the Mawazine Festival, Rhythms of the World, Saturday May 29, 2010...

For the first time in Morocco, Sting - world renowned artist, activist, author, actor, philanthropist and composer of such hits as 'Englishman in New York', 'Fields of Gold', 'Desert Rose' and 'Roxanne' - has been added to the amazing list of artists who will perform at Rabat's Mawazine Festival - Rhythms of the World which will be held from May 21st to May 29th, 2010.

The former lead singer and bassist of the British rock band ;The Police; will perform on the outdoor stage of the OLM Souissi for Rabat's Mawazine Festival - Rhythms of the World on Saturday, May 29th, 2010 at 9:30 PM. Sting's concert will undoubtedly be a highlight of this years' Mawazine edition, performing alongside the Royal Symphony Orchestra. The concert will consist of his most celebrated hits as well as songs off his latest album 'If On a Winter's Night...' This critically-acclaimed release finds Sting in collaboration with renowned producer/arranger Robert Sadin and features a collection of traditional music spanning the centuries.

A milkman's son from Newcastle, England, Sting was a teacher, soccer coach and ditchdigger before turning to music. Inspired equally by jazz and the Beatles, he met Stewart Copeland and they, along with guitarist Andy Summers, formed the Police in 1977. The band quickly became a success both in the UK and U.S. scoring several No. 1 hits including 'Roxanne', 'Every Breath You Take', 'King of Pain', and 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic'. They earned five Grammy Awards and two Brits, and in 2003 the band was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The trio's live work forecast the astonishing inventiveness and range of influences that Sting would realize fully in his solo career.

With the release of 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles' in 1985, followed by 'Bring On The Night', 'Nothing Like The Sun', 'The Soul Cages', 'Ten Summoner's Tales', 'Mercury Falling', 'Brand New Day', 'All This Time', 'Sacred Love' and 'Songs From the Labyrinth', Sting has evolved into one of the world's most distinctive and highly respected performers, collecting as a solo performer an additional 11 Grammys, 2 Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, three Oscar nominations, Billboard Magazine's Century Award, and MusiCares 2004 Person of the Year.

He has appeared in 15 films, Executive Produced the critically acclaimed, 'A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints', and in 1989 starred in a Broadway play the 'Three penny Opera'.

Also an accomplished author, Sting published a memoir entitled 'Broken Music' in 2003, which spent 13 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Most recently, he released 'Lyrics'- a comprehensive collection of lyrics and personal commentary, also featuring photographs from throughout his career.

In 2007, The Police reformed and embarked on a world tour. This much heralded tour played to over 3.7 million people on five continents and ranked as the third highest grossing tour of all time. The Police world tour also garnered numerous accolades including 'Major Tour of the Year' (Pollstar), 'Top Selling' and 'Top Tour of the Year' (Billboard) as well as the People's Choice award for 'Favorite Reunion Tour of 2007.'

Sting's support for human rights organization like the Rainforest Foundation, Amnesty International, and Live Aid mirrors his art in its universal outreach. Along with wife Trudie Styler, Sting founded the Rainforest Foundation in 1989 to protect both the world's rain forests and the indigenous peoples who live there.

For the 9th Mawazine edition, festival goers will experience Sting's first-ever performance in Morocco. Access to the OLM Souissi concert will be free, except for a space in front of the stage that will be reserved to a limited number of ticket and card holders. Those tickets will go on sale very soon (March 2010) on www.festivalmawazine.ma.