Peas Pumping Quake Aid to China

Black Eyed Peas set to launch private charity benefit for victims

By Josh Grossberg Jun 03, 2008 2:08 PMTags
Black Eyed Peas, American Music AwardsMichael Caulfield/WireImage.com

The Black Eyed Peas are getting out the funk on behalf of China's earthquake victims.

The Grammy-winning hip-hop outfit will perform a private charity gig in Shanghai tonight that will benefit survivors of last month's devastating temblor, which killed more than 69,000.

The Peas were originally hired to hold an intimate, invitation-only show at the fabled Shanghai Concert Hall as part of a special promotional event for 100 customers of beverage companies Pernod Ricard China and its U.K.-based partner, Chivas Brothers.

But after the earthquake, organizers decided to make it a benefit and expanded the guest list to include 700 VIP clients and assorted media to raise funds for Red Cross relief efforts.

The "Pump It" hitmakers will be joined on the bill by Hong Kong singer Karen Mok, best known to Western audiences for acting in Stephen Chow's hit comedy flick Shaolin Soccer.

The concert will air on Chinese national television as well as various regional TV networks at an unspecified future date.

The earthquake struck the country's southwestern Sichuan province May 12 and has left the Beijing government scrambling to house more than 15 million people left homeless. Another 18,000 remain missing.