Antipodean heroes from the 1980s, Crowded House were formed in Melbourne and are known for their melodic guitar-based pop and sharp song-writing from New Zealand-born front-man Neil Finn. Had a hit song with Take the Weather.

Upbeat pop from a Hawaii-born surf idol. Acoustic guitar and catchy, warm vocals delivered by a man who looks like a beach dude and tours in a bio-diesel-fuelled bus.

A rock group formed by Australian actress Toni Colette, star of Muriel's Wedding and Little Miss Sunshine. The band is a "vehicle for Collette's own bittersweet, emotional, piano-driven rock," says the Live Earth website.

An Australian power rock trio often likened to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.

Tokyo (Starts: 0400 GMT)

Hot-right-now R&B singer Rihanna, born in Barbados but raised in New York, is riding high in music charts internationally. Her single Umbrella has been at number one in Britain for the last seven weeks.

A noisy six-piece band mixing metal and hip hop. The group have sold 40 million records and have their own charity to combat global warming.

A local pop star known for her sweet looks and catchy voice. In 2007, four years after appearing on the music scene, she released a greatest hits record called Ai am Best.

A Japanese trio of pioneering synthesiser players, said to have influenced the acid house and techno movements of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Shanghai (Starts: 1130 GMT)

A dozen girls play traditional Chinese instruments such as the pipa (a lute that looks like a pear), the erhu, (the Chinese violin), and the hulusi (a flute).

British singer best known for her hit versions of songs from The Phantom of the Opera; and Cats, famous musicals composed by her former husband Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Like many included in the Shanghai line-up, singer/actress Joey hails from Hong Kong. She is one of the best-selling Cantonese singers in the world.

A singer, actress and writer from Taiwan. She released her first album in 2002, To Be Happy, and starred in the Snow.Wolf Lake musical written by Hong Kong singer and artist Jacky Cheung in 2005.

Hamburg (Starts: 1200 GMT)

A West Coast king among US hip hop stars after selling more than 18 million albums worldwide.

A one-man Spanish-American hit machine, Enrique Iglesias is the son of the legendary Latino singer Julio Iglesias.

The biggest-selling female artist in Europe last year, Katie Melua has a mellow voice that's equally adept at blues, jazz and folk-tinged pop.

A mixture of hip-hop and pop, Lotto King Karl's hometown of Hamburg features prominently in his song-writing, including Hamburger Jungs, Hamburger Jungs, Wir Sind Alle Hamburger Jungs.

London (Starts: 1330 GMT)

One of the biggest solo female pop acts of all time. Climate change activists might be put off by her fleet of cars and hit song ;Material Girl.

Creators of hit punk-influenced rap music for the last 20 years. The three New Yorkers still wear tracksuits and know how to rock a crowd.

Four-piece funk/rock band from Los Angeles, California. Still going strong after producing endless hits over two decades.

The group has defined heavy metal for the last 25 years. Performances feature bone-crunching bass, raucous guitars, and wild vocals from singer James Hetfield.

Johannesburg (Starts: 1700 GMT)

Her throaty, powerful voice has echoes of her idol Aretha Franklin. She emerged at the tender age of 16 after growing up in rural southwest England.

A 1980's British reggae group from the midlands city of Birmingham. They refused to perform in South Africa during the apartheid era.

In 2003, this group from one of South Africa's most famous townships won Best Gospel Choir at the American Gospel Music Awards.

A home grown performer who mixes hip hop and gospel with hints of traditional Zulu and Sotho music. He acted in and wrote the soundtrack for the film Tsotsi, which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2006.

New York (Starts: 1700 GMT)

Recently reformed ska-influenced rock band from the 1980s. Famous front-man Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland once came to blows during a tour in the United States before the group's acrimonious split.

Alternative rock music fronted by bald, intense singer Billy Corgan. After being one of the biggest bands of the 1990s, the US-based band broke up in 2000 before reforming in 2006.

Crooning front-man Jon Bon Jovi is an 1980s rock icon, famous for his super-tight denim and voluminous hair-do. Keep the Faith could be a rallying call for Live Earth.

One of the biggest hip hop acts of the moment. He joins fellow US rapper Ludacris and Senegal-born Akon at the New York show.

A giant R'n'B star, New York-born Keys has also made a name for herself as a philanthropist. She is a spokesperson for several charities and recorded a song with U2 lead singer and campaigner Bono for World Aids day in 2006.

Rio de Janeiro (Starts: 2000 GMT)

A New York-born multi-instrumentalist, whose percussive guitar music and good looks have brought him wealth, fame and beautiful girlfriends, among them Vanessa Paradis, Kylie Minogue and Nicole Kidman.

US-born hip hop star who is one half of the production duo The Neptunes and the lead singer and drummer of the funk-rock band, N*E*R*D. He is also the co-founder of the clothing brand Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Footwear.

A tatooed Brazilian rapper from Rio de Janiero.

Pronounced shoo-shah, Xuxa is a blonde Brazilian television actress, singer and children's television show host. She had the best-selling album in the history of Brazil with Xou da Xuxa 3, which sold over 3.8 million copies.

 

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