INTERNATIONAL recording artistes Lauryn Hill, Ne-Yo and Deniece Williams headline this year’s staging of the charity concert organised by diamond-selling reggae artiste Shaggy.

Shaggy and Friends 2011 unfolds on the grounds of Jamaica House on Friday, December 30, with the artiste promising a wonderful experience at the concert which seeks to raise funds for the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston.

Thus far artistes on the lineup are Stephen Marley, Chino, Romain Virgo, Assassin aka Agent Sasco, Half Pint, Wayne Marshall, Tami Chynn, Cocoa Tea and soca’s first couple Bunji Garlin and Fay-Ann Lyons from Trinidad.

This year, the proceeds from the concert will help to furnish the new cardiac centre and intensive care unit at the island’s lone paediatric hospital. The Shaggy Foundation will work in partnership with Chain of Hope, a group of volunteer doctors and nurses who perform surgeries each year on Jamaica’s children with heart disease.

When speaking of the international artistes for this year’s show, Shaggy was really excited.

“Ne-Yo was a real no-brainer, once I mentioned it, he was on board. Lauryn Hill and I were on tour in Australia two months ago and we began discussing it then. Deniece Williams is also excited about performing for Jamaicans,” he disclosed.

‘Mr Boombastic’ also noted that this year he is not setting a target for the amount of money he would like to raise, needless to say he wants to continue the tradition the concert series has established over the years.

To date, the Shaggy and Friends Make A Difference foundation have raised a total of J$57,000,000.

The entertainer’s involvement with the Bustamante Hospital dates back to 2001, when he visited a friend’s son who had been admitted there. He was moved by the needs of the institution and made a resolve to support them in any possible way. He spent the next eight or so years fulfilling that resolve in a personal way with periodic donations, a process that eventually led, in 2009, to the event.

This year there will be three ticket levels… Platinum, $25,000; Gold, $10,000 and Silver $5,000.

At yesterday’s show, three major sponsors handed over their financial contributions towards the staging of the event. Scotiabank contributed $5 million, KFC presented a cheque for $1 million, while LIME committed $7.7 million towards the cause.