Sonu Nigam to honour Michael Jackson at IIFA

Sonu Nigam will perform with Jermaine Jackson at the forthcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) weekend as a tribute to Michael Jackson.

The performance will take place on June 25 - the second anniversary of Michael Jackson's death.

The tribute song, composed by Nigam, was featured on the album The Beat of our Hearts, an 18-song compilation CD honouring Michael Jackson.

Speaking about the performance, Nigam told IANS: "Yes, I am performing with [Jermaine] the MJ tribute song that is being released by Universal America next week. It is called 'This Is It'.

I wrote and composed the song and [Jermaine] sang it for me in Los Angeles. It is the first ever tribute song in the world post-MJ's sad demise that is endorsed by a member of Michael Jackson's family."

Sabbas Joseph, one of the founding directors of Wizcraft International Entertainment, said: "We were fortunate to have met with Michael Jackson in 1996 when we brought him to India for his concert. With IIFA in Toronto, we will be commemorating Michael Jackson's second death anniversary with a performance by his brother Jermaine Jackson on the 'IIFA Rocks' stage. He will be joined by Sonu Niigam."

Nigam, who is known to be a huge Michael Jackson fan, paid tribute to the superstar after his death, saying: "Being an artist, it is my duty to appreciate the commendable work of a great artist like Michael Jackson. He has brought a lot of changes in the music industry and I think no one else around the world can touch his level."