Stevie Wonder headlines Katrina benefit

Stevie Wonder has headlined a benefit concert in New Orleans, one year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the US Gulf coast.

The pop legend was the main draw at the show, which took on the name The Rebuilding The Soul Of America concert.

Dr John, Winton Marsalis, gospel performer Yolanda Adams and keyboardist Ivan Neville, son of Aaron Neville and a New Orleans native, were amongst the other performers.

A host of other local acts also appeared at the event, which will benefit a trust set to assist the cultural infrastructure of the region, which was the brainchild of jazz trumpeter Marsalis.

The promoters behind the concert admitted they had been disappointed at the response to the show, with the original capacity of 10,000 being reduced to 6,000, reports the BBC.

However, Neville, praised those who attended and insisted the concert was a small step in the regeneration of the musically historic area.

He explained: "We're losing a generation of musicians. We've got to pass it along like it was passed to us."document.write(unescape("