Bruni Croons at NYC Mandela Birthday Bash

French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy took the stage yesterday to sing at Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday concert in New York City—to mixed reviews, reports the Times of London. The model-turned-singer, who previously vowed not to perform while her husband was in office, sang her hit "Quelqu'un m'a dit" ("Someone Told Me") and Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame. 

The Times ranked her performance as "pretty but bloodless and immobile—rather like her face." Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Queen Latifah also attended the Radio City bash, but Mandela, whose health is fragile, did not appear. Hubby Nicolas Sarkozy watched his wife's performance from the audience, and the couple left shortly after.
(More Carla Bruni stories.)