Bono raised the campaign for debt relief for developing countries with the US State Department and Colin Powell at a meeting with the Secretary of State on Friday.

Flying into the US ahead of the Elevation 2001 Tour in Miami which opens this weekend, Bono discussed debt-relief and the growing AIDS crisis in Africa with Powell, according to State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

Powell said he was glad the singer was using his fame 'to work on something good,' according to the State Department. 'Bono replied, 'Our audience is smart and aware.'

'A lot of individuals in the private sector, coming from a lot of different backgrounds have been very important to some of these issues and we listen to these people. ... We're in a new age, a democratic age when there are a lot of players besides the government,' said Boucher.

Apparently, Powell, about to go to the White House for an Irish event, learned from Bono the correct pronunciation of "taoiseach' (tee-shuck), the Irish title for prime minister.

Find out more about the campaign to cancel the debts of the world's poorest countries at www.dropthedebt.org