GRAMMY Award-nominated R&B and Hip Hop singer Akon is headlining Digicel’s “Experience” concert this Wednesday at the National Park in Georgetown.
The multi-talented superstar will be backed up by Jamaican dancehall boy band T.O.K, along with an all-star local line up that includes Adrian Dutchin and Jomo, Rajesh Dubraj, Malo and Mingles Sounds.
“An “Experience” concert will be an experience,” Digicel’s Event Manager Shelly-Ann Brown says.
Synonymous with Digicel’s giveaways in the new markets it has ventured into, the concert is just the kind of “firestorm” the fasting growing telecommunications operator in the Caribbean wants to create here.
Shelly-Anne says Digicel would like to invite “the entire country” to come out and have the Akon experience, but that is not possible, since Guyana does not have the venue to accommodate the kind of mass crowd it has invited in other markets. The National Park can take 25, 000 persons, authorities there have assured Digicel, put she has indicated that the number Digicel hands out tickets to could be less than half that figure given security considerations.
No tickets are being sold for the concert. In the days leading up to the concert, persons would be able to take part in a number of promotional activities to win tickets. Starting Friday at Thirst Park, the first 3, 000 persons who attended the launch of Digicel’s Mashramani band “Firestorm” would have been given a ticket each.
Various radio and television programmes have been planned to hand out the tickets.
Shelly-Ann says the concert starts at 18:00 h and last for about five hours. She says the early time was planned because Digicel wants families to come out to the event, as the concert would be free of profanity.
That might be a long stretch, considering that one of Akon’s biggest songs “I Wanna Love You”, which has proved to be a mainstay on the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 singles charts, standing currently at #5 after 18 weeks on the chart, contains an expletive.
Digicel might also have had to pin T.O.K down to a highly restrictive contract, since the group’s biggest song to date is the controversial "Chi Chi Man" (Jamaican slang for homosexual) in 2000, which was a long running hit and drew fire from gay rights activists from the UK and outside of Jamaica.
So, Shelly-Ann has a task up her sleeve if, as she says, the concert will feature “clean performances”.
Akon
Akon comes to Guyana on word that he will join Gwen Stefani on 38-city “The Sweet Escape” tour. The two collaborated recently on Stefani’s musical gem “The Sweet Escape,” the single and title track to Stefani’s new album.
Akon’s sophomore masterpiece Konvicted continues its hold on to the upper echelons of Billboard’s Top 10 albums, coming in at # 7 this week and capping an incredible two month run that saw the acclaimed effort debut at #2.
The CD garnered coveted platinum certification after only five weeks of release. Akon’s two hit singles: Along with “I Wanna Love You”, his “Smack That” have proved to be mainstays on the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart, and “Smack That” remains in the Top 10 for more than 20 weeks.
Sales-wise, Akon’s Konvicted has outperformed current CD releases from some of the best and brightest stars today including: Jay-Z, The Game, Fergie, and John Legend.
The unstoppable Konvicted also scored a Grammy nomination with the hit single “Smack That” being acknowledged in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category. The charismatic star will also be performing another big song from his new album, “Don’t Matter,” on Live With Regis & Kelly on February 28th.
In addition to this, Konvicted is the breakthrough album of the year around the globe, rocketing towards platinum in the UK, France, Canada, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand.
"Smack That" has already hit #1 in the UK, France, Australia and New Zealand. With the success of his debut release, Trouble and the #1 international smash "Lonely," AKON has been certified gold or platinum in more than a dozen countries.
Akon’s life story has also become one of the most inspirational music sagas in recent memory, turning his life around after a stint in prison by pursuing a career in music, notching an incredible total of 5 million in worldwide sales thanks to the success of his seminal debut album Trouble.
The prolific singer/songwriter/producer has performed his two hit singles on the American Music Awards, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, NBC’s Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.