World Stars Set for Thisday Music and Fashion Festival

from All Africa

This Day (Lagos)

By Yusuph Olaniyonu
Lagos

This year's edition of the THISDAY Music and Fashion Festival which would be staged across three continents from July 11 has received the endorsement of international music, fashion and cultural icons who praised it as the most significant effort made to get global solutions for the problems of Africa.

A statement issued in London at the weekend by organisers of the festival stated that some of the international and African stars who have signed on to feature in the festival to be held in Abuja, Lagos, Washington and London are Jay-Z, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Fat Joe, Naomi Campbell, Oluchi, Tyson Beckford and Yousou N'Dour.

Others who will feature on the World-class festival aimed at promoting massive international investments in infrastructure and microfinance in Africa are Liya, Kebede, Alex Wek, Ozwald Boateng, Chris Aire, 9ice and Shank.

The theme of the festival is "Africa Rising" and will be used to project positive images of Africa by showcasing the renaissance of Africa's music, fashion and the arts.

Giving her endorsement to the festival and its objective, World renowned model, Naomi Campbell praised the chairman and editor-in-chief of THISDAY, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena for developing the vision to use culture and music to promote the best of Africa and sending the right signal on how the world community can partner with Africa to solve the continent's problems.

"It is fantastic that THISDAY and Mr Obaigbena are helping improve the positive awareness of Africa as too many people have stereotypical and negative views of the Continent. He obviously had a remarkable vision, a real passion and a special message... The more I found out about his mission to promote positivity and understanding, the more I wanted to be involved going forward with the 'Africa Rising' Festival," Campbell said.

Also, Ozwald Boateng, the renowned coutorier, said the festival would provide the best forum to positively project Africa's image and tell the world that Africa is not about poverty and war but that with good investments channelled into creating business opportunities and rebuilding infrastructure, Africa would take its rightful place in the world community.

Said Boateng: "I'm very proud to be a part of this exciting moment. We have all come together in a celebration of culture and art, helping to bring Africa's attention to the international community. We no longer have to see the same message of poverty and war, but we can show case the best of Africa's talent to help drive the message home that Africa is on its way up and encourage other continents to build bridges and ensure Africa achieves its rightful place in the world's economies by, rebuilding infrastructure and creating businesses that transform the lives of Africans."

Obaigbena also commented that the festival would demonstrate that the real problem of Africa is lack of social and physical infrastructure and that what Africa desires is deployment of investment in infrastructure and microfinance in order to rebuild the continent.

"Right now the international community seems to be dealing with the symptoms not the problems of Africa. The symptoms are poverty and disease, but the problem is lack of social and physical infrastructure. This initiative is to highlight the need to focus sustainable solutions on the problems through massive investment in infrastructure and microfinance in order to rebuild Africa from the ground up. Europe is what it is today because after World War II the 'Marshall Plan' took hold. It did not deal with poverty, it focused on rebuilding Europe, " Obaigbena said.

The festival will take off in Abuja on July 11 and will move on to Lagos on July 13. It will also hold in Washington DC on August 1st while the grand finale will hold in London on October 14.

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