Akon, Sean Paul show world class
by Showbiz reporter
05/09/2010 00:00:00
MEGA-STARS Sean Paul and Akon put up what fans described as a world class performance at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Saturday in a show that was however, undermined by some organisational hiccups.
Scheduled to have started at 6:30 pm, the show only kicked off after 9pm as the thousands of people who had bought tickets struggled to access the giant stadium where only a few gates were available for entry.
Riot police had to be called-in to control the restive crowds who where still struggling to get into the stadium as late as 8pm.
Again, inside the stadium, the VIP areas whose tickets cost between US$50 and US$100 ended up being free for all as the organizers failed to ensure enough security was available to control access.
Fans were also outraged at what they described as extortionate prices for beverages.
However the artists did not disappoint when the show eventually got underway with the locals led by Winky D warming up the crowd for the headline acts.
Urban grooves stars Extra Large, Leonard Mapfumo, ExQ and Cindy also put in commendable performances.
Dancehall superstar Sean Paul took to the stage just before 11pm and wowed the crowd with his hit song ‘Hold My Hand’ accompanied by a live band and dancing girls clad in lingerie outfits.
The Jamaican star also delighted the crowd with a rendition of Bob Marley’s song Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile Akon dimissed has claims he missed a flight to the Victoria Falls that had been organized by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).
The state tourism promotion body claimed it had arranged the trip with the US-based star prior to his arrival in the country with spokesman Sugar Chagonda insisitng everything had been put in place only for the star to fail to turn up.
However Akon’s management said the publicist said the trip – aimed at promoting the country’s tourism products – had not been discussed with him.
“Neither Akon nor his management team agreed to visit Victoria Falls on a commercial flight that morning,” his publicists said.
Labels: AKON, HARARE, HIP-HOP, SEAN PAUL
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The true cost of hiring Akon, Sean Paul
By: TSM-TZG
Posted: Sunday, September 5, 2010 12:24 am
AS weary legs trudge out of the National Sports Stadium this morning, few will take time to reflect on the mammoth cost of bringing Akon and Sean Paul into the country, which by any measure was not a stroll in the park.
For starters, the five-star Meikles Hotel, where they were booked, cost US$150 per room, whether single or double. With the entourage for either Sean Paul and Akon reported to be around 22 each, accommodation should have gobbled up around US$20 000, assuming they were booked for three nights — from Thursday till this morning.
Lunch at the same hotel costs US$20 per head with supper coming in at the same price, giving a total of around US$5 500. Thus food and accommodation combined to give a total of around US$25 000.
As for the National Sports Stadium, which is currently being managed by the Ministry of Public Works whilst waiting to be transferred into the hands of the Sports and Recreation Commission, the ministry charged 15 percent of gate-takings. A spokesperson for the ministry said its officials were manning the gates, to tally the number of people who paid to get in. With an expected bumper crowd of about 25 000, the ministry should look forward to pocketing around US$93 000. That is assuming each ticket sells at an average price of US$25.
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The stage, lighting and sound system, which was reported to be all state-of-the-art, was secured at a cost of US$135 000, which was confirmed by an official working behind the scenes.
Earlier media reports had suggested that the stage and sound system would match the one used by Joyce Meyer during her recent visit.
As for security, the Zimbabwe Republic Police is rather on the expensive side. According to figures made available by the police, it costs US$3 per hour to hire a constable, while a sergeant costs US$4 per hour and an assistant inspector or sergeant-major US$5. Assuming 100 constables, 50 sergeants and 50 assistant inspectors were hired, this would bring the ZRP bill to around US$17 000, for a 24-hour shift spanning from 6am yesterday morning to 6am this morning.
As for private security details, security companies charge US$300 for 10 guards for 12 hours. With the magnitude of yesterday’s show, around 200 guards would have been hired, bringing the bill to US$12 000. Bouncers are said to charge US$50 per day. Thirty bouncers over four days would gobble up no less than US$6 000.
Though the fees paid to Akon and Sean Paul remained largely speculative, with Karikoga Kaseke, CEO of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority who are in partnership with Zimswag, citing a confidentiality clause, some respected promoters pointed to figures ranging between US$200 000 and US$250 000 for Akon and around US$150 000 for Sean Paul.
Alick Macheso, Stunner, Winky D — in fact all the local contingent of artistes — would come in at a collective total of around US$10 000. What a pity! Then there are the advertising costs, which can conservatively be put at around US$50 000. Printing of tickets can be estimated at around US$10 000. To that add another US$10 000 for sundry expenses.
Thus as thousands of people thronged the turnstiles at the giant National Sports Stadium yesterday afternoon, Tendai Mupfurutsa and his partners, some who have preferred to work quietly behind the scenes, could have spent about US$770 000, which is no small change.
Meanwhile, although many fans, especially the younger generation, are excited about Akon and Sean Paul’s visit, with some describing it as the next best thing since Bob Marley in April 1980, truth is there have been a number of international acts in the last 30 years.
Probably the biggest show after Bob Marley was the Human Rights Now! Concert, which featured Tracy Chapman, Bruce Springsteen and Yossou N'Dour, among other high-profile musicians. Then there was the Graceland concert, which had Paul Simon headlining and Ladysmith Black Mambazo as the supporting act. And it was a three-day affair!
On the reggae front, a number of international top acts have made it into the country, notably UB40, Aswad, Gregory Isaacs, I-Jah Man Levi, Misty In Roots, Don Carlos, Culture, Jimmy Cliff and, recently, Maxi Priest.
Country music has not been left out, as Don Williams performed at the Harare International Conference Centre and later at the Police Grounds, in what was a ground-breaking live performance for him. American soul singer Percy Sledge, of “When a Man Loves a Woman” fame, also came — twice.
During the ’80s and ’90s when rhumba and kwasa-kwasa ruled the roost, Zimbabwe hosted a number of top-of-the-pile artistes, among them Kanda Bongoman, Pepe Kalle, Kofi Olomide, Yondo Sister, General Defao, Loketo and Werrason.
Even the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, jetted into the country in 1998, although it was a non-performing visit.
Granted, the Akon-Sean Paul visit is probably the highest-profile gig to happen in this country since the turn of the millennium, which made it a must-attend show.
Labels: AKON, HIP-HOP, SEAN PAUL
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Akon hails ‘beautiful’ Zim
by Agencies
04/09/2010 00:00:00
UNITED States-based R&B superstar Akon says he has not seen any of the negative things highlighted by the Western media about Zimbabwe adding there were a lot of misconceptions about Africa in many parts of the world.
The superstar, who jetted into Harare on Thursday afternoon for a show alongside dancehall maestro Sean Paul, said he had struggled to see any of the bad things said about the country.
“As far as I can see Zimbabwe is a beautiful place and I haven’t seen anything that contradicted the positive things that I have heard before,” he said.
The star is in the country as part of efforts by authorities to rebrand a country battered by negative publicity after relations with Western countries chilled following its controversial land reforms.
Akon told journalists that the African continent had often been projected as underdeveloped and backward.
“I think there have been a lot of misconceptions, too, in a lot of places in Africa. But when you land in these places you never really see what they are talking about,” he said at a press briefing.
“You never get to see the misconceptions that are as far as the place being underdeveloped.”
Akon said African people were mostly the same everywhere, despite their situations.
“Everywhere in Africa that I have been, pretty much has always been the same. It feels like you are in the same place.
“Everyone has the same energy. All the people have been extremely humble. Even in the areas that have seen a lot of conflict, when I get there, I don’t feel it,” he said.
Akon paid tribute to thousands of fans, who earlier thronged Harare International Airport and his hotel in down-town Harare and promised to give them a show of their “lifetime.”
“We are very excited. This is an incredible moment for us. We have been trying to get to Zimbabwe for a long, long time. We always end up bumping heads with unreal promoters.
“Sometimes you hear that Akon is coming but we never knew that we are coming. It is really funny because Africans, we are like that, we are the ultimate hustlers. This time it was real. A call came from Zimbabwe and it was a real call with some real people doing some real business,” he said.
The show promises to be one of the best, if not the best, according to organisers - Zimswag.
Analysts say it should be bigger than the 1980 Independence concert where reggae legend Bob Marley performed, and even the 1988 Human Rights concert when Zimbabwe hosted Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman and Youssou N’Dour.
Zimswag also say the show should surpass other shows that have seen American R&B stars Joe Thomas, Tevin Campbell and Horace Brown as well as reggae maestros Luciano, Maxi Priest and Sizzla Kalonji performing in recent months.
Labels: AKON, HIP-HOP, SEAN PAUL
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Akon sends Zim fans agog, hails continent
By Kingsley Kaswende in Harare
Sat 04 Sep. 2010, 20:30 CAT
SENGALESE-born R&B superstar Akon has said
there have been a lot of misconceptions about Africa in many parts of the world. The American singer, who jetted into Harare on Thursday afternoon for a show yesterday alongside dancehall maestro Sean Paul, told journalists that the continent had often been projected as underdeveloped and backward.
“I think there have been a lot of misconceptions, too, in a lot of places in Africa. But
when you land in these places you never really see what they are talking about,” he said at a press briefing.
“You never get to see the misconceptions that are as far as the place being underdeveloped.”
He said, as he arrived in central Harare, he struggled to see the bad things that had been said about Zimbabwe in the Western world.
“As far as I can see Zimbabwe is a beautiful place and I haven’t seen anything that contradicted the positive things that I have heard before,” he said.
Akon said African people were mostly the same everywhere, despite their situations.
“Everywhere in Africa that I have been, pretty much has always been the same. It feels like you are in the same place. Everyone has the same energy. All the people have been extremely humble. Even in the areas that have seen a lot of conflict, when I get there, I don’t feel it,” he said.
He paid tribute to thousands of fans, who earlier thronged Harare International Airport and his hotel in down-town Harare.
He promised to give them a show of their “lifetime.”
“We are very excited. This is an incredible moment for us. We have been trying to get to Zimbabwe for a long, long time. We always end up bumping heads with unreal promoters.
Sometimes you hear that Akon is coming but we never knew that we are coming. It is really funny because Africans, we are like that, we are the ultimate hustlers. This time it was real. A call came from Zimbabwe and it was a real call with some real people doing some real business,” he said.
Hundreds of his fans besieged the airport, although most of them could not even see him due to tight security.
He was sneaked out of the airport through a back entrance and was driven away from roaring fans in a top-range Rolls Royce Phantom. He was immediately driven to one of the oldest, notorious and densely populated township of Mbare.
His 20-strong entourage followed behind in stretch limousines. As the kilometre-long convoy got into the city centre, several people lined the streets, waving at him and calling his name while he peeped through the sun-roof.
At the hotel, there was a near-stampede as his fans jostled to catch a glimpse of him. But security personnel whisked him to his room on the 10th floor of Meikles Hotel, where he later emerged on the balcony and waved at the multitudes below.
The show promises to be one of the best, if not the best, according to organisers - Zimswag.
Analysts say it should be bigger than the 1980 Independence concert where reggae legend Bob Marley performed, and even the 1988 Human Rights concert when Zimbabwe hosted Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman and Youssou N’Dour.
Zimswag also say the show should surpass other shows that have seen American R&B stars Joe Thomas, Tevin Campbell and Horace Brown as well as reggae maestros Luciano, Maxi Priest and Sizzla Kalonji performing in recent months. It should be so, owing to the amount of preparation that have gone into the show both in terms of logistics and hospitality.
Akon travelled with his private chef, and his 20-member entourage say they’ll not want to eat anything other than fresh baked fried/grilled fish, roast beef, chicken mix of white or dark meat, roast turkey, spaghetti or lasagne, baked macaroni and cheese, fresh steamed vegetables, fresh maize, greens, spinach and rice.
For the dressing room hospitality backstage yesterday, Akon and his band members had requested bottled water, half of which must be chilled and the other half at room temperature, top-end liquor, Hennessy, which is a firm favourite of American celebrities.
Organisers had to ensure there was fresh juice and “10 pounds of sweet juicy carrot plus four stalks of celery” for Akon. He also wanted to be served with Red Bull energy drink and various Coca-Cola products during the show.
Labels: AKON, HARARE, HIP-HOP, SEAN PAUL
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