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Uganda: Akon Makes Good On Promise
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The Monitor (Kampala)
10 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Rafsanjan A. Tatya
Kampala
Not only did the sun finally come out and the weather remained friendly after an early drizzle on Friday morning. There was something else to brighten up the weekend for most Ugandans.
Akon finally came to town after a long wait, to peform at the Celtel-sponsored Rock with Akon concert at Lugogo Cricket Oval on Friday night.
This is Akon's first appearance in Uganda, but his second in East Africa. He performed at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Tanzania in June 2006 but he has disappointed Kenyans on two different occasions and the Uganda concert had been cancelled twice before his arrival on Thursday night.
The US-based African top-selling hip-hop recording artiste Aliaune Thiam a.k.a Akon arrived at Entebbe Airport at around 10 p.m.
He arrived aboard a private plane that belongs to Zain (formerly called MTC Group), which is Celtel's mother company based in Kuwait.
Akon arrived with an entourage of eight people and business at the airport came to a standstill as everybody wanted to have a glimpse of the man who has taken the world music industry by storm.
However, there was drama as journalists who tried to get up close with the artiste were barred by his security.
The Lonely singer spent nearly 40 minutes in the VIP lounge before checking out, and on his way out was surrounded by bodyguards shielding him from photographers who anxiously waited at the exit.
Akon entered a red Range Rover with personalised number plate GP1 though the number plate had been covered with a sticker bearing the singer's name and was driven to Serena Hotel before joining his waiting fans at Club Sway.
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At the club, people struggled to touch the superstar. Akon apologised to Ugandans for failing to turn up last week but promised a "great" show as the deejay sampled some of his songs.
Celtel Uganda marketing manager Dan Kaboyo said, "We are proud to welcome home a son of Africa after this long wait. We all should come to Lugogo and party with a true star."
Akon has teamed up with stars like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, R Kelly, Eminem, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg among others.
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