More than 20,000 people will go through an intense experience as they watch on September 15 an exciting musical performance by Youssou Ndour, the Senegalese acclaimed musician, during a show organised by Celtel Burkina for its local clients and partners.
At the sounds and rhythm of the 'mbalax' of which he is the uncontested King, Ndour will perform in one of the greatest musical events that has ever been organised here. The show will take place at the municipal stadium of the Burkinabe capital.
"We are all set for this mega-musical show and the countdown has actually started" said Mrs Emilienne Macauley, Director General of Celtel Burkina. "We had to work twice as hard to offer our clients unforgettable moments of musical communion, feelings and fervour."
This event provides Celtel Burkina with the opportunity to give expression to the general philosophy which guides the action of its parent company, Celtel International. Under that philosophy, all Celtel's branches are urged to contribute to making life better for the local populations of the various African countries in which Celtel operates a telecommunications licence.
Tito Alai, Celtel International's Chief Marketing Officer, expressing his satisfaction, said that the Ouagadougou concert will be an opportunity to "return the favour to our guests who enabled us to take pride of place on the telecommunications market in Burkina Faso ". Furthermore, he posited, Celtel International intends to clearly assert its "determination to remain close to the African populations" with whom it is working in partnership, in the titanic enterprise consisting in building a pan-African telecommunications company.
Celtel's support to local communities throughout Africa, notably in the cultural, education and health sectors, constitutes the cornerstone of its social action.
The company, already, finances the annual CNN Journalism Prize for Arts and Culture. It also sponsors an Education Journalism Award initiated by the Association for the development of education in Africa (Adea). Besides, its assistance targets Aids eradication, building schools, awarding grants, protecting the environment as well as donations to orphanages, etc.
With the Ouagadougou leg, Youssou Ndour who was invited by Celtel last year to perform, for the first time, in East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), pursues a tour whose pan-African dimension embraces the contours of the Celtel vision.
"I am delighted to come to Burkina Faso", said Youssou Ndour. "Coming back to the conscientious and honest Burkinabe people and entertaining them through my music, encourage me more to do a show which, I hope, will go down in the country's musical history".
During his stay, the Senegalese artist will officially present, on the continent, the 'New Africa' compilation, which he jointly produced with Celtel, and 100000 copies of which have already been distributed by the multinational company's various networks throughout Africa.
This compilation deals with themes that are dear to the Senegalese musician, notably his loathing for conflicts which do not only spread hatred and intolerance, but result in considerable loss of human lives as well as forced population shifts.
Youssou Ndour, who dreams of a peaceful Africa deprived of scourges such as famine and pandemics, has never stopped singing his hope that the continent will promptly awaken.
It is precisely to share such as optimism with others that the artist expressed pleasure for having concluded a partnership with Celtel which is also afro optimistic, while sharing with it a pan-Africanist vision of the continental development, based on its unity.
Youssou Ndour, who is scheduled to arrive in Ouagadougou, with members of his band, 'le Super Etoile', on 14 September, will pay a courtesy call to the national and regional authorities.
He will also visit a community service centre which regularly receives donations and various other forms of assistance from Celtel Burkina.
Moreover, a press conference jointly held with Celtel's Director General and interviews with the press (local and international) are included in the programme of his Ouagadougou stay.
It would be recalled that Celtel, which is headquartered in Amsterdam, Holland, was set up in 1998. Now established in thirteen African countries in which it generally plays a leadership role in its sector, Celtel international has become a reference in this rapidly growing African telecommunications sector. In March 2005, a Kuwaiti telecommunications firm, MTC, invested 3.4 billion dollars in Celtel.
Celtel International
Celtel international, a leading cellular telephone operator in sub-Saharan Africa, has over five million subscribers. It is a reference mark due to its licenses and the quality of its services. Celtel covers 30% of the African population, i.e. over 250 million people.
Celtel is established in the following countries: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC), Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Chad and Zambia.
Celtel is also a strategic investor and co-manager of Mobitel in Sudan which is the sole cellular network operator in this country. It also administers the main fixed telephone operation in Tanzania.
