Rihanna for Smile Jamaica-Africa Unite
International Barbadian-born superstar, Rihanna, will be the headliner for Smile Jamaica-Africa Unite, the concert which takes place at James Bond Beach on Saturday, February 23, in tribute to Bob Marley.
It could not have been a more fitting occasion for the renowned pop diva, whose maiden album entitled Music Of The Sun, having cited her Caribbean background as one of her major influences on her musical career, to return to Jamaica. The concert will be one of the highlights of Reggae Month, and Rihanna celebrates her 20th birthday, just three days before (February 20) what will be her second appearance in Jamaica.
During the recording of A Girl Like Me, Rihanna jetted down to Jamaica to record with Sean Paul on the yardie duet Break It Off. “I have so much respect and love for Sean Paul. He took me to visit the Bob Marley Museum before going into the studio, which was an amazing experience. When we finally got to the studio, I felt as though Marley’s spirit was in the room with us,” Rihanna, then at the age of 18, was reported to have said.
After selling one million copies worldwide of her debut set, Music Of The Sun, Rihanna proved with A Girl Like Me, that her breakthrough was no fluke. She won the World’s Best-Selling Pop Female Artiste and Entertainer of the Year at the 2007 World Music Awards. On November 18, 2007, she won Favourite Female Artiste-Soul/R&B at the 2007 American Music Awards. Rihanna’s hit song Shut Up And Drive won Best R&B Song at the 2008 People’s Choice Award.
The single Umbrella from her Good Girl Gone Bad album featuring Jay-Z, was number one in the UK for 10 consecutive weeks, the longest running number one single since Wet Wet Wet’s Love Is All Around, back in 1994, and the longest running number one hit single by a female artiste since Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, which also topped the chart for ten weeks in 1992.
The Smile Jamaica-Africa Unite concert being promoted by Stephen Marley/Rita Marley Foundation, will also feature Marley brothers of Ziggy, Junior Gong, Julian and Ky-mani. Other acts booked to appear are Queen Ifrica, Tarrus Riley, Sizzla, Capleton, Spragga Benz, Lutan Fyah, Richie Spice, Elephant Man and Javaughn.
The event is an effort of the Marley family to unite Africa with members of the African Diaspora through music so that Bob’s message of love, confidence in self and hope, will be perpetuated. It’s a combination of two ventures, the Smile Jamaica concert which was held in 1976, and the Rita Marley Africa Unite initiative which will be held in Jamaica for the first time.
The concert is an extention of the celebration of Bob Marley’s legacy which is even more special this year with February officially designated Reggae Month by Prime Minister Bruce Golding. On February 6, the feature documentary, Africa Unite will be premiered at the Carib 5 Cinema.
The film starring Rita Marley, Danny Glover, Angelique Kidjo, Lauryn Hill and the Marley’s children, is produced and directed by Stephanie Black of Life and Debt, H-2Workers fame.
And the launch of the documentry will be hosted by People’s Telecom. “We feel extremely honoured now in 2007, to be asked by Mrs Rita Marley to host Africa Unite in 2008,” stated Michael Dawson, CEO and co-founder of the one hundred per cent Jamaica owned telecommunication company.
“This is a perfect synergy between the Marley Foundations and People’s Telecom as the company from the outset was founded on the principles of stalwarts like Marcus Garvey and His Imperial Majesty (Haile Selassie I), and influenced by the words of Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer,” Dawson added in a press release.
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