 Washington DC (Top40 Charts/ THISDAY) - The third stop on a four-city, three-nation tour, Africa Rising is designed to raise awareness for African issues by finding "sustainable solutions" through investments rather than by simply identifying the "problems" facing the continent. Created by media mogul Nduka Obaigbena, the tour officially launched this past weekend with two phenomenal shows in Nigeria that set the pace for what is fast becoming a legendary show series. Rihanna kicked off the performances in Abuja with an energetic set that culminated in a powerful rendition of the number-one hit 'Umbrella' alongside Jay-Z. Renowned for his stage presence, Jay-Z mesmerized the excited audience with his outstanding show that got the crowd up on their chairs dancing. Usher brought the show to a stomping finale with incredible footwork and a flawless set packed with non-stop hits. Queen of R&B Mary J Blige took to the stage for the second show in Lagos and wowed fans with her lively set before Chris Brown took over the floor with his extraordinary dance routines. As a supporter of the Africa Rising events, Jay-Z will headline the Washington leg of the festival. Over the last decade, Jay-Z has sold more than 26 million units, establishing a commanding presence on the hip-hop scene. Joining Jay-Z on stage will be fellow Africa Rising supporter and renowned singer/songwriter John Legend. Winner of five career Grammy Awards, he has produced worldwide super hits "Ordinary People" and "Used To Love U." The show will also feature a major fashion element as creations by such legendary international designers as Oswald Boateng, Deola Sagoe, Chris Aire and Lola Faturoti are showcase by top models Tyson Beckford, Alek Wek, Liya Kebede. Momo and more. "Africa Rising" was first launched in 2006 under the direction of THISDAY's Editor-in-Chief, Nduka Obaigbena. Its mission is not only to reflect the culture and positive attributes of Africa's social, political and economic progress, but also to reach out to the continent's diverse population as well as the Diaspora and International communities.
"Right now the international community seems to be dealing with the symptoms not the problems of Africa," Obaigbena said. "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." The series of Africa Rising events will culminate in the grand finale at London's Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday, October 14.
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