Zahara

The organizers of this year’s Africa Unplugged music festival in London chose a profound way of addressing some of Africa’s never-ending worries – putting together on one stage, different musicians from across the continent – to raise funds for charities, whose preoccupation is pretty much the socio-economic challenges the continent face.

According to the organizers, a substantial portion of proceeds from the concert, which was held at the Wembley Arena on August 27, and featured South Africa’s Zahara and “Sophisticated Dance Music” expert Zakes Bantwini, alongside other acts like Sarkodie, 2 Face, Femi Kuti, and Iyanya among others, will go to two main charities.

Save the Congo, a Congolese NGO “working and forging links with parliamentarians, religious leaders as well as leading rights and development agencies in Congo, Europe and on the other side of the Atlantic to highlight both the plight of the Congolese people and the country’s untapped potential, its spirit, creativity and cultural energy” and War child, “a charity dedicated to children affected by war around the world”, are going to be the two main beneficiaries.

True to its pre-event hype, and suggestions that it was going to be the biggest African concert ever to be staged in Europe, Africa Unplugged rose to the occasion, delivering what is till being talked about as the “concert of all concerts”.

Patrons who thronged to the Wembley Arena on Bank Holiday left satisfied with the brilliance and showmanship of the artistes who performed on the night.