By Richard Mugarura
Friday was a morning of unbridled excitement. Five-time Grammy Award nominee, Akon made a brief stopover in Kigali en route to Goma, eastern DR Congo.
Akon and his crew of 15 people were picked Kigali International Airport and driven to Hotel Mille Collines by Peace One Day officials.
The venue was packed with excited fans, who went berserk after seeing him. The excitement amongst the crowd was palpable as it’s not everyday that they get to see their favourite international superstars.
The ‘Keep On Calling’ singer is expected to headline a concert in Goma on this year’s Peace One Day, tomorrow.
He spent a short time at the hotel located in downtown Kigali before heading to Rubavu, en route to Goma.
According to DSTV.com, Akon said: ‘I felt extremely honoured and yet humbled when asked to lend my voice to the resounding cry for peace. I challenge myself and others to think contemplatively and ask: who will I make peace with on Sunday.”
Recently, the Senegalese-American star pledged to light up the Kibera slums in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of a major government led transformation of the slum into a modern neighbourhood.
Akon, who was ranked 5th on the list of 40 Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa in 2011, is still a formidable voice in Africa and is using his popularity to promote his Lighting Africa project that seeks to provide electricity to a million households across the continent by the end of the year.
He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of the singles “Locked Up” and “Lonely”, from his debut album
“Trouble”. His second album, “Konvicted”, earned him a Grammy Award nomination for the single “Smack That”, featuring Eminem. Akon’s latest album, “Freedom” was released in 2008.
Akon, 41, has six children with three different women.
