Zimbabwe is set to host its biggest international concert since 1980 when Bob Marley graced the independence celebrations.
Senegal-born Akon and Jamaican dance hall prodigy Sean Paul will share the stage at the National Sports Stadium on September 4.
The show is promoted by Zimswag, a consortium of businessmen, in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. "We want the world to know that there is Zimbabwe. Akon will mention us wherever he goes after this. Sean Paul will do the same. Zimbabwe is a beautiful country. This is our World Cup, where we try to attract positive global attention," said Tendai Mufurutsa of Zimswag.
Two years ago the tourism authority embarked on a state-funded project dubbed "Host A Celebrity", where it tried to gain international recognition using musicians. The tourism board brought musicians Joe Thomas and Sizzla Kalonji, who was later given the freedom of the country. The programme, highly criticised as a waste of funds, has been halted until now, when the tourism board was brought in as a branding partner.
"Our involvement in the whole business is to market Zimbabwe's tourist destinations. The artists will visit all our major tourist attractions as guests. They will later tell the world what they would have seen in Zimbabwe," said Sugar Chagonda, communications manager for the board.
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