Lionel Richie. Photo/Courtesy
American singer, producer and writer Lionel Richie is coming to Uganda for a performance in the Adventure of Humanity Concert.
The musician, who has sold 100 million albums worldwide, will be performing in Gulu alongside Sister Sledge, an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
This news was revealed by the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Mr Norbert Mao, during a press conference at the Uganda Media Centre yesterday afternoon.
“Lionel Richie is coming to Gulu in June. And sister Sledge is also going to be performing in the same concert. Why Gulu, because this concert is about repairing the world. It’s about climate change. It’s about uniting the world,” Mr Mao said.
The minister also added that this idea started more than 25 years ago by Michael Jackson which eventually got the endorsement of iconic figures like Tara Gandi, the Royal House of Mandela, among others.
Mr Richard Nilsson, the president of Adventure For Humanity, said: “Michael Jackson decided to do two concerts in 1999 on behalf of Nelson Mandela Children Fund, UNESCO and the Red Cross.
“One was held in Munich Germany and the other one in Soul Korea with the whole event named MJ and Friends with other artistes including Mariah Carey who came to support the cause.”
He added that the concert’s mission is to kick off one of the greatest climate awareness concerts.
The concert will be held at Kaunda Grounds, with official authorisation granted by the mayor of Gulu City. The permit for the use of the venue has been approved for May 30 to June 9 marking this as a historic occasion for Gulu.
This event is a global movement that is aimed at raising Climate Change Awareness, using music and art to educate communities about sustainability and environmental responsibility, creating direct economic benefits for vendors, hospitality, transport, and entrepreneurs, providing a platform for local artists, musicians, and filmmakers to showcase their skills and repositioning Gulu as a centre for arts, culture, and eco-tourism.
ABOUT LIONEL RICHIE
Born Lionel Brockman Richie Jr Lionel Richie rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores writing and recording the hit singles Easy, Sail On and Three Times a Lady. In 1982, he officially launched his solo career with the album Lionel Richie, which sold over four million copies and spawned the singles You Are, My Love and Truly. Lionel Richie is a four-time Grammy winner and music icon who has performed in Africa before in countries including Morocco, Egypt, South Africa and Libya.
