Lagos stands still for Akon's concert
By TONY ERHARIEFE AND CHIDI IFENKWEM
Friday, July 8, 2005

Akon Photo: Sun News Publishing

Today and tomorrow, in a show tagged Akon Live in Naija, the American hip-hop idol, Akon, will entertain fans in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria, courtesy of the reunion between Olorogun Emerhor O'tega, the boss of Standard Alliance Investments, and Solomon Arueya, CEO, West Side Music Inc.
Billed to be one of the biggest shows in recent times, the concert according to the organisers, will also feature top Nigerian musicians.

In a chat with Daily Sun, Mr. Arueya assured Nigerians of maximum security and safety when he declared that the ugly incidence, which eclipsed and marred 50 cent's concert in December of 2004, will not be repeated.

Said he, "We have strong security measures on ground. Families should come and relax with their families. I have been in the industry since 1982. This is not the first show I am packaging a show in Nigeria. We believe that if we are to package a good show, every artiste must be carried along so that, they can give their maximum input towards the success of the show."

Consequently, Arueya disclosed given the artiste’s creativity and talent, West Side Music Inc. is staking its reputation for the success of the show. "Akon, as we all know, is one of the most popular international artiste right now across the globe. He is looking forward to the show and is very much excited about coming to Nigeria. At West Side, we believe in being ahead of the pack.

That is why we picked on him.
Meanwhile, the promoter gave an insight into what Nigerians should expect from the concert. They include songs from his debut effort tagged Trouble. The album, which features soul-stirring songs about his life experiences, noted that with the show, entertainment is being taken to the next level. Our mission is to show Nigerians how the business in showbiz should be run."

To shore up its financial base and operations in the industry, his company went into a partnership with Standard Alliance Investments in April 2004. According to Arueya. "The pact will ensure the expansion and success of projects on our stables. An example is our multi million naira high tech- state of-the-art audiovisual studio. We are also involved in movies as well."

He says that Akon is coming to Nigeria at very awesome cost: "Yes, we are bringing him down here at very awesome cost but we cannot divulge figures; these are contractual. It is an effort between West Side Music and Standard Alliance Investments. In fact, right now, our accountants are still putting their books in order. We cannot give you precise figures yet."

The concert is featuring 15 other artistes among which are Faze, Asa, Tic Tac from Ghana, Da natives, the latest inclusion on the label. Ruggedman, Dare, Jazzman Olofin among many others.
The American artiste will also perform tomorrow in Port Harcourt.