Maldives Govt. confirms it is to host Akon show

The Maldivesgovernment confirmed that it is to host the Akon concert later this month after the organisers were forced to cancel an earlier scheduled concert by the Grammy-award nominated pop star in Sri Lanka due to protests by Buddhist organisations.

 

 

The Sri Lankan government said R & B singer Akon will not be issued visa to Sri Lanka after Buddhist monks condemned David Guetta’s video Sexy Chick, which he is featured in, as an insult to Buddhism.

 

 

Mohamed Zuhair, President Mohamed Nasheed’s press secretary told BBC that the concert will be held in Maldives late April.

 

 

“Dates are yet to be confirmed but there are two or three private companies involved in this and they are working to make it a success,” he said.

 

 

The event is the first ever performance by an international star to be held in the atoll nation.

 

 

Mr. Zuhair expects the rescheduled event to be held in the cricket stadium in the capital, Male, to be attended by between 10,000 to 25,000 music fans.

 

           

Maldivesis a very tolerant society. I don’t believe it will be against our culture because we have had so many other music shows, dance programmes and entertainment programmes. In today’s world many Maldivians are aware and exposed to the outside world

 

 

“There are so many benefits as far as the Maldivian entertainment is concerned, and the country’s artistes also will stand to gain a lot through experience on how to organise a concert on such a mega scale,” he told the BBC.

 

 

In Sri Lanka, a few hundred people hurled stones at the private MTV/Sirasa media station, which was the media sponsor of the event on 24 April.

 

 

Sri Lanka’s national security spokesman, Lakshman Hulugalle, accused a Buddhist organisation Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya led by ruling party members of attacking the station.

 

 

Speaking to BBC Sandeshaya Spokesman for the organisation Ven. Athuraliye Rathana thero denied any involvement.

 

 

However, spokesman Hulugalla told journalists in Colombo that the visa application by Akon to perform in Sri Lanka has been rejected.

 

 

Akon said he was “disheartened” to hear of the protests.

 

 

“I myself am a spiritual man, so I can understand why they are offended, but violence is never the answer and I am disheartened to hear about what happened yesterday,” he said in a statement.

 

 

There will be many benefits to Maldives from the concert, authorities say

Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Achala Jagoda has expressed regret over the incident.

 

 

“We were expecting about 5,000 to 6,000 tourist from India, Maldivesand Malaysiato watch the show. The mileage we would have got would have been priceless,” the minister earlier told the journalists.

 

 

He added that a visa was not issued to the rapper because the video “was insensitive to Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage.”

 

 

Mr. Zuhair speaking from Male said that there have been no objections, similar to those from Sri Lanka, from the predominantly Muslim country against the pop concert.

 

 

“Maldivesis a very tolerant society. I don’t believe it will be against our culture because we have had so many other music shows, dance programmes and entertainment programmes. In today’s world many Maldivians are aware and exposed to the outside world,” he said.

 

However, he said, that there have been few emails to the president’s office from abroad protesting the concert. – (BBC)