This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.washingtonpost.com/hip-hop-star-akon-to-hold-concert-in-iraq-for-kurds-fighting-islamic-state/2015/02/06/e80b71f3-8575-484a-a912-5f563f91d275_story.html?wprss=rss_world

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Hip-hop star Akon to hold concert in Iraq for Kurds fighting Islamic State Hip-hop star Akon to hold concert in Iraq for Kurds fighting Islamic State
(2 days later)
Hip-hop star Akon has announced he will hold a concert for Kurdish military forces in Iraq next month. In a video message, the popular singer of the hit songs "Lonely" and "I Wanna Love You" announced he would soon perform at Irbil's Hariri International Stadium. Updated Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015 Hip-hop star Akon has announced he will hold a concert for Kurdish military forces in Iraq next month. In a video message, the popular singer of the hit songs "Lonely" and "I Wanna Love You" announced he would soon perform at Irbil's Hariri International Stadium. "Be there man," Akon tells viewers. "I'm telling you, you will not, not regret it." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrsJ3c0Ax78 According to the Iraqi Kurdish news agency Bas News, the concert was arranged through the Irbil-based Rwanga Foundation and will be specifically designed for members of the Iraqi Kurdish armed forces, the peshmerga. “We can confirm that Akon will be performing live in Irbil this coming March to benefit peshmerga families," Babylon FM Noor Matti operations manager told Bas News. Akon, who was born in St. Louis and raised in Senegal, would be one of the first American performers to appear in Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. (Singer-songwriter Mary McBride performed there as a U.S. cultural ambassador in 2012). The concert is designed to raise money for the peshmerga, who have fought fierce battles with members of the Islamic State over the last year and lost thousands of fighters. At the peak of fighting last year, the Islamic State came within 25 miles of Irbil before being pushed back. Now the city is fairly stable, although some foreigners have been advised not to go to the Akon concert as it could be a security risk.
"Be there man," Akon tells viewers. "I'm telling you, you will not, not regret it." Akon, who has described himself as a practicing Muslim, has performed at a number of different events for international charities. In 2011, he worked with a number of Arab pop stars on the viral song "Tomorrow/Bokra," which was designed to raise money for cultural projects across the Middle East. He has also, however, managed to get himself into a number of international controversies, such as when he was accused of simulating sex with a 14-year-old girl onstage in Trinidad and Tobago or when he was banned from entering Sri Lanka after offending Buddhists with a video that showed a risque pool party with a Buddha statue in the background. Last year, a concert by Akon in Congo went viral after he was shown performing in a plastic bubble, a move that was — inaccurately — portrayed as an attempt to avoid the Ebola virus. Note: An earlier version of this post said that Akon was being touted as the first American performer to appear in Irbil. The text has been changed to reflect the performance there of Mary McBride in 2012.
According to the Iraqi Kurdish news agency Bas News, the concert was arranged through the Irbil-based Rwanga Foundation and will be specifically designed for members of the Iraqi Kurdish armed forces, the peshmerga. “We can confirm that Akon will be performing live in Irbil this coming March to benefit peshmerga families," Babylon FM Noor Matti operations manager told Bas News.
Akon, who was born in St. Louis and raised in Senegal, is being touted as the first American performer to appear in Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. The concert is designed to raise money for the peshmerga, who have fought fierce battles with members of the Islamic State over the last year and lost thousands of fighters.
At the peak of fighting last year, the Islamic State came within 25 miles of Irbil before being pushed back. Now the city is fairly stable, although some foreigners have been advised not to go to the Akon concert as it could be a security risk.
Akon, who has described himself as a practicing Muslim, has performed at a number of different events for international charities. In 2011, he worked with a number of Arab pop stars on the viral song "Tomorrow/Bokra," which was designed to raise money for cultural projects across the Middle East.
He has also, however, managed to get himself into a number of international controversies, such as when he was accused of simulating sex with a 14-year-old girl onstage in Trinidad and Tobago or when he was banned from entering Sri Lanka after offending Buddhists with a video that showed a risque pool party with a Buddha statue in the background. Last year, a concert by Akon in Congo went viral after he was shown performing in a plastic bubble, a move that was — inaccurately — portrayed as an attempt to avoid the Ebola virus.