Ghana’s decorated Rapper, Sarkodie, made an appearance at the BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Afrobeat Concerto where he performed to a foreign crowd which had more whites.
He performed some of his hit songs including ‘Rollies and Cigars’ and ‘Lucky’.
The BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Afrobeat Concerto was a gathering of AfrobeatsArtistes joining forces with the BBC Philarmonic for a one-off concert.
The Artistes took the stage with the BBC Philarmonic providing the backing vocals.
Sarkodie, who represented Ghana, put up a solid performance with his classical renditions of ‘Lucky’ and ‘Rollies and Cigars.’
The concert also featured performances by Nigerian Singer CKay, London-born and double Mobo nominee Maleek Berry, Kenyan singer-songwriter Nikita Kering, and Finesse singer-songwriter Pheelz.
This is the first time a full orchestra in the UK has staged a dedicated concert to Afrobeats, which has seen a sharp rise in popularity, crossing over into music charts across the globe and enjoying worldwide commercial success.
Filmed at the BBC Philharmonic’s recording home in Salford, and also featuring The Compozers, this first-of-its-kind concert marks 20 years of 1Xtra, the BBC’s radio network dedicated to amplifying Black music and culture.
