akon in da house

Around 6,000 to 10,000 people are expected to show up for tonight’s Akon Live In Doha concert at the Doha InterContinental Hotel, said a spokesperson from Qatar Vision, the sponsor of the event. International performer Akon, who has been asked to record the official song for the 2010 football World Cup set to be held in South Africa next June, will be performing tonight in a no-age-limit concert.

“This is an event for the whole community, for the public… This is not only for commercial purposes,” said Christiana Magnabosco, marketing and communications manager at the Doha InterContinental Hotel. According to Qatar Vision, they have been preparing for about a month and a half to make the concert the most memorable event of the year.

Of Senegalese origin, Akon rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of “Locked Up,” the first single from his debut album, Trouble. His second album, Konvicted, earned him a Grammy Award nomination for the single “Smack That.” He has since founded two record labels, Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution. His music is a mixture of West-African style vocals, along with both East Coast and Southern-style beats. Akon is currently credited with over 155 guest appearances and 23 Billboard Hot 100 songs. He is the first solo artist to accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 chart twice.