Femi Kuti to perform at AFCON opening ceremony on Friday

Olufemi Anikulapo-Kuti, Nigeria’s Afrobeat singer, Hakim and Dobet Gnahoré, Egyptian and Ivorian stars, will all perform at the African Cup of Nations opening ceremony on Friday.

The three musicians will sing “Metgamaeen” (We Are Together) produced by Synergy together on stage in Cairo, Egypt.

The “Beng beng beng” crooner will sing the song in English, Hakim in Arabic and Gnahore in French.

African Football Community Tweeted this information on their official handle: “The AFCON Organizing Committee have chosen three international singers to perform the #AFCON2019 official song in the opening ceremony :
1️⃣ ?? “Hakim” (Arabic)
2️⃣ ?? “Femi Kuti” (English)
3️⃣ ?? “Dobet Gnahoré” (French)
#AFC

The The AFCON Organizing Committee have chosen three international singers to perform the #AFCON2019 official song in the opening ceremony :
1️⃣ 🇪🇬 "Hakim" (Arabic)
2️⃣ 🇳🇬 "Femi Kuti" (English)
3️⃣ 🇨🇮 "Dobet Gnahoré" (French)#AFC pic.twitter.com/xuq3V5jceY

— African Football Community (@AFConTW) June 18, 2019

Femi, born in London, raised in Lagos, is the eldest son of late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and a grandchild of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, a political campaigner, women’s rights activist and traditional aristocrat.

Femi Kuti began his musical career playing in his father’s band, Egypt 80.

In 1986, Femi started his own band, Positive Force, establishing himself as an artist independent of his father’s massive legacy.

On 15 May 2017, Femi Anikulapo Kuti was referred to in the Guinness world records under the catalog of a single note held on a saxophone in a method called corcular breathing.

He set the records at 51 min 35 seconds.

Hakim is a famous “Sha’abi” [folk] singer in Egypt. With the help of Hamid el-Shaari, Hakim released his first album “Nazra” under the Slam Records label in 1992.

Ghanore an Ivorian singer who is the daughter of percussionist Boni Ghanore plays with the group Na Afriki, consisting mainly in French and Tunisian musicians, who accompany her with the guitar, sanza, the balafon, the calebasse and bongos.

Due to the civil war, she moved to France in 1999. In 2004, Ghanore released her debut album Ano Neko.

In 2006, she was a nominee at the World music Awards for Newcomer and shared an award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance with India Arie at the 52nd Grammy Awards.