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Africa Rising

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Colin Powell joins hip-hop band at Africa Rising

Hip Hop Horray: Washington’s former Secretary of State Colin Powell getting jiggy with Nigerian hip-hop group Olu Maintain at the Africa Rising festival

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It started too early and finished too late, but Africa Rising was a four-hour spectacular worthy of any continent.

Before arriving at the Royal Albert Hall, the festival of African music and fashion had travelled to Abuja and Lagos in Nigeria and Washington in the United States.

The stars have shown up in force to support the event. Rihanna sang in Nigeria, hip-hop artist Jay-Z rapped in Washington and last night London had an unlikely star of its own: guest speaker Colin Powell.

Taking the stage to a hero’s welcome, the former US Secretary of State was keen to show his allegiance to the cause. “I am an African-American,” he stressed. “Africa is a great place, with a great tradition: it will rise.”

Later Powell rose himself, joining hip-hop group Olu Maintain on stage to dance, holler and underline once and for all why politics and music rarely make a winning combination. Before Powell got jiggy with it on the dancefloor, Seal had impressed with a set of dark, hypnotic soul.

Crazy, the standout track from his 1991 eponymous debut, was greeted with screams of delight from the crowd. Elsewhere, the thudding beat of Killer prompted Seal’s bassist to strut with him out front. In a bizarre black-suit-and-white-trainer combo, however, it was a relief when he moved away from the catwalk. He certainly wasn’t the best-dressed individual to strut down the platform last night.

A bevy of beauties, including supermodels Alek Wek and Liya Kebede, graced the catwalk in wondrous African designs. There was also a dapper selection of suits from Savile Row wizard Ozwald Boateng and a blingy diamond display by jeweller Chris Aire.

Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour doesn’t do bling, but his set of upbeat songs, sung largely in his native tongue, did add a sense of authenticity to the proceedings.

As a former child star of Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club, headliner Christina Aguilera can’t claim this same authenticity.

What she lacked in charitable credentials, however, she more than compensated for in showstopping glitz. Ain’t No Other Man, taken from her 2006 album Back To Basics, was retro, horn-led soul of the highest calibre. Later on, Lady Marmalade contained some impressive vocal acrobatics.

As for the leopardskin leotard it was performed in, that was worth missing the last train home for.

Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

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