An amalgamation of two cultures will take place on Saturday, February 23, at the James Bond Beach, where in the spirit of the concert theme, Smile Jamaica/Africa Unite, three internationally famous musicians and artistes from the Motherland, are set to grace the stage. Appearing along with headliners Rihanna, Black Uhuru and the Marleys, are Innocent Ujah Idibia, K'Naan and D'banj Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo.

Better known as 2Face, Idibia, who hails from the Idoma tribe in the southern part of Benue State in Central Nigeria, is a hip hop musician/songwriter and was a member of the defunct R&B/hip hop group Plantashun Boyz Contents.

Another first-time performer on the Jamaican stage, Somalian-born K'Naan, who at the tender age of nine was MC'ing for his friends, dropping Nas and Rakim verses, dreamt of a day when he would possess the lyrical skills and the rhythmic flow of his hip hop heroes.

K'Naan brings a dose of realness and urgency to the world of hip hop from a personal and cultural history rooted in poetry, that widens the traditional hip hop. Now based in Canada, his dazzling debut album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, has earned him two Canadian Urban Music Award nominations, for best songwriter and best hip hop recording.

The third African entertainer slated to make a debut appearance here, D'banj.Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo, also from Nigeria, is a singer/songwriter and harmonica player widely known as D'banj. Described as "a harmonica master and a charismatic stage performer with boundless energy", in December 2002, against his parents' wishes, D'banj moved to London to further his musical career.

In addition to the music, Africa will be on display at the concert in various ways. There will also be a tribute to the recently departed Lucky Dube, Africa's most popular reggae superstar, in the form of a video presentation. "First of all, we're trying to create an African theme on the grounds of the James Bond Beach, you'll feel like you're in Jamaica and Africa," promised Mrs Rita Marley, who also gave a commitment that there will be African products on sale.

Headline Entertainment head honcho, Jerome Hamilton further explained, "We thought it was important to have authentic African items straight from Africa on display. So there will be a booth dedicated to selling arts and craft as well as paintings and clothing."

The Africa Unite concert has been making waves since its debut in 2005 in Ethiopia delivering the message of peace and unity to Africans that Bob Marley took across the globe. With the concert moving to Jamaica, it is the first time it will be held outside of Africa, linking with another significant concert, Smile Jamaica, to highlight the message within the Diaspora.

According to Mrs Rita Marley, it could not have come at a better time. "I think it was the right time, we didn't know it was going to be reggae month, but it all just fit right in," the widow of the reggae icon said in a press release. "Most of us are Africans, and a lot of us don't know our roots," she added.

Electrosmog and our health

Make a BOLD statement with the new BlackBerry 9000

Staying in shape on Vacation