Global Citizen and Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang Team Up to Establish First Major Touring Circuit Across African Continent

variety.com:

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The philanthropic organization Global Citizen is teaming up with Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free’s company, pgLang, in an ambitious effort to establish a major music touring circuit across Africa.

A kickoff event, “Move Afrika: Rwanda,” will take place Dec. 6 with the hip-hop superstar as the headliner. The December concert is being seen by Global Citizen as the beachhead in attempts to establish an infrastructure that would allow Africa to begin catching up with other continents where major tours are commonplace.

pgLang has committed to curating annual “Move Afrika” shows for the next five years. An expansion to producing shows in Rwanda’s neighboring countries is expected by 2025.

Global Citizen co-founder and CEO Hugh Evans tells Variety where the impetus for Move Afrika came from, and what expectations are, with Lamar and his company providing a high-profile face for the initiative. “Global Citizen has been operating on the continent since our very inception,” says Evans, whose organization is renowned for its all-star consciousness-raiser concerts. “We were honored to be there to celebrate Mandela’s 100th anniversary in 2018, alongside Beyonce and Jay Z and so many incredible artists.