The 2021 Africa Day Concert was about our music, heritage, triumphs….and malaria

May 26, 2021 Village Reporter

What’s better than a music concert featuring an explosive line-up of African stars from across the continent? A music concert that is tied to a culturally-relevant social cause. The MTV Africa Day Concert on May 25 lent its voice to the global fight against malaria by partnering with the #DrawTheLine campaign to drive awareness about this raging epidemic.

The 2-hour special which aired on MTV Base (DSTV Channel 322) showcased an explosive lineup of performances from talent pooled across Africa, including Nigerian music stars, Teni, Bella Shmurda and Omah Lay. There were features and special appearances from popular faces on the entertainment scene, including Africa’s premier diva, Angelique Kidjo; award-winning actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD); Nigerian singer-songwriter, Peter Okoye (Mr. P); popular online comedian Mark Angel; and a host of others.

Here’s a round-up of the messaging you may have missed during the show:

1. The amazing artwork you may have noticed in the background is called the Muundo:

Prominently displayed in the talking frames and in-between scene transitions, the Muundo artwork was created by Nigerian-British artist, Laolu Senbanjo (popularly known as Laolu NYC). Muundo is the first universal malaria language, comprising lines, symbols and patterns which represent an eye-catching visualization of the actions needed to end malaria once and for all.

2. An adrenaline-pumped campaign film featuring African stars:

Clips from the DTL Hero film played at various intervals during the show. The film features a number of African stars, with an upbeat soundtrack, mosquitos buzzing, attention-grabbing artwork and loads of exciting stunts. Watch the full video below:

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3. A powerhouse of African talent supporting the campaign:

The campaign video features a pretty impressive selection of celebrities, all sharing their vision for a malaria-free world –from Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, to Osas Ighodaro. Even behind the scenes, you have artist, Laolu NYC and music producer, Meji Alabi directing artwork and film production respectively.

Nigerian artist Láolú Sebanjo, created the world’s first visual malaria language for the Draw The Line campaign. zeromalaria.org

4. Young people are fighting back against this future-stealing disease:

Throughout the show, call to actions were displayed boldly to educate viewers on how they could support the campaign by visiting www.zeromalaria.org to draw the line. Young people across the continent are charged add their personal line of Muundo to a growing piece of crowdsourced artwork which represents a visual call to action for world leaders.