ADDIS ABABA (ethiopolitics.com) — Beyoncé Knowles, the 28-year old world famous R&B singer and Hollywood actress, will not be coming to perform in Addis Abeba, reliable sources disclosed.
The sensational performer, honored as Billboard Woman of the Year on August 25, 2009, had agreed to come to Addis Ababa for her second performance scheduled for October 31, 2009. It was meant to be part of her third world tour, including to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where she was scheduled to come from.
The deal to bring her to Addis was negotiated between the singer’s management company, run by her father, Matthew Knowles and New Way Inc., a Virginia based company owned by Dereje Yesuwork (Jambi) and his partner Endalkachew Tekeste.
Dereje is one of the closest associates of Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi who would have paid one million dollars for her performance in Addis Abeba, and an additional 150,000 dollars to charter an aircraft for close to 90 members of her team, reliable sources disclosed.
The concert was planned to be held inside the Millennium Hall on African Avenue (Bole Road), and organized locally by Addis Parks Management Plc, a subsidiary of MIDROC Ethiopia. Addis Park promotes such events and sells tickets to the public.
However, negotiations have fallen apart following a disagreement over live broadcasting rights of the concert, said these sources. Beyonce’s manager has agreed to let live broadcastings of only five songs from two-hour performance, according to sources. Compared to the one song broadcasted live during her dazzling first performance in Addis in October 2007, where she was paid 1.75 million dollars, this may sound an improvement.
The Sheikh was not happy, nevertheless.
“Mohammed has agreed to bring her back to Addis only if the entire concert is transmitted live by ETV to the Ethiopian public,” Dereje confirmed to Fortune.
It is a statement reinforced by Jean-Pierre Manigoff, general manager of Sheraton Addis, the hotel owned by Sheikh Al-Amoudi, and subcontracted by Addis Park to provide hospitality services.
“Sheikh Mohammed loves and respects the Ethiopian people,” Manigoff said. “He would want the show to be accessible for all through broadcasting.”
Live transmissions of concerts by internationally acclaimed bands such as Black Eyed Peas, and Kool and the Gang, as well as performers like Wyclef Jean and Papa Wemba were made after organizers enter into a separate deal with the performers, disclosed these sources. However, Sony Music Entertainment has reserved copy rights over broadcastings of Beyoncé’s shows.
23 thoughts on “Beyonce Ethiopia concert canceled”
No love loss. I never cared to see her do that just to appease the Weyanes anyway.
who cares whether beyonce comes or not we dont need beyonce we need Bread now.
shaik muhammed ali if you really love ethiopia give the 1 million dollar to poor people in ethiopia.
Is it worthy to invite such personalities while millions are dying from hunger and starvation? Alamudi is a well known billionare and paying $150,000 air fare is a piece of cake. The ture reason for the cancellation of the show is that the Performer is a Christian and Alamudi realized that she is not worthy for extra affair after the show because he is Muslim.
is it really important to spent that much money for this kind of show… i don’t care how the Mr. Mohammed spent his money but just don’t see to spent that much money in the country so many people go to bed without having enough food…
why do the alamudi wants her in addis , any way. when a lot of ppl r hungry in ethiopia, ahy do ppl need to the music that they do not understand. i hope, they should help ethiopians feed themselfs.
Aba Gebremedihn aka Abune Paulos is sad
if really she doesn’t come again. For the sake of the woyane godfather the shake must agree the terms that managers put.
poor guy
metach almetach
one of the most greddy bitch I know in my life, from her marriage to Jay Z to these,
If she wasn’t botherd to be shown she could find her way through Sony but you thought you going to third world country and doing concert might reduce your image and future concert deal with others innit you twat !
The following says everything
“Mohammed has agreed to bring her back to Addis only if the entire concert is transmitted live by ETV to the Ethiopian public,” Dereje confirmed to Fortune.
“Sheikh Mohammed loves and respects the Ethiopian people,” Manigoff said. “He would want the show to be accessible for all through broadcasting.”
Good decision. When we love and care each other, no one comes between us. We together can make our present and future, make or brake. I’m happy, the deal is dropped.
We Ethiopians have outstanding singers. Let them play in front of their people (live performance) and help them making decent living in order they be able to come up with better music as far as bringing the Ethiopian music level to high sky.
We must love ourselves and use our products. Stop selling you emotion to foreigners and spent your wealth on them.
Do you want to see the best music and handsome man? then you have the best Teddy Afro and many other Ethiopians.
Do you want to see the best music and beautiful girl singers? then you have too many naturally Habesha beauties such as Mekdes to mention.
Insane country, insane people and irrisponsible organizers. for starving millions of Ethiopians the Shek or whatever his name is feeding music. What a respect for ethiopian people and love for the people. agonizing to be honest paying a million dollar for pure self aggrandizement.
Both in Abu Dhabi and United Arab Emirates (UAE), are living people came from Europe, USA and all over the world. More than 80% the residents living each country are foreigners. That is why; they allowed western music to be plaid there.
We wish to Beyonce the best there while we are welcoming her to Ethiopia any time throughout her lifetime not only as a singer but also as ….
Guys:
No negative comment towards B here. She is a singer and she is doing her job. Look, she is going to sing in the Middle East that has very negative ideas about western…
Associating anything happening in Ethiopia with the govt in negative ways is a very bad idea. It shows lack of maturity and ignorance.
I agree with weqaw. I don’t understand how she is considered a sensational singer. The voice we hear in her songs are pretty much synthesizer enhanced voice. Her swaying backside and cleavage along with being married to Jay-z are the things that did the trick for her.
I don’t really understnd the reason why sheiki is paying this much amount of money just for one singer. If he really loves the Ethiopian people like he claims why don’t he feed those starved ethiopians. or why don’t he just do something better than paying for beyonce. don’t make me wrong I love her music but I it the last thing what the Ethiopia people cares about now. What we need now is more than anything food and Democracy. Please don’t use our name to see beyonce’s Ass Alamudi just tell the world You want Beyonce in Addis just because you want to see her it is very esy and clear. We Ethiopian don’t really care for about her or anyother singer we need Democracy,Love, peace,food and humanright.
Del Le ethiopia Hizb
The people of Ethiopia don’t care to see her or the Sheikh him self. The people of Ethiopia wants to be left alone and to use their resources to their own, the gold, the mineral , the money in the Ethiopian Government’s treasury and so on. So please Sheikh move out….
Does Ethiopia really need Beyonce right now? even Beyonce will agree, we don’t!
Sheik Mohammed is seeking to make Woyane’s happy. If he really Loves Ethiopia he could give the money to poor peoples or do some thing for poor ppls of Ethiopia.
why u guys always talk negative things…it is just abt music..dont mix it with politis..what does beyonce has to do with woyane?..haaaa?
YIGERMAL BETAM When i heard gurSha is sold for 50 Ethiopian cents in our country i wept. How low can we go? for how long? When Haile Slase’s Government went down ,one of the embracing issue was one of the authorities brought cake for his daughters wedding from London. It was a big deal then. But now i’m sure the weyane tugs and their followers orders a lot of things Beyonce’s appearance is one of them. But the day will come.
Is that really supporting ethiopia or killing the lives of ethiopian people
Why does everybody assume that Sheikh Al-Amoudi is not helping the hungry starving people of Ethiopia??????????? You should educate yourself about his charity works before you disrespect him like that.
I agree that a third world country like our country, Ethiopia, doesn’t need Beyonce to entertain us. Her concert last 2007 was a success & she loved, appreciated & respected our country. That is why i dont see anything wrong if she does it again. Its simply business.
And everyone else who says that she should get involved politically should seriously get off their asses & go to college & become a government official & gain power and fight for your belief. Its not Beyonce’s problem. Its our problem to solve our issues.
you know i am not supporting or opposing anyone,and i don’t even like beyonce .But let me tell u something how many of you here who dares to write that comments feed poor people? so who r u to judge alamudi then?? atleast he wants to bring beyonce
THIS IS A REPLY TO ABC.
He/she writes,” she is the most greddy bitch I have ever known”. .. except for the fact that YOU DON’T KNOW HER!! .. Beyonce is not just a superstar, she is the BIGEST superstar of her TIME. Her managment handles these matters of tours and stuff. Her managment ( aka Matthew Knowles’ group) had a dissagreement with Sheik’s management due to ownership and publication issues. It would have been nice if the knowles execs would have agreed but they didn’t. Most performers never televise a FULL concert. Why should Beyonce give one in Ethiopia? If sheik wants her there, then he has to play by her rules or step to the LEFT. Beyonce did nothing wrong and neither did Jay-Z. I bet you couldn’t name a Jay-Z song, dumbass. Don’t try to come for Beyonce when she didn’t do anything.
And thats another thing, a lot of Ethiopian ppl believe that just because sheik has a lot of money he should do this and that. It’s HIS MONEY. People just take and take and never appreciate what he’s done. Ethiopia wouldn’t have moved UP from a 3rd world country to a DEVELOPING country if it weren’t for Sheik! Right now Sheik is employing hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians and donating constantly to hospitals ect. but is it enough??? It’s never enough. It’s not Sheik’s responsibility to carry the burden of his ppl. It’s the government’s responsibility.
peace.
i agree with selam. PEOPLE thats none of your bussines!!! and plus why do you connect beyonce with politics and ethiopian hunger? thats a different story…. she came to entertain addis and alamudi can do whatever he likes, its his money. for crying out loud, he built the melinuim hall with his money, paid beyonce to perform and for her plane, just so the ethiopian people would enjoy their new year, THIS IS WHAT YOU SAY??? … what if beyonce was not there for the new year, im sure ur even gonna forget its a new year, she lightend the new year, the day. so if you hate on alamudi because he spent that much money on beyonce, thats just stupid. im sorry if you dont understand english or something but dont hate on people. as a matter of fact, i can be alamudi and refuse to help the ethiopian people. WHAT RU GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT? … why dont you help them, ohh yeah, ur too greedy… there are lots of things he is doing which you dont understand, trying to help ethiopia. he is actually building a real stadium. these things help ethiopia, you dont expect him to literally give bread to the hungry people. he has his ways. BEKA! so if you have any personal problems with one of them, thats ur bussines.