BET Experience Africa is not to be missed

Maxwell will perform at the BET Experience Africa event

Maxwell will perform at the BET Experience Africa event

Published Oct 19, 2015

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Munya Vomo

One of the cool things about being at the BET Awards in the US is attending the BET Experience. I could describe it with all the flowery language there is, but that will not suffice. It is an experience and you need to be there to feel it and judge for yourself.

The good thing, however, is that you do not have to fly to Los Angeles as the folks at BET are bringing the BET Experience to Africa.

The BET Experience Africa will take place on December 12 at the Ticketpro Dome. The festival is for those who love urban culture as they will get to enjoy music, fashion, comedy, dance and sport in one location.

“It is a huge franchise for us in the US; it’s organic and very much reliable to the BET brand. On that day we will start with a day-long festival that will touch on all the key components of the event which include music, food, comedy and dance,” said Alex Okosi, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa.

He spoke about what to expect, saying that although the BET Experience Africa is largely an entertainment event, there will be some valuable lessons on the day, too.

“The other thing people are excited about are our genius talks which are intimate sessions with very successful people where you learn how they got to be so successful. This will be a powerful experience for adults who want to learn from the people they admire. I am excited about that because it is inclusive of a varied number disciplines that people can explore. Also, the people we are asking to share the knowledge are from my continent so it shows that you can make it from anywhere. It is something I know and enjoy because I learn a lot,” said an excited Okosi.

Given that this festival was started in the US, Okosi acknowledged that there are standards to be met, but the African version is not an imitation.

“The reality is that we have a mission to create a great experience with the audience and we do not want to compare ourselves with the stuff in the US, but the BET Experience is a global experience so we will aim to match that quality. We are obviously going to do this from our own localised perspective,” he said.

“We are going to have a combination of everything that will make people excited. We will have a secondary stage and a main stage, too. I am sure we will get bigger and bigger as the years go past,” he added.

Among some of the confirmed artists who will perform on the stage is neo-soul deity, Maxwell, who has been here a few times.

“We are going for musicians whom people want to see so we went with Maxwell. In the days to come we will announce more acts. It’s a festival type ideal so we ask our audiences whom they want to see,” said Okosi.

Tickets for the BET Experience Africa: www.ticketpro.co.za. Prices (include access to sound stage and other lifestyle activities, plus concert): R750 mezzanine level, R1 150 (floor, standing), R1 250 (floor bleachers), R1 500 Golden Circle.

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