Why, oh why, can’t we be on time? This Day had it’s highly publicized show in Nigeria over the weekend and boasted a roster of great names. Unfortunately most of them were not showcased as the show started 5 hours late. Africans actually waited 5 hours to watch the show….we are incredibly tolerant.

Or maybe it was the fact that each person paid up to 60,000 naira (about $580) to get a seat. Either way, I know I would be demanding my money back, a freebie, or a chance to go backstage and get autographs! Give me something!

The fashion show never happened, and all the local acts were cut (very insulting if you ask me). The only performers who got a chance to perform were Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Usher. Naomi Campbell showed up but didn’t get a chance to go on stage because the start time was so late and fans had to forgo the fashion show.

Let’s hope that the local acts were compensated for not being able to showcase their talent against the US stars. It would have been great to see them hold their own against the rest.

The rest of the shows went without a hitch.  Chris Brown, Fat Joe, and Mary J. Blige performed to the delight of the crowd.  Overall, ThisDay is helping to highlight the viability of Nigeria as another (South Africa is considered one) tour hotspot for mainstream musicians in the diaspora.  Hopefully this will open up the continent to more international acts and help build the bridge between the diaspora and Africa.