WOW!: BARRETT LARODA TO PRODUCE 2008 THISDAY MUSIC FEST IN NIGERIA!!

Jay, Snoop and Nduka (CEO ThisDay Newspapers, Nigeria)

Me and Spliff

Me and Busta

Pictured left to right: Indira LaRoda, Rod Stewart and Barrett LaRoda at the 4th Annual Plymouth Jazz Festival Tobago. Photo Credit: Arnold Turner

JAY Z, USHER AND MARY J. BLIGE TO HEADLINE. Chris Brown, Rihanna and Sade also Slated to Perform. Fresh from the success of the 4th Annual Plymouth Jazz Festival Tobago, with headliners Whitney Houston, Rod Stewart and Shakira, Barrett LaRoda, CEO of the LaRoda Group, has announced that he will once again executive produce and produce alongside Nduka Obaigbena, CEO of THISDAY Media Group, the 3rd Annual THISDAY Music Festival to be held in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria.

One of the biggest and most successful concerts ever held on the continent of Africa, this will be LaRoda's third consecutive concert for the country. Headliners Jay Z and Usher will perform July 11 in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, and Mary J. Blige will make her mark on July 13 in Lagos. Heart throb Chris Brown, songstress Rihanna and the lovely Sade are also slated to perform. Past performers have included Beyonce, P. Diddy, John Legend and NeYo.

The THISDAY Music Festival has enjoyed phenomenal success in Nigeria. This year's event will serve as the launch platform for the New Africa Agenda, a new initiative created to formalize an infrastructure to serve Africa Not Aid. "Music is the world's biggest common denominator," expresses Barrett. "It transcends language barriers and cultures. It is my greatest pleasure to produce phenomonal events on a consistent basis literally around the globe. We were the first to bring P.Diddy and Shakira to West Africa. What we do annually in Tobago at the jazz festival is just mind blowing. And believe it or not, we are only just beginning. There are no limits!" Amazing that it was when I got the press release today that I realized on the above picture that I took a picture with him at the 1st Annual Thisday festival in 2006. See why I carry my camera everywhere?

I remembering snooping around the stage area looking at the amazing wiring and work they used to build that stage.......everything bought in from the States, I bumped into LaRoda and we were talking about everything. Barrett said they were all having a blast and I told him that Mary J Blige was really missing everything. Now she is making the trip. LaRoda leaves for Lagos tommorow and I will interview him when he comes back complete with footage of all the gigs! Stay tuned.

Watch Beyonce sing the Nigerian National anthem at the 2006 ThisDay fest.