Sarkodie arrives in France for Olympics gig despite petition to ban him
Despite a recent ban petition, Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie’s performance at a Paris Olympics event is set to go ahead.
In a trending social media video seen online, Sarkodie was spotted at the airport preparing to board a flight to France for the Paris Olympics Africa Station fan zone event.
The rapper was seen in a black hoodie, shorts, and white sneakers as he took a photo with fan, ex-footballer Asamoah Gyan, and gospel singer Joe Mettle at Terminal 3 of Kotoka International Airport.
Rapper Sarkodie will share the stage with King Promise and Darkovibes on August 10, as the Ghanaian artistes billed for the Africa Station fan zone music event at the Stade Robert Cesar in L’Île-Saint-Denis.
The rapper’s performance at the event recently came under public scrutiny after a human rights group, the New Ghana Social Justice Forum, petitioned the French Embassy and the organisers to ban him from performing.
The group argued that Sarkodie promoted misogyny in his songs and cited his recent public spat with actress Yvonne Nelson as grounds for his exclusion from the event.
They also referenced his recent conflict with actress Yvonne Nelson, who alleged in her memoir that Sarkodie forced her to abort a pregnancy.
The group argued that honouring Sarkodie with a performance platform is concerning, especially for pregnant women, due to his past actions and statements.
However, in a letter dated 19 July 2024, Ambassador Jules-Armand Aniambossou clarified that Sarkodie, known privately as Michael Owusu Addo, will not be performing at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Instead, the embassy stated that his performance is scheduled for the Africa Fan Zone ‘Station Afrique’ on 9 August 2024, an independent cultural event coinciding with the Olympics.
LandLord Sarkodie has touched down in Paris 🇫🇷 ahead of #ParisOlympics2024 Fan Zone performance tomorrow 🇬🇭🔥 pic.twitter.com/vOklymV6qd
— SarkNatives Ghana (@SarkNativesGH) August 8, 2024