A United Nations initiative to raise awareness on and intensify the fight against plastic pollution will result in popular regional artists using their talents to help the effort in Antigua this weekend.
The ‘Play it Out’ festival, which Trinidad and Tobago’s pre-eminent Soca envoy, Machel Montano will co-headline with American R&B singer Ashanti on Saturday evening at the Sir Vivian Richards National Stadium, will involve musicians and artists from around the world coming together with policy leaders, innovators, and celebrity guests to help “ring the closing bell” on use of plastics, according to the UN.
The festival is part of a broader campaign led by the President of the UN General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa, who earlier this year launched a global call to action on plastic pollution.
The campaign focuses on phasing out the use of single-use plastics and aims to raise awareness of the impact of those plastics on the environment and human health.
Saturday’s event is a partnership between Fernanda Espinosa and the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Norway, with support from UN Environment, the UN Office for Project Services, the Krimm Group, Lonely Whale, and National Geographic.
“Single-use plastics, dumped in our oceans and rivers are clogging up the very arteries of our planet,” Fernanda Espinosa said.
“The younger generation is taking a lead on this issue. They are demanding that we act now if we are to achieve cleaner oceans and a healthier, more sustainable planet. We simply have no time to lose,” she said, thanking the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Norway for their support for the concert and the wider campaign against single-use plastics pollution.
“Antigua and Norway are clearly demonstrating leadership on this very topical and concerning issue,” the senior UN official said.
In addition to supporting global advocacy, ‘Play it Out’ will recognize concrete initiatives that are helping to address the problem, including UN Environment’s ‘Clean Seas Campaign’, as well as help accelerate action on the Caribbean Plastic Action Plan.
Along with Machel and Ashanti, Australian singer-songwriter and UNDP Ocean Advocate Cody Simpson, Colombian electric-duo Bomba Estéreo, Norwegian R&B act Nico and Vinz, Grammy-nominated German DJ/producer Robin Schulz, Ghana’s premiere reggae artist and UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador Rocky Dawuni, and American indie-rock band St Lucia will be among the line-up of performers.
The ‘Play it Out’ concert will be live-streamed globally.
Top local artistes, including Ricardo Drue and Claudette Peters, will also feature. Cellist with Antiguan roots, Sheku Kanneh-Mason – who played at the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle – is also scheduled to perform.
Additionally, the concert will feature an array of speakers including dignitaries, policymakers, celebrities, and representatives from the scientific, philanthropic and academic communities.
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Originally I said I wanted to meet Meghan but the one in this photo (the female just to be pellucid) appears interesting! How can I do so given I will be in the general admissions area on not on the (GVVIP) Government VVIP list?
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