Shilpa Shetty was supposed to perform with the American R&B star Akon at the IPL finals on Sunday night. But she decided to opt out at the last minute.
When contacted Shilpa explained, "I was just not prepared. It was an international platform, not some village nautanki. I had to be fully ready. And I just didn't get time to rehearse. So I regretfully had to say no. But I'd rather not give anything less than my best when I'm representing my country."
Shilpa says she was happy to be just a spectator at the finals. "So what if my team wasn't playing. I think I'm sporting enough to enjoy the game as just a part of the audience."
All quotes from: Akon Speaks Out Against Gun Violence
"It just feels great that you can make a mistake and be forgiven for it ... I just encourage [the youth] to do the right thing at the end of the day."
1. " I thought he was inspirational ... He seemed sincere and remorseful about his past." SOURCE: The Urban Daily
2. " At the time I thought I was doing it for protection ... Imagine if I had used it. I probably wouldn’t be here talking to you. There’s no turning back from that. That one little moment affects everybody." SOURCE: The Urban Daily
3. " He was a good kid ... a very senseless crime." Akon – Akon SOURCE: The Urban Daily
Akon has been asked to record the official song for the 2010 football World Cup, which is set to be held in South Africa next June.
The Senegalese singer has been asked by FIFA to be a musical director for the tournament, and to also appear at the opening ceremony, reports Allheadlinenews.com.
"I've been hired as musical director for the World Cup," he said. "I will be overseeing the World Cup anthem and music at the ceremonies and I'm off to South Africa this week for meetings. I love soccer, so it's a great honour."
Despite being friends with England international David Beckham, Akon says he's not planning to invite any footballers to sing on the song. "I know David, he's my man," he explained. "But I'm not asking for his advice. Footballers should stick to football."
Akon says he'll be supporting the host nation during the games.
Johannesburg: From Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajan to Akon's smash hits, the closing ceremony of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the New Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday night showcased the diverse cultures of South Africa and India.
From Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajan to Akon's smash hits, the closing ceremony of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the New Wanderers here Sunday night showcased the diverse cultures of South Africa and India.
In Image: Bollywood star Katrina Kaif, center, performs with dancers during the closing ceremony of the 2009 Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket championship at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday May 24, 2009.
Senegalese-born American singer Akon sang his popular number 'Smack That', while the fusion of the 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' bhajan with African drums created a magical aura at the Bulls Ring at the New Wanderers.
In Image: Indian Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif (left) performs with US singer Akon during a closing ceremony.
Bollywood glam girl Katrina Kaif danced to the English version of 'Jai Ho' of 'Slumdog Millionaire' fame sung by the Pussycat Dolls, while the winner of Miss IPL Bollywood Dune Kossatz matched steps with Akon.
In Image: Bollywood star Katrina Kaif, center, performs with dancers during the closing ceremony. (Via http://sify.com)
Senegalese-born American singer Akon sang his popular number Smack That, while the fusion of the Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram bhajan with African drums created a magical aura at the Bulls Ring at the New Wanderers.
It was Brand India all over at 40,000 capacity stadium, where the Deccan Chargers lifting the IPL crown after a heart-stopping final against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
From Jai Ho to Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram and Vande Mataram, the IPL closing ceremony gave South Africans a taste of Indian culture. The ceremony was better planned as compared to the inaugural, which was put together in a short span of time after the tournament was moved from India to South Africa.
Bollywood glam girl Katrina Kaif danced to the English version of Jai Ho of Slumdog Millionaire fame sung by the Pussycat Dolls, while the winner of Miss IPL Bollywood Dune Kossatz matched steps with Akon.
Jugglers took the centrestage and put on a jaw dropping performance as they literally juggled with fire, while a group of drummers rocked the New Wanderers with fire on their drum sticks.
British reggae musician Eddie Grant kept everyone on their toes with his popular tracks. Grant performed his anti-apartheid hit Gimme Hope Jo'anna and also Walking on Sunshine to bring down the curtain on the 37-day IPL extravaganza that has greatly strengthened ties between South Africa and India.
New York, NY -- Multi-platinum recording star Akon has released the cover art for his forthcoming third album, Freedom, the follow up to 2006's Konvicted. Though singles "I'm So Paid," (featuring Lil' Wayne) and "Right Now," have been busily gathering buzz in and outside of the Booth, fans will unfortunately be confined to anticipation for a little longer than previously expected; Freedom has been pushed back to a December 2nd drop date.
01. Smack That FT. Eminem 02. Lonely 03. I Wanna Fuck You FT. Snoop Dogg 04. Bonanza (Belly Dance) 05. Look in my Eyez FT. Blast 06. Ghetto 07. Look At Me Now 08. Locked Up 09. Trouble 10. Aint No Sunshine 11. Gun In Hand FT. Booba ------------------------------------------ Download NOW ------------------------------------------
12. Girls FT. Beenie Man 13. Dont Teas Me 14. Keep On Calling P Money 15. Get Away 16. Gun Shout 17. Cross That Line FT. Rick Ross 18. Smack That II 19. Lonely Remix FT. 2 Pac 20. Ghetto Remix FT. 2 Pac 21. On Da Comer - Outro FT. Fat Hoe ------------------------------------------ Download NOW ------------------------------------------
AKON - Trouble
01. Locked Up 02. Trouble Nobody 03. Bananza Belly Dancer 04. Gangsta 05. Ghetto 06. Pot of Gold 07. Show Out 08. Lonely 09. When the Time is Right 10. Journey 11. Don't Let Up 12. Easy Road 13. Locked Up (remix) ------------------------------------------ Coming Soon ------------------------------------------
AKON - Konvicted
01. Be Easy 02. Blown Away 03. Cross That Line 04. Don't Let Up 05. Gangsta Bop 06. Girls 07. Go To War 08. Gun in Hand 09. I Wanna Fuck You 10. Keep On Calling ------------------------------------------ Download Now ------------------------------------------
11. Look into My Eyes 12. Me, My Self & I 13. Moonshine 14. On Da Corner 15. Ride Out 16. Shake That 17. So Fly 18. U Got Me 19. You Dont Want It ------------------------------------------ Download Now ------------------------------------------
AKON - Star is Born
01. Aint No Sunshine 02. Bananza 03. Bon 04. Can You Believe It 05. Cross That Line 06. Don't Tease Me 07. Get Away 08. Ghetto (Remix) 09. Gun Session 10. Gunshot 11. Hey Mama 12. I Wanna Love You 13. Intro 14. Kill The Dance 15. Lonely (Unleashed) ------------------------------------------ Coming Soon ------------------------------------------
