John Legend

The worlds of fashion and music are set to collide this weekend at ‘Africa Rising' in Washington D.C. R&B singer John Legend will join Jay Z and a host of others for the event. Kicking off this Friday, August 1st, the star studded Africa Rising event will roar to life in Concert Hall of the historic John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Washington, D.C. Other top musical artists performing include Youssou N'Dour, 2Face, and D'Banj, who will accompany the models as they grace the catwalk while showcasing the works of world-class designers Momo, Deola Sagoe and Chris Aire. The third stop on a four-city, three-nation tour, Africa Rising is designed to raise awareness for African issues by finding "sustainable solutions" through invest-ment, rather than by simply identifying the "problems" facing the continent. Created by ThisDay Editor-In-Chief Nduka Obaigbena, the tour officially launched earlier this month with two phenomenal shows in Nigeria. After Friday's Kennedy Center event, the tour concludes with a final performance, Tuesday, October 14 at London's Royal Albert Hall. With models and fashion highlighting each performance, the opening acts will pave the way for John Legend and Jay-Z, who will close out the evening with full sets. Through the Africa Rising music and concert series, Obaigbena seeks to not only reflect the culture and positive attributes of Africa's social, political and economic progress, but also to reach out to the continent's diverse population as well as the Diaspora and International communities.