Both ‘Play It Out’ concert headliners, Ashanti and Machel Montano, have arrived in Antigua and are gearing up to make waves at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on Saturday in an artistic fight against plastic pollution.
Upon arrival, the American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actress, Ashanti Douglas, more commonly known as ‘Ashanti’, was greeted by various media houses with a multiplicity of questions.
The R&B singer was quick to speak out for the cause and began by enjoining the public to do some research into the extent a
nd effects of plastic pollution.
“Go to the websites and look at all the statistics and see what you can do to stop polluting the planet. Use metal instead of plastic; don’t use plastic bags. If one person did five things every day it would make such a difference,” Ashanti said.
She also expressed her excitement for this weekend’s concert and being involved in the drive to beat plastic pollution.
“I think it’s an amazing opportunity to be creating awareness for such a huge problem and the fact that I’m able to do it through something that I love like performing records and just feeling the vibe and having an amazing experience on stage is definitely a blessing,” she added.
The popular singer and songwriter also revealed why she got involved in the initiative saying: “I am genuinely a person who enjoys the islands, that enjoys the water….so I felt like this was something that was very organic to speak about and just have a passion for it because when I saw the pictures and read the statistics on what was happening, I was like ‘Oh my God, this is terrible!’ I don’t have kids yet, so when I do have kids I want them to be able to swim in a clean ocean.”
Meantime, she says, the region can expect more soca collaborations between
herself and Machel Montano.
The ‘Play it Out’ concert is part of the Campaign Against Plastic Pollution, launched by the President of the UN General Assembly and Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne in December of 2018.
It is intended to raise awareness about tackling plastic waste both on the global level as well as within the UN itself.
The concert will be supported by the governments of Norway, Monaco, and Qatar; the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP); and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), among others.
