The Herald (South Africa)

Top muso Pharrell Williams to tour SA later this year

- Leonie Wagner

MOMS and daughters will have a reason to party together when US musician Pharrell Williams comes to South Africa later this year.

Yesterday, Big Concerts announced the Grammy Award winner’s tour dates – September 21 in Cape Town and September 24 in Johannesbu­rg.

Williams, whose creativity extends beyond music to include fashion and design, teamed up with Woolworths earlier this year as the style director for an educationa­l and environmen­tal sustainabi­lity campaign.

Williams is the creative brainchild behind hits like Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines, Nelly’s Hot in Here, Jay Z’s I Just Wanna Love U (Give It to Me), Britney Spears’s I’m a Slave 4 U and Justin Timberlake’s Like I Love You.

While some people were dancing to songs he produced nearly a decade ago, he also got young and old tapping to Happy, the Despicable Me soundtrack that was crowned 2014’s song of the year.

Big Concerts managing director Justin van Wyk said: “Pharrell Williams is a legend and he has a broad appeal so we are expecting those two dates to fill out quickly.”

Van Wyk said they were expecting anyone between 18 to 40 years old and mainly female to be lining up for tickets.

But not everyone is happy about the Woolies-William’s marriage, especially the human rights and Palestine solidarity organisati­on BDS South Africa.

BDS spokesman Kwara Kekana said: “Our problem is not with Pharrell, it is with Woolworths. We’re saying he should reconsider the collaborat­ion with Woolworths until it respects human rights.”

 ?? Picture: GETTY IMAGES ?? BROAD APPEAL: Pharrell Williams and actress Zoe Kravitz at the annual Cannes Film Festival last week. Williams will be touring South Africa in September
Picture: GETTY IMAGES BROAD APPEAL: Pharrell Williams and actress Zoe Kravitz at the annual Cannes Film Festival last week. Williams will be touring South Africa in September

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