Brian McKnight, Joe Thomas are coming to Zambia

The festival will also feature local artists Kiki, Salma Sky, Esther Chungu and Wezi.

“We are excited that this year we have a fantastic local line-up of female artists,” Stanbic Bank Zambia head of public relations Chanda Katongo said. “We always say that Zambia is our home and having been here for over 60 years, the Zambian spirit and culture are deeply embedded in Stanbic Bank’s sustainability strategy.

“Zambians are a happy and friendly people. We love making new friends, we love our music and we certainly love to dance. What better way to celebrate all this and embrace the essence of our cultural diversity than a mega concert with a rich mix of great local and international talents from different genres and cultures.”

National Arts Council director Adrian Chipindi commended the festival for growing the local industry.

“We are very grateful and excited about this festival. It’s an opportunity to create jobs for the sector,” he said. “We also see it as a platform to enjoy and see some of the best artists in Zambia. The government supports this initiative and we hope that many more Zambians will support it.”

Zambia Association of Musicians president Tivo Shikapwasha said: “We are very excited to be supporting this. The Zambia Association of Musicians would like to commend Stanbic Bank for their continued efforts in bridging the gap between the world-renowned musicians and our extremely talented Zambian musicians.”

Thomas rose to fame with his third album My Name Is Joe. Fans should expect the R&B superstar to perform hits such as ‘I Wanna Know’, 'No One Else Comes Close’ and ‘Ride With You'.

McKnight, a 16 Grammy Awards nominee, will entertain concertgoers with songs like ‘Anytime’, ‘Love Is’ and ‘Still’.

Stanbic Music Festival is known for hosting Africa's biggest names including the late Hugh Masekela (South Africa), Oliver Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe), Mi Casa (South Africa) and Zonke (South Africa) as well as international musicians Earl Klugh (US) and UB40 (UK). Last year, the festival featured US R&B group Boyz II Men.

Tickets to the event can be purchased via Computicket, Shoprite and selected Stanbic Bank branches.

For more information, visit the Stanbic Music Festival Facebook page.