Kora Awards delayed as Chris Brown misses flight
R&B singer Chris Brown appears in court with his attorney Mark Geragos for a probation progress report hearing on February 22, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting his pop star girlfriend Rihanna after a pre-Grammy Awards party in 2009. He was given a sentence of five years probation and ordered to complete 180 days of community labor and a year of domestic violence counseling.
The Kora Awards, dubbed "Africa's Grammys," have been delayed until Monday because Chris Brown, who is headlining the event, missed his flight.
Brown "will not arrive until Sunday at 5 a.m.," the event's communication director Konnie Toure told Agence France-Presse on Saturday.
The award show originated in South Africa in 1994 and was to have been held Saturday in Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan, AFP reported. Past editions have been attended by the likes of Nelson Mandela and the late "King of Pop" Michael Jackson.
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According to PM News Nigeria, Brown will still arrive in time to perform at a concert "for peace in Africa" at Abidjan's main stadium. African artists, such as Nigerian duo P-Square, will also take part in the event.
Brown is known as much for his music as he is for his relationship with Rihanna. AFP noted that he was sentenced to five years probation, a yearlong domestic violence program and 180 days of community service after pleading guilty to assaulting the singer before the 2009 Grammy Awards.