R&B singer Akon to build futuristic city
 

The American R&B singer Akon has said his plans to build a city from scratch will go ahead. Akon has raised funds for a futuristic metropolis with a population of 300,000 people. It will be called Akon City and be built on the coast of Senegal on Africa's west coast. Akon has Senegalese roots.

He was born in the USA to Senegalese parents and spent much of his childhood in Africa. He described his city as a "real-life Wakanda," in reference to the city in the movie "Black Panther". He announced that construction on the $6 billion project will commence next year and is expected to take three years to complete. He hopes his undertaking will provide much-needed employment for Senegalese

Blueprints on the akoncity.com website show a cityscape of surreal-looking gleaming glass and steel high-rises. The designs of the towering skyscrapers were inspired by traditional sculptures made in African villages. The city will boast high-tech living and high-speed Internet connectivity. Akon wants the city to be a port of call for Senegalese and other Africans facing racial injustice in the USA or Europe.

He said: "The system back home treats people unfairly, in so many different ways that you can never imagine. And they only go through it because they feel that there is no other way. So if you're coming from...the diaspora and you feel that you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop."
 

- BreakingNewsEnglish

Comprehension

What did the article say Akon will build his city from?
How many people will be able to live in Akon City?
Where did Akon spend a lot of his childhood?
How much will Akon City cost to build?
What did Akon say the city will provide for Senegalese people?
How did the article say the gleaming glass and steel high-rises looked?
What will the designs of buildings in Akon City be motivated by?
What did Akon say Africans were facing in the USA and Europe?
How did Akon say "the system back home" treated people?
Where might people be coming from to visit Senegal?

Discussion

What do you think about what you read?
What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'city'?
What do you think of futuristic cities?
How futuristic is your city?
Do you prefer big cities or small towns?
How far back do your roots go?
What kind of city would you like to live in?
Would you like to live in a gleaming skyscraper?
What is 'high-tech living'?
What do you think of the city being for the African diaspora?

Vocabulary

metropolis - the capital or chief city of a country or region.
roots - family origins, or the particular place you come from and the experiences you have had living there
undertaking - a formal pledge or promise to do something.
surreal - having the qualities of surrealism; bizarre.