Live performance buff Rex Omar, has set off on a three-month musical tour of 20 countries. The tour which began March 13 will see Rex performing in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Burundi, Uganda, Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland in that order and returning home 7th May.

The tour then continues through five more countries, in West Africa namely, Togo, Senegal (Dakar and St Louis), Guinea Bissau, Mali and back home in Ghana for the two-part grand finale in Kumasi and Accra.

Since forming his band nu-Ashanty, Rex has been consistent in keeping to his declared vision of repackaging Ghana?s music for the international market. For this tour he has had to collapse the size of his twelve-piece band to eight, but keeps to his familiar live sound, by upgrading the keyboard sound modules and giving prominence to the percussion. Rex adds more exciting rhythmic patterns with his own custom made atumpan.

Although this tour is in Africa it has been arranged by an international agency AFAA, based in France with the ultimate worldwide market in view. No doubt, it is Rex?s persistence in playing his ?exportable? Ghanaian music that has started paying off.

As he stated in the sleeve notes of his 2002 release ?Who Am I?? ?? there is an audience out there for authentic African sounds played to the highest technical standard?. He adds, ?I believe re-packaging High Life using its essential beat and enhancing it with modern arrangements can lead to an explosion of High Life internationally. That?s my vision??

A three-month 20-nation tour of eastern and southern Africa, plus the Indian Ocean and West Africa is a good prelude for fulfilling his vision of entering the mainstream international music circuit. ?I know the ripple effect augurs well for other Ghanaian musicians.

I therefore invite my colleagues to join me in exploring the possibilities. For now I am off to fly high the flag of Ghana!? Rex told Showbiz

He expressed his appreciation to the French Embassy in Ghana, AFAA in Paris and the Minister of Tourism, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey for their support.