Following the highly anticipated All-Star game by the Rwanda Basketball League, a concert took place featuring artistes such as Cassper Nyovest, Nasty C, Kivumbi King, and more. Their performances added excitement to the evening, and here's a recap of the event.
The concert at the BK Arena started at around 8pm, kicking off with a carefully selected DJ set by the Hottempah Collective--a music collective based in London, UK. Zuba Mutesi, the event's MC, added to the excitement of the concert with her lively personality, inspiring more people to leave their seats and dance on the floor near the stage. This paired well with a performance from Urban Song, a Rwandan-based dance troupe whose choreography was also curated by deejays from the Hottempah Collective.
The show's first major performance was delivered by Kivumbi King, who wowed audiences with popular hits such as 'Pull Up', 'Keza', 'Captain' and more. However, it was the numerous guest appearances on his set that really stood out.
Kenny Kshot joined Kivumbi on stage to perform 'Imirongo 100' one of their recent collaborations, which audiences were visibly excited about, after which Logan Joe joined in to perform 'Whatever', a collaborative project between the three that is notably one of their biggest hits.
The single most surprising thing about Kivumbi's performance was when he invited Kirikou Akili, a Burundian artiste with whom he produced the song 'Yalampaye' to the stage, which got the crowd riled up because they did not expect him at the event.
"I did not except to see Kirikou Akili performing but it added to the experience. I also liked that Kivumbi added Kenny Kshot and Logan Joe to the performance, because that made it fun," said Christian Bayigana, one of the concert attendees.
The next performance was delivered by Cassper Nyovest, and the applause he received at the arena despite it being his first time to perform in Rwanda is a testament to how high up the ladder amapiano music has gotten, and his performance truly did it justice.
Nyovest began by acknowledging and appreciating the warm welcome he got from the crowd after which he got down to business and exhibited exquisite dance moves to pair with the music, which the audience enjoyed and participated in.
The highlight of Nyovest's performance was with the song 'Doc Shebeleza', as it was taken over by the audience whose rendition somewhat overpowered the vocals of the song. Leaving it to the audience to sing, Nyovest danced to the hip/hop amapiano rhythm that elevated his overall experience.
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"Cassper Nyovest's is a very good performer, and I enjoyed it despite only knowing 'Doc Shebeleza'. This concert was fun," said Sharon Kaliza, one of the revellers in attendance.
Nyovest's thrilling performance was a hard act to follow, however, Nasty C effortlessly charmed the crowd with recent releases like 'Crazy Crazy' alternating with classics such as 'Particula' and 'SMA' that set the crowd ablaze.
"I am impressed that you know the songs on the album I just released. I like that," said Nasty C in awe of how responsive the audience was to 'Crazy Crazy', a track on his recent album.
Nasty C continuously stunned the crowd with his dance moves and most liked songs, and his undeniable ability to captivate audiences into hanging onto his every word and singing along louder than him was a definite highlight, further emphasising that he's one of the most loved talents with the Rwandan audience.
