It was a long wait for revelers before they could catch a glimpse of Ugandan rapper Navio Kigozi at the Jameson Connects Rwanda activation on Fridaynight. The show attracted a small crowd than anticipated.

That wait was made even worse by the fact that there were no curtain-raising acts to buy time before the former KlearKut rapper could eventually take to the stage.

Jameson is an Irish whiskey brand that recently launched operations in Rwanda.

The event was staged at the rooftop of the new CHIC building in Downtown Kigali, which is fast becoming a popular events venue. But revelers had to wait till 12:30 am before Navio and his entourage sauntered through the crowd and headed to the VIP corner

For a show that had started at 7:00 pm, this was a long wait that tested the patience of almost all in attendance. Several people could not wait longer and left.

The wait could have been less desperate had there been artists lined up to warm the stage for the main act but sadly, there wasn’t any.

In their place, it was DJ Miller, his protégé DJ Toxxyk and the night’s MC, Ange Umulisa that kept the stage alive as patrons waited for the crowning moment. Drinks too were flowing.

Dj Miller kept the sound at tame decibels, and it was clear organizers were trying to avoid a repeat of the spectacle at the NyamaChoma Festival earlier in the month, which was marred by police intervention over noise pollution.

In the early stages of the show, the question on everybody’s lips was why the event had attracted such a small number of people. A VIP tent erected in one corner of the venue remained largely empty until much later in the night.

It was largely an audience of young urbanites, and DJ Miller did not disappoint with his non-stop Hip Hop mixes. The organizer Bruce Intore pranced around the venue making hasty phone calls.

Many blamed it on the many events that were happening across town at the same time, most notably the Kigali Jazz Junction at the Kigali Serena Hotel, and the closing ceremony of the Mashariki African Film Festival at the Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village (Camp Kigali).

Some revelers downstairs were turned off by the entrance fee, which was Rwf10, 000 for an individual or Rwf50, 000 for three tickets and a bottle of Jameson.

Not deterred by the low turn up, Navio went ahead to deliver a thrilling performance to the few that turned up.

Backed up by traditional dancers from Buganda, the Njogereza rapper put up a spirited performance which got all the people who showed up dancing. The rapper performed most of his songs including Njogereza, Ngalo, Nawuliranga, On and On, Ayaya and Bugumu among others.

During his performance he left the stage and joined the people on the dance floor and enjoyed taking selfies with his fans. At around 1am, the show ended and it so happened that people were beginning to come in, but it was a little too late.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw