America’s famed Hip-Hop artists rocked Kigali

It was their last concert in the country after a 10-day tour. The two American sensational Hip-Hop artists, on Wednesday evening, performed to an intimate crowd with songs of varying messages of society.

Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ana Rokafella and Rha Goddess rocking to the crowd (photo by H. Goodman).

It was their last concert in the country after a 10-day tour. The two American sensational Hip-Hop artists, on Wednesday evening, performed to an intimate crowd with songs of varying messages of society.

The concert rivals the best Hip-Hop concerts that have ever been held in the country.

The venue was the American Embassy, where Hip-Hop lovers from different walks of life flocked. People started flocking the Embassy by 5:30 P.M, an hour before the concert started, not to miss any stage of the performance.

The free concert are people were overexcited as they lined up in large numbers. Security was tight, as everyone was asked to pass through the mental detector, and bags were thoroughly screened.

It started with recorded music and a cultural dance troupe before the guest artists went stage.

Sooner than later, the concert’s MC introduced Rha Goddess and Ana Rokafella as the guest performers and they were welcomed with screams from the thrilled crowd.

The duo jumped on the stage majestically, swinging their arms in the air, while holding the microphones.
As is the tradition, the stars pulled out a few teasing Hip-Hop dance strokes, in order to introduce the throng into the real mood.

Everyone: young and old, VIPs and ordinary people, got on their feet, singing and dancing along the hip-hop stars.

The maestro singers sent the crowds screaming and cheering. The hip hop moguls didn’t want to disappoint anyone as they performed as if the world of Hip-Hop was coming to an end.

At their climax, the girls let out a loud holler: "We love Rwanda, and we don’t wanna go back home!”
The "we love u too” response was deafening.

Then Rokafella introduced her street-Hip-Hop dance strokes on the floor…and this was too much for the already wild crowd to handle.

The duo performed for at least an hour and a half as surging fans later managed to get onto the stage only for a brief antics with the HIP-Hop stars.

The sensational girls sang their hearts out, thrilling the crowd with their hits, including ‘Mama Africa’.
Embassy’s employee Anne Casper, the CEO of Rwanda Cinema Centre Eric Kabera and Miss Kigali Cynthia Akazuba did not miss out.

According to reports from the American Embassy, Ms. Rha Goddess, a hip-hop musician, an author, activist, and a social entrepreneur, and Ms. Ana Rokafella Garcia, a hip-hop dancer and choreographer, were invited to promote the use of music and art in America’s foreign policy and diplomacy initiative.

During their tour, the artists conducted workshops for students, professionals and local artists resulting in collaborative performances to share skills and experiences on modern music and the US-style Hip Hop dance and its history.

Ends