Kigali’s entertainment scene is steadily getting back on its feet after Movember Fest proved to be a total entrainment affair as hundreds of music revelers gathered at Canal Olympia, Rebero for the show during which Nigeria’s acclaimed singer Adekunle Gold staged an exhilarating performance that no doubt brought back a partying vibe they last tasted in early 2020. The venue was fully-packed as a youthful audience queued to witness the first show headlined by an international artiste since the government allowed concerts to resume. Adekunle, who was performing in Kigali for his first time, promised to give a ‘crazy’ show prior to the concert and he never disappointed. But the party began even before the Nigerian took over the stage, as former Tusker Project Fame contestant Gabiro Guitar stepped in for a ‘welcoming’ performance a few minutes past 8pm. Soon after, Rwanda’s fast-rising artiste Kenny Sol put in a performance that only a few could have expected from an ‘upcoming’ artiste. Backed by Neptunez band, the singer revealed talent as revelers, from the VIP section and beyond, could not help but leave their seats to sing and dance to his songs they used to watch on their screens. ‘Haso’, ‘Say My Name’, ‘Aga Fire’ and ‘Umurego’ were among the songs that earned him big airplay during the pandemic and amassed similar admiration when Kenny Sol performed them live during Friday concert. The singer left the stage before revelers were ready to let him go, giving Adekunle the challenge to keep the atmosphere alive when show host Remmy Lubega called him to the stage at 9.30pm. True to the singers word, from the time he showed up on the stage, the singer made sure the show was not about him performing but about revelers who turned up for the show and he made sure they stayed on their feet from the time he showed up on the stage till he called it time. “My heart is so full, because it’s my first time in Kigali, and this is beautiful. I guess I am an African boy, making Africa proud,” introduced the singer. Clad in an all-red outfit, Lagos-born Adekunle made sure his fans are engaged, with a number of them, particularly young girls, joining him on stage on different occasions. The audience grew wilder when the singer performed ‘Pretty Girl’, as a group of girls crowded the stage to take pictures and videos with him on stage during a performance. From ‘Sinner’ and ‘AG Baby’ to ‘Something Different’ and ‘Okay’ Adekunle’s one-hour did not leave revellers the same.
