Chameleone live in Kigali: A single stage, a legendary performer, and an unforgettable night

On Sunday night, Jose Chameleone gave a live performance at Kigali Universe, which is situated in the central business district, giving Rwandan music fans a boost of energy and nostalgia.

Rafiki Coga started the evening by warming up the audience with a number of well-known songs, such as “Yirekeremo,” “Funga Bout Gikomando,” and “Uburara Bwongoza Faux.”

During a duet with Miss Jojo, his performance found its rhythm, eliciting applause and indicating that the audience was prepared for the star.

The excitement increased as DJ RY maintained the mood throughout the stage change. At last, Chameleone took center stage and began performing “Nawumiya,” which was followed by “Oooh I Am Waiting for You,” “Vumilia,” and “Valu Valu.”

At Kigali Universe, revelers were enjoying Jose Chameleone’s performance. 

The crowd responded, the tempo was fast, and his presence was steady. He turned the performance into a communal moment that reverberated throughout the venue when he asked a fan to join him in singing “Sivyo Ndivyo.”

When DJ Pius joined him for their joint single “Agatako,” the show gained even more traction. Chameleone then moved fluidly into “Kipepeo,” “Mama Rhoda,” “Girl You Take My Breath Away,” and “Mateeka.”

His brother Douglas Mayanja, better known by his stage name Weasel, joined him as the act came to an end, taking over with songs like “Bread and Butter,” “Mukwano,” “Zuena,” and a reprise of “Valu Valu.” They closed up the evening on a high note by performing “Bomboclat” and “Breath Away” together.

Among the attendees were Teta Diana, Massamba Intore, Uncle Austin, Nel Ngabo, Christopher, and producer Clement, among other well-known musicians from Rwanda.

They were merely other fans taking in the performance from the floor; they weren’t backstage or behind the scenes.

The evening was more than just entertainment for a few audience members. The encounter was quite intimate, according to Kenyan Emali Diablo, who is in Kigali for a basketball tournament.

He stated that he had been expressing his desire to watch Jose Chameleone play before the year ended for more than a month. “It was everything I could have imagined, and I didn’t think it would happen while I was in Kigali.”

Having grown up listening to Chameleone’s music, Diablo said he wasn’t sure what to anticipate from the live performance.

“The performance was big, but I thought maybe he’d slowed down over the years,” he added. He remains a legend. I’m almost 29 years old, and I listened to him as a child. I felt like something was finished when I saw him live.

According to Jesca Kabatesi, who claimed to identify with both Rwanda and Uganda, the concert was more than just a fun event. She claimed that it went above and beyond her expectations and that the ticket price was fully justified.

Jose Chameleone’s live performance at Kigali Universe on Sunday night gave Rwandan music fans a boost of enthusiasm and nostalgia. 

“The performance was fantastic. The vibe was just too much, even though I enjoyed the audience and the show. “Nobody was grumbling,” she claimed. “You get what you pay for. To be honest, I would give the entire evening a perfect score.

Another concertgoer, Eric Gatete, agreed with her. For him, the experience and the bar that Chameleone’s performance set were just as important as the music.

It was really, really excellent. Everyone was still buzzing after the show, so you could see it,” he remarked. He is an excellent role model for Rwandan artists. You can tell he’s still relevant and that fans still want to interact with him by the way he does live performances and the relationships he has with people.

Gatete added that older fans who grew up listening to Chameleone seemed to find the performance very moving. He gave the event’s organizers credit for making it happen.

He claimed that many of the attendees were in their 30s and 40s and that they were completely present, as if they were rediscovering their younger selves. Additionally, I must express my gratitude to the organizers. The musicians we grew up with are being brought back in a fantastic way. It has great significance.