Kenyan and Rwandan music lovers get together in Kigali
The World Champs Night Life concert playlist was dominated by music from Rwanda and Kenya. On the eve of the UCI Road World Championships closing, Bensoul and Nviiri the Storyteller joined local bands Kid From Kigali, Shemi, and Angell Mutoni on stage at Kigali Universe.
Watuwave, in collaboration with Kigali Universe, organized the event, which brought a mix of music and cycling vibes to one of Kigali’s liveliest rooftop venues. Headliners treated attendees to a variety of local sounds, DJ playlists, and live performances.
For two hours, local DJs captivated concertgoers with their finest playlists before Kid From Kigali, a rapper, took the stage at precisely 11:20 p.m. He sang songs like Patience and Ahwii before asking TheDiceKid to join him on Muraho, the song that first introduced him to the game when it came out in May.
But the audience, which was predominately Kenyan, appeared unimpressed, as if they were holding out for certain publicity. Angell Mutoni’s music and the music itself hardly seemed recognizable to them.
Songs like Higher, Kare, 10 over 10, Bounce, and Ousaahh were among the ones she performed. Although the public enjoyed them, hip-hop was not as popular as other genres.
Before Bushali joined her on stage for Kanguruke, she had had trouble getting the crowd excited. In the end, the performance brought some spark and improved the mood.
However, Shemi’s set—which included songs like Peace of Mind, One Time, and Uzambwire—was met with the same lackluster reception as his contemporaries.
Janet Mwawasi Oben, the ambassador of Kenya, was among the distinguished visitors that joined the crowd in celebrating the UCI Road World Championships at a location that was rightly dubbed the “place where the champions chill.”
DJ RY’s thrilling set had already brought the audience closer to the moment they had been anticipating, and Nviiri the Storyteller was the following act.
The Niko Sawa singer did not let his admirers down; a number of them even got up to take the stage with him, cheering him on from beginning to end. With songs like Kitenge, Niko Sawa, Overdose, Inside Out, Nikita, and more, his playlist eventually put the audience in a mood that lasted all morning.
With the audience, Bensoul performed the majority of his songs word for word, building on the same enthusiasm. Before summoning Alyn Sano, who looked chic, to sing their collaboration song Chop Chop, he kept the audience interested with songs like Kautamu, Medicine, Extra Pressure, and the others. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the moment, and at three in the morning, he ended his performance.
