Jali thrills fans at a charity concert

A mammoth crowd packed Kigali Serena hotel’s auditorium on Sunday for a rare appearance by Jali, who was singing at a charity concert.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Jali sings his heart out. The New times / Plaisir Muzogeye.

A mammoth crowd packed Kigali Serena hotel’s auditorium on Sunday for a rare appearance by Jali, who was singing at a charity concert.Born Jean Pierre Mucumbitsi Ntwari, Jali, is a Belgian-based Rwandan singer/songwriter/guitarist.At the event, elegantly dressed parents had their kids in tow and most of the revellers seemed to personally know Jali. The concert began at 4:30p.m, with the star belting out a generous collection of about eight songs including- "Petits Hommes Verts”, "Des Ailes”, "Mon Paris”, "Adikted snippet”, "Espanola”, "Crazy” and "Comme un enfant”.The singer-songwriter kept the crowd on their feet from the time he appeared on stage, and his nice elastic voice left the crowd eager to watch every minute of his performance.The event, held under the theme "Let us speak out for persons with disabilities”, was organised by the Belgian Embassy in Rwanda—with the objective of raising funds to assist children with mental disabilities from Tubiteho Association, a Rwandan non-profit making organisation.The charity concert was attended by the Belgian Ambassador, various government officials as well as people from all walks of life.Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of Tubiteho, Ndoba Gasana commended the sponsors for their efforts to help such children forge a better life."It gives them courage when they are supported and they feel they are part of others,” he said.The event also featured an art exhibition.The 25-year old singer describes his music and sound as "a round trip between Africa and Europe.