'Arthur Amplified' brings 'Amarula' to Rwanda

It’s a hit playing everywhere, in clubs, on radio stations and in homes. People get down as soon as it is played. The young and old will sing Amarula, not the popular South African cream liquor but the song by the Zambian singer Roberto.

Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Arthur (L) will be doing his first major show to be graced by different stars including Zambian hearthrob Roberto of the Amarula fame. (Courtesy)

It’s a hit playing everywhere, in clubs, on radio stations and in homes. People get down as soon as it is played. The young and old will sing Amarula, not the popular South African cream liquor but the song by the Zambian singer Roberto.

Well, if you didn’t know it, Roberto Chindaba Banda, the Zambian heartthrob known for his hit Amarula will be in Rwanda to perform at Comedian Arthur Nkusi’s show.

The show dubbed "Arthur Amplified” is expected to be one of the biggest shows to be hosted by Arthur, the Rwandan former  Big Brother Africa hotshot and his Comedy Knights outfit.

The highly billed show will take place on May 9 at Kigali Serena Hotel and it will also feature Ugandan singing sensation Ray Signature. Several former Big Brother Africa hotshots will be in attendance.

"Everything is set, we hope to have one of the best shows in Rwanda. I talked to Roberto this morning and he is ready. We have finalised all the logistics. The Big Brother hotshots are also ready to come,” Arthur told The New Times.

Ugandan singer Ray Signature will grace the Arthur Amplified show.

The Namibian model Luis Munana and the talented Ghanaian Kacey were close friends of the Rwandan hotshot during his stay in the Big Brother house.

Speaking to The New Times, Arthur, who apart from being a comedian is a radio presenter on Kiss FM, said that the show is one of the many planned shows that will take Rwandan comedy to the next level.

"For many years our performances were localised or set for the local audience but what we want now is to involve more regional and continental comedians as well as musicians so that we can take comedy in Rwanda to another level,” said Arthur.

Roberto has been posting  messages about his impending performance in Rwanda on Twitter, vowing to give Rwandans the best of music. According to Nice Budandi, the Comedy Knights Operations Manager, the stars will arrive a little earlier ahead of the May 9 show to rehearse.

"Everything will be live. The musical performances will be live. Arthur and his friends are already prepared to put up the best show ever,” says Budandi.

Roberto’s song Amarula is one of the most played and requested song on local television, radio and night clubs and has taken the continent by the storm.

The Zambian born RnB artiste was thrown into continental limelight after he outed the Amarula hit, in which he compares his lover to the smooth South African cream made from the Marula fruit. The funky beat, which has become a club banger, is also accompanied with a well-choreographed video which surely has propelled Roberto into a continental star. For Ugandan singer Ray Signature, he is known for his hits Kasenyanku and Yegwe Weka which he did with Jody Phibi. He has several collaborations with Rwandan artistes.

It will be the second time the former Big Brother contestants are coming to Kigali. At the end of March, Frankie Joe, the other Rwandan Big Brother contestant, hosted a reunion in which former hotshots Tayo from Nigeria, Esther and Ellah from Uganda, Permithias from Namibia and Nhlanhla from South African attended. Entrance fee to the ‘Arthur Amplified’ show will be Rwf10, 000 and gates will be open at 6pm. A mega after party will be hosted the same evening at Kaizen Club in Kabeza.