Friday evening was a night of Jazz as sensational Mayonde Masya staged a memorable performance at Kigali Jazz Junction’s second Edition (Season III) held at Kigali Serena Hotel’s Auditorium.
Friday evening was a night of Jazz as sensational Mayonde Masya staged a memorable performance at Kigali Jazz Junction’s second Edition (Season III) held at Kigali Serena Hotel’s Auditorium.
Born to a Rwandese mother and Kenyan father, the soul Jazz singer put up a delightful performance before music lovers, earning herself lots of praise and appreciation from those who attended.
The show started at 8.40 pm with Neptunez Band taking up the uniquely designed stage, with the black and white theme, and as usual their performance elicited a feeling of what was to be expected on the evening. The band has been part of the Jazz Junction since its initiation.
After the tone and mood had been set by Neptunez Band, talented Patrick Nyamitali came on stage to make it even better. Nyamitali proved that he is among Rwanda’s most talented musicians.
He kicked off his one hour performance with one of his popular gospel tunes Uri Imana before he went on to sing others like Ni we Messiah. He also sung his most recent secular songs Kalema, Wallah and Can You among others.
To prove his might, Nyamitali performed renditions of renowned artistes such as Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, Bruno Mars’ Billionaire, Michael Jackson’s Heal the World and African Reggae Legend Lucky Dube’s Together as One among others.
Nyamitali’s performance left the crowd ogling onto how gifted he is, even though he seemingly hasn’t made a major breakthrough musically.
Nyamitali left the stage to give way for Mayonde who came on stage amid screams from expectant fans.
Mayonde performed her first song of the night Ajabuya Musa before she paused for a while to introduce herself to the audience.
She said she is happy to perform in Rwanda, a country she considers her second home, adding that she is proud to have roots in Rwanda.
The songstress pulled off a few Kinyarwanda traditional dance moves which she said she was taught by her cousin from Rwanda. Local singers Mani Martin and Jody Phibi helped her refine her cultural dance moves with a few quick lessons.
She performed for more than an hour, belting out many of her songs like Kama Kawaida, Asali, Isuniyuru and Nairobi. She also added songs from international stars like Lauren Hill’s Heartbreak and Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk among others.
The audience got on its feet as Mayonde and the band went an extra mile to deliver an exquisite output of music. The singer said it is her sixth time coming to Rwanda, usually to visit her family. Last year she performed at Dinner en Blanc and made an appearance at Chillax.
Prior to performing at Jazz Junction, she had a brief appearance at Spokenword Rwanda.
The show was attended by City of Kigali Mayor Pascal Nyamulinda and other dignitaries. According RG Consult the company behind the Jazz Junction, the next edition will be headlined by Gakondo legend Intore Masamba who is set to perform alongside Nubian Gypsies music Band.
The show ended after midnight.
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