Kigali jazz gains momentum as maestro Isaiah Katumwa thrills revelers

Friday evening was all about Jazz as Ugandan saxophone maestro Isaiah Katumwa headlined the 6th edition of Kigali Jazz Junction Season 3. He performed alongside rising soul and blues musician Andy Bumuntu at the well-decorated Kigali Serena Hotel’s big tents. The atmosphere was all about Jazz afro fusion from the very beginning at the venue, which has become home to the seasonal Jazz music concept in the capital since its inception in 2015. Katumwa (right) on a saxophone. / Eddie Nsabimana Few minutes past 8pm, Remy Lubega, the Managing Director of RGH Consult and the brain behind Kigali Jazz Junction, introduced the show to an average audience as more people were rushing to the venue so as not to miss out on even a single piece of performance. A new talent and Rwandan rising saxophonist identified as Stella Tushabe was introduced to warm the stage up before Neptunez Band stepped on, winding the stage with great performance from the band’s very own members Serge and Lillian. A Neptunez Band member performing live Jazz music performance. / Eddie Nsabimana The band was later joined by saxophonists Mesole Samuel from Nigeria and British Jonathan Bower to add bread to butter, displaying excellent live performance with their saxophone instruments, hinting the change of mood among the audience around the tent hall. Since then, the audience started to enjoy the taste of Jazz until soul rising star Andy Bumuntu hit the stage and started to give fans what they had exactly been waiting for the entire evening. Andy Bumuntu performing live at Jazz Junction on Friday. / Eddie Nsabimana He belted his songs like ‘Mukadata’, ‘Ndashaje’ and his latest track ‘Mine’ not forgetting Kayirebwa’s song ‘Ubumanzi’ which inspires him. Then Katumwa was the man people were all waiting to see on stage. By the time he arrived on stage, he and his band, proved music is more than just vocals with his job well done as most of the time he spent on stage was shaped by pure saxophone performance. He has already earned a name for himself in the region and beyond, thanks to his unique performance with a saxophone instrument. People would wonder what the vocal-less performance was like at the beginning, but they found nothing but fun with it as time went by. It is also a talent he has started to bequeath to his offsprings, after he introduced his son Mico Katumwa, whom fans found a future great talent in him, given the vocal and instrumental skills he displayed during his first ever official performance at only 14 years of age. Katumwas son Mico excited revelers with excellent vocal skills. / Eddie Nsabimana Katumwa and his band spent almost two hours on stage and the Jazz concert absentees would imagine that it took too long, but revelers can quickly give the answer that they left even yearning for more. “Katumwa is a talented saxophonist and so is his band, especially his son. It is my first time to experience an all-saxophone performance with very little vocal performance. “We enjoyed and I would love to see him back again because we still wanted his music,” said a young lady, who immediately declared herself Katumwa’s fan. A fan applauding for Bumuntus performance. / Eddie Nsabimana He performed until fans dropped from their seats, including diplomats. Katumwa later joined them in selfie souvenirs, leaving the fans praising his talent, together with his humility. The show ended at half past midnight. The next edition will take place at the same venue, on December 8th, with the special headliner to be confirmed soon.

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Kigali jazz gains momentum as maestro Isaiah Katumwa thrills revelers