The curtains went down on the second edition of the SekaFest on March 31, marking an end to weeklong entertainment showpieces. The main shows on March 30-31, at the Private Sector Federation (PSF) grounds in Gikondo, saw performances by local, and international stand up comedians, in addition to music performances, which attracted large crowds of all ages. The festival, which started March 28, featured a wide range of entertainment, providing concertgoers with a perfect way to end the month. Eric Omondi begged a fan to return his gold jewelry after teasingly throwing it into the audience. These included Eric Omondi from Kenya, Salvador from Uganda, and the main act Basketmouth from Nigeria. Basketmouth, real name Bright Okpocha, was born on September 14, 1978, and has been doing comedy since 2000. His rise to fame was the “Two things involved” skit, which still excites people like it is new. The show started a few minutes past 6pm. A number of Seka rising stars entertained revellers, before Arthur Nkusi of Arthur Nation, organiser of the festival, claimed the stage. The comedian and radio personality thanked the attendees and sponsors for making the festival a success. Nigeria’s funnyman Basketmouth was the main act for the SekaFest2019. “I want to thank every one of you that have managed to come through today to support me, I also want to thank all my sponsors, thank you so much, I don’t take it for granted,” he concluded. Arthur, as he is commonly known, went on to invite the first act of the night Eric Omondi. Eric’s curtain raiser came and did a few minutes on stage before the Kenyan funny man came on stage, and the crowd went wild. He emerged on stage in all black, with a gold necklace. He did what he does best, and it was evident the crowd loved it, as they laughed their lungs out. Salvador performing live during the show at the Expo grounds in Gikondo on Mar.31. Singer Bruce Melodie (in a white t-shirt) was in attendance. However, the highlight of his performance, was when he took off his chain and threw it into the crowd. One man in the VIP section grabbed it and put it on. Eric came running from the stage and requested the man to return it to him, as he (Eric) was also cracking a joke. “My brother, it was a joke. Please return the chain, it was a joke,” Eric was heard pleading as the crowd went into a frenzy. Now, it was Salvador’s turn to perform, and he lived to his billing. The crowd laughed hard at his jokes, especially the one where he nearly got deported from Nigeria, because of his travel documents. No sooner had Salvador left stage than Arthur asked the crowd if they were ready for Basketmouth. The crowd went wild. Basketmouth’s curtain-raiser Bucci came to the stage and did a few funny skits before calling upon the main act of the night. Comedian Arthur Nkusi is the brains behind the SekaFest. He stepped on stage in a white shirt, properly tucked in black pants and gave the crowd what they expected. He made the crowd exhilarated with his famous “Two things involved” and the ways on how to impress a woman. People did not only laugh at his jokes but also at his accent and his looks. “That man looks naturally surprised, look at his face, it’s like he’s scared, happy, you really can’t tell,” one reveller was heard telling the others. Basketmouth performed for more than 20 minutes, before appreciating Rwandan women for their beauty. He reminded them that he was married back in Nigeria, but was open for negotiations in Rwanda. He concluded by making a statement that left many wondering what he exactly meant when he said, “See you same time, same place, next year.” Many people that turned up were overheard saying that they wish SekaFest was held every fourth month. “This has been the best comedy show I have been to all my life, I wish it was held every three months and in different parts of Rwanda,” said Patrick Butera. Many other revellers were just thankful to Arthur Nation for having organised such a world-class comedy show at a relatively cheap price. “Having Salvador, Eric Omondi, Basketmouth all on one stage is not something that usually happens, I am among the few that have gotten the chance of seeing them together in one night, thanks to Arthur Nation,” Angel Kayitesi, visibly excited said after the show. On the sidelines, the festival also saw displays of local comedy in the bus, and a special comedy session dubbed, “Did you Just say Sex?” by local comedian Michael Sengazi, on March 24. Revellers were kept mesmerised by various performances that started at 6 pm and went on until midnight. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
