By Kevin Oguoko, Geoffrey Korio and Matilda Nzioki
After curtains came down in the wee hours last Saturday at the Big Tunes Festival’s Riley and Etana Concert, the usual mugging associated with reggae reared its ugly head.
Attended by thousands of reggae fans, the Carnivore night event had lived to its great hype as the two visiting international stars Tarrus and Etana gave their best.
Terrific Tarrus
Waving the Kenyan flag in one hand and a microphone in the other, the grounds erupted with cheers when the main show kicked off shortly after midnight.
The multi-award winning Jamaican songstress Etana had charmed the masses singing her popular hits including I’m Not Afraid and Reggae. Indeed it was a wondrous performance from the expectant reggae empress. But now, this was the showstopper moment and the She’s Royal hit maker did not disappoint.
Tarrus even went ahead to spice up the show with surprise performances from Black Soil and the famous saxophonist Dean Fraser, as he blended dancehall tunes with the best of acoustics to deliver an epic emotional result that saw the fans break into tears.
But what had been a marvelous night turned horrific as thugs staged an ambush on scores of unsuspecting people as they trekked home.
Don’t break the beat
Away in Westlands, Nairobi, that very night, wannabe hip-hop singers braved the chilly weather as they pitched outside Club Psys to battle for a slot in the ongoing Nokia Don’t Break the Beat competition.
Hosted by versatile rapper and TV host Joey Muthengi and P-Unit singer Frasha, the event featured Kisumu and Mombasa wannabe rappers with winners set to battle it out with the Nairobi finalists come tomorrow.
Oozing confidence and lyrical flair, the contestants took to the floor in pairs, spitting freestyle rhymes to impress the judges.
There was no shortage of talent, neither was there lack of laughable comic as some goofed and gave up the race.
Coming out to support and motivate their fans were hip-hop heads. Kayvo K-Force and his counterpart Voodoseller left a good impression of themselves while Kimya, the freestyle don, closed the night with a showstopper finesse.
Night of Drama Queen
Muthoni’s hairdo wasn’t the only thing turning heads the previous evening at Prestige Plaza, Nairobi. Scores of showbiz icons had gathered outside the Prestige cinema halls minutes past 8pm for the singer’s new Feelin’ It video launch show.
She introduced her new video with vigour and style after which the the Laura Balsera directed video started showing on the cinema screen. The fast flashing scenes synced well with her fast rapping style.
