Groupie luv affairs and smitten celebs

A few celebrities are falling into illicit affairs with groupies that trap them into one-night stands. Sometimes more. Now an emerging groupie love affair is causing ripples in the industry, writes Stevens Muendo

The massive crowd gathered at the Lugogo Cricket Oval last Saturday night was getting impatient. For over 20 minutes, the technicians were up and down, setting up for Shaggy as enthusiastic fans waited.

Earlier, Sarakasi dancers had thrilled the crowds with their well-choreographed dances before Uganda’s Good Lyfe Crew of Mowzey Radio and Weasel entertained.

The former Island Crew performed their club bangers Nakudata, Lwaki Onumya, Nyambura and award winning hit Zuena. They bowed out with new release Bread and Butter. Rappers GNL Zamba and Navio too brought the roof down with tight hip-hop rhymes.

But technical hitches persisted and were met with impatience from the wild crowd. At some point, a beer bottle was thrown up in the air as tempers flared. But before it all got out of control, the dancehall king emerged from the backstage to great applause.

His charming persona fused well with his catchy hits and magnetism.

It was hardly a year since Shaggy graced the stage in Kampala and he did not disappoint. His energetic performance was well recieved

Akon, who is at the centre of an affair with a Ugandan woman he met at a concert.

Alongside singer Rayvon, the jubilant fans, sang along with the hits What’s Love, Repent, Church Heathen, Would You Be, She’s Mine, Big Up, Strength of a Woman, Big Up, Summer Time and Keeping it Real.

But it was Wild Tonight, Sexy Lady, Chica Bonita, Sweet Girl that got the crowd, consisting mostly of ladies into a frenzy.

Some ladies got carried away and overwhelmed security as they forced their way onto the stage, to share the spotlight with the dancehall king.

Others were screaming and shouting Shaggy’s name as a group of scantly dressed girls on the front row beckoned the singer, with shouts of ‘take me tonight’ as undergarments flew on to the podium.

Shaggy has on occasion confessed how he loves Kenyan women, so many, including groupies, had crossed the border into Uganda to be near their favourite performer.

It is not clear whether the ladies’ theatrics wooed the singer that night, but word has it that his entourage entertained quite a number. The groupies are said to have dined with Shaggy’s entourage that night, while others camped outside his hotel. A source has it that the girls were outrightly looking for sexual favours.

Back in 2005, during Shaggy’s shaggy tour of Kinshasa, it is no secret that Q FM’s Talia Oyando was duped by an entourage sound-man (Goldenchyll) who claimed to be Shaggy’s musical sidekick.

Talia dated Goldenchyll and at some point there was even talk of marriage. But after some good times at the young lady’s expense, Goldenchyll vanished like a silver mist.

Two years ago, prostitutes were moved from the streets of Kampala during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Now, forget the prostitutes, groupie love is fast becoming the new fad — among ladies not only in Uganda but also in Kenya — and visiting international celebrities have been paying the price in the recent past.

According to unconfirmed reports, American superstar Akon is the father of Susan Awori’s unborn baby. Susan, sister of acclaimed Ugandan designer Sylvia Awori, is said to have had a one-night stand with Akon during his concert in Uganda last year.

Fans mob singes on stage. A lot goes on during and after shows.

During this concert, swears an eyewitness, the number of groupie girls who went back to the Serena Kampala with the star was not small.

One lady in the morning was overheard asking one of Akon’s henchmen for $700 (Sh56,000) for ‘taxi fare’.

"Seven hundred dollars? I already gave ya 700 inches," scoffed the entourage man to the beauty.

The story of the Akon-Awori love child, which has dominated showbiz headlines in East Africa and attracted international Press, could be a but a the tip of the iceberg on how deep girls get into the groove with visiting celebs, all in the name of bragging rights at having bedded a celeb.

Awori is said to have gone round telling close friends that she had indeed slept with the superstar during the Ugandan visit.

Sources from Uganda intimate that Akon and Awori are publicly known to have been close friends for a while now. They have been spotted hanging out in top clubs in East Africa and in the United Kingdom. This union is said to have created a cold war between Akon and Awori’s former boyfriend who is part of a UK-based Ugandan music duo, Da Twinz. According to reports, the two split after Awori flew to Atlanta, US, at the invitation and expense of Akon.

Back here, a Kenyan girl is also claiming that she is expecting a baby by one of the P-Square twins. Apparently, she had relations with one of the twins during last year’s Kenyan show.

The girl who is one of the groupies who dined with the P-Square entourage during their two nights at the then Grand Regency, where a Sh2 million bill was left unpaid.

Everyone recalls how panties and bras were thrown on the stage during the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) concert. Or how, groupies chased P-Square all the way from the airport to their hotel rooms, how even a popular radio presenter was caught on camera back-stage with a shirtless P-Square brother.

The promoter of the event is still settling hotel bills incurred in excess by P-Square and their entourage; and the tens, dozens, scores of Kenyan girls they entertained. Word has it that some of the girls never left the hotel rooms during the two days; and that was in exchange for intimate favours to P-Square’s entourage. They spoilt themselves, toasting to every exotic drink they could name and getting their clothes drycleaned at the hotel at the expense of the poor promoter.

One of the girls who had posed as a model rode in the limousine that took P-Square from the airport to the hotel, and later parted ways with the boyfriend after she refused to leave the venue with him.

"Any one could die to be around P-Square that time. Girls were fighting for the guys yet I had the opportunity. It’s not bad to do a one-off nasty thing," she later told Pulse.

"What’s wrong with entertaining a brother from Naija?" she joked when asked whether she slept with the singers.

The celebrity groupie sensation seems to be the in-thing.

"We already have groupies for hire. They are always on standby every time we have an international artiste coming to town. They are even willing to pay promoters to get all the exclusive moments with the visitors," says one of the promoters who sought anonymity.

"You remember during the Ja Rule concert? How groupies partied with Ja Rule at the private dome backstage, toasting to champagne and doing all manner of immoral things?" she tries to remind us. It was claimed that Kenyan girls had sex with Ja Rule’s entourage under the baleful watch of security guards back stage.

Another popular radio presenter denies having disappeared with The Game the night he performed in Nairobi last year. Security guards, however, say the radio presenter was among other girls who entertained The Game and his team that night after the concert.

In most cases, the organised groupie squads liaise with event organisers, security men and hotel managers in getting their way through to the visiting celebrities.

"Most of the girls usually want an exclusive moment with the celebs while others are out to lay the singers," says a bouncer whose security unit has been manning most of the international concerts staged in Nairobi.

"When most of those artistes come here, they always want to hang out with girls. The truth is, promoters and bouncers as well as model agencies help source for groupies willing to entertain the celebs. The terms for such contracts are normally open between the parties," adds the bouncer who admits to have transacted such deals.

"There is always a kickback, either from the girls or the celebs," he concludes."The celebs pay cash, some girls pay in kind."

Word has it that most girls charge an average fee of Sh10,000 to entertain the celebs for a night. However, the amount varies from girl to girl and celeb to celeb.

However, in most cases, groupie love is not always about money, like is the case with escort girls. It is all about seeking sexual intimacy with the famous.

The truth is, away from moral implications, most of these girls would rather die than have babies with the said stars. But others are merely con-women out to fleece the musicians off their concert gains.

And now, we hear the business is going to the next level with groupies already registering their own bureaus. They travel, even with local musicians and act as a surrogate girlfriends or ‘wives on the road’.

Out goes Shaggy and Akon. Who is the next celebrity victim on the line?