Kohen Jaycee and Mike Kayihura lead cross-border celebration in Kampala
For a few hours in Bugolobi, the distance between Kampala and Kigali seemed to disappear. There were no borders, no passports and no formalities. Only music. That was the spirit behind the Afro Urban Kigali Meets Kampala nite, which brought together Ugandan and Rwandan creatives at MoTIV.
Kohen Jaycee and Mike Kayihura lead a cross-border celebration of East African sound at MoTIV. (Photo by Hajara Naladdwa)
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Kohen Jaycee and Mike Kayihura led a cross-border celebration of East African sound at MoTIV.
For a few hours in Bugolobi, the distance between Kampala and Kigali seemed to disappear. There were no borders, no passports and no formalities. Only music.
That was the spirit behind the Afro Urban Kigali Meets Kampala nite, which brought together Ugandan and Rwandan creatives at MoTIV.
Then came Mike Mungu, who offered a more intimate mood. The singer, songwriter and producer moved through songs such as Kagina, Treasure, Fallin, ABCD and Bounce, demonstrating the range of contemporary Kampala music.
Before stepping into the main venue, revellers were welcomed into a beautifully styled hospitality area by Club Pilsener, where they could grab a drink, enjoy bites, mingle and capture the evening in photographs.
When Kohen Jaycee took the stage, the connection with the audience was immediate. For an hour, the Ugandan singer moved between alternative R&B, soul and acoustic storytelling. Not Letting Go, Siganye and Wanting You were among the songs that drew the strongest response, with sections of the crowd singing along. There was also room for something new. Kohen performed his latest release, I Don't Really Know.
His performance was not built around spectacle. It was about connection, the kind created when an artiste sings a song and discovers that strangers in the room already know every word.
If Kohen's performance represented the Kampala side of the conversation, Mike Kayihura arrived with the sound of Kigali. The Rwandan singer brought a soulful performance that moved comfortably between contemporary East African rhythms and melodies.
Songs including Zuba, Tuza, Come On, Anytime, Sabrina and Easy gave Kampala audiences an opportunity to experience the music that has made Kayihura one of Rwanda's recognisable contemporary voices.
There was an ease to his performance. Rather than overwhelm the room, Kayihura allowed the music to breathe, creating easy listening moments.
Much of the evening's character came from the people working between the headline performances.
DJ Karsten eased guests into the night, while DJ Ames shifted the energy with a genre-blending selection. DJ Kaz and DJ Ssese later kept the atmosphere moving, with Ssese particularly helping build anticipation before the headline performances.
After the artistes had left the stage, DJ Kai took over before DJ Kaz returned, allowing the audience to continue dancing into the late hours.