Sonu’s Star Power Awes Crowds
Jul 07, 2003
I only know two Indian gods, Lord Krishna, a supreme Hindu god, and Sonu Nigam, the god of Indian pop music! Sonu put on an amazing show last Saturday, during the Indo Ugandan charity extravaganza, organised by the World Malayalee Council (Africa).
By Raphael Okello
I only know two Indian gods, Lord Krishna, a supreme Hindu god, and Sonu Nigam, the god of Indian pop music! Sonu put on an amazing show last Saturday, during the Indo Ugandan charity extravaganza, organised by the World Malayalee Council (Africa).
Under the dramatic interplay of light and smoke, The Obsessions cleared the silent, and laid back mood of the audience. Their pulsating back-to-back western-oriented dance drills performed to six hip songs like Ricky Martin’s Cup of Life, Christine Aguilera’s Dirty and Shakira’s Objection were gripping. For close to 20 minutes, they were nothing short of brilliant, strengthening their claim as Uganda’s number one dance group.
With the professional lighting and music systems from Kenya, stage images where easily relayed to two giant screens.
Kawesa came on next and delightfully exercised his vocal gymnastics with in his song Yayee, an emotional story about his broken heart. His sombre vocals aroused a sad and touching sentiment that consumed the large Indian audience.
He then lifted their spirits with his high tempo song, The Spirit of Africa. His animated performances of Spend Time In Africa and Hakuna Matata among others left him perspiring. He had excited the crowd enough, leaving them ripe with expectation of the prolific Indian star they had started wailing for.
The stage was thrown into grim darkness before being showered it with a flood of colours that revealed Sonu’s gorgeous dancers dressed in turquoise blue shiamaks (body tights). Smoke rose. The crowd collapsed into delirious abandonment.
The back up Sunny Band members from India played the instruments with verve and genius.
Their calculated fusion of thunderous drums, treble and bass keyboard and guitar notes produced a pleasant jazzy Indian sound that was to intrigue us for most of Sonu’s performance.
Dressed in a silver leather suit, Sonu’s presence was undoubtedly powerful and humbling. It was easy to see why he is such an enormously reverent figure in Indian entertainment.
His comfortable rendition of Mere Sapno Ki Rani (My dream girl) and 12 other popular Bollywood movie love ballads brought out the superior vocal range that Sonu is reputed to have over most Indian musicians, and craved for by most movie directors.
He sang every song with a different vocal quality. And with each song emerged a fresh explosive crowd reaction from Indians young and old, even those below the age of 10.
Whether the crowd conceded to it or not, they needed a recess from Sonu or else they would go out of control. And Halima was just the person to give it to them with her stormy local songs Ekimbewo, Dembe and Africa Yetu, featuring her dance troupe.
Another dose of local flavour from Chameleon’s invigorating dance hall music entangled the audience further in the Ugandan music web.
Nekolera Mali, Dolotia, Mama Mia, Kumo’bwesigwa and a Gospel dance hall hit, Yesu (a genre he was quick to acknowledge that people find very uncharacteristic of him). He did well with it nonetheless. I found the heart throbbing rhythm in Beyi Kali, my personal favourite, quite inundating.
Making his last stage appearance at midnight, Sonu Nigam performed 10 high-octane songs in the robust Punjabi classic genre. Tu Kab Ye, Tanhayi, Bale Chudiyan, Nedley Sona-Sona... Boy oh boy, excitement flared. The crowds, struggling to measure up to the brisk tempo, were like loose cannons. Innocuous fights broke out, but were soon subdued.
Indian tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia and wife Joystna, together with a host of other VIPs, picked up as well. I tried to look for the Mayor of Kampala, Ssebaana Kizito, and the Indian Ambassador among other high-profile figures whose presence I had earlier noted but they had vanished.
The climax of a monumental concert had reached fever pitch. Sonu was stormed with song requests written on pieces of paper.
For each request, he performed an acapella that sent the crowd screaming and yelling. Requests trickled in. A mob suddenly formed, which was pushed away.
The “Village Adoption†charity pilot project was officially launched and is to begin in Kamwenge.
Ends
I only know two Indian gods, Lord Krishna, a supreme Hindu god, and Sonu Nigam, the god of Indian pop music! Sonu put on an amazing show last Saturday, during the Indo Ugandan charity extravaganza, organised by the World Malayalee Council (Africa).
Under the dramatic interplay of light and smoke, The Obsessions cleared the silent, and laid back mood of the audience. Their pulsating back-to-back western-oriented dance drills performed to six hip songs like Ricky Martin’s Cup of Life, Christine Aguilera’s Dirty and Shakira’s Objection were gripping. For close to 20 minutes, they were nothing short of brilliant, strengthening their claim as Uganda’s number one dance group.
With the professional lighting and music systems from Kenya, stage images where easily relayed to two giant screens.
Kawesa came on next and delightfully exercised his vocal gymnastics with in his song Yayee, an emotional story about his broken heart. His sombre vocals aroused a sad and touching sentiment that consumed the large Indian audience.
He then lifted their spirits with his high tempo song, The Spirit of Africa. His animated performances of Spend Time In Africa and Hakuna Matata among others left him perspiring. He had excited the crowd enough, leaving them ripe with expectation of the prolific Indian star they had started wailing for.
The stage was thrown into grim darkness before being showered it with a flood of colours that revealed Sonu’s gorgeous dancers dressed in turquoise blue shiamaks (body tights). Smoke rose. The crowd collapsed into delirious abandonment.
The back up Sunny Band members from India played the instruments with verve and genius.
Their calculated fusion of thunderous drums, treble and bass keyboard and guitar notes produced a pleasant jazzy Indian sound that was to intrigue us for most of Sonu’s performance.
Dressed in a silver leather suit, Sonu’s presence was undoubtedly powerful and humbling. It was easy to see why he is such an enormously reverent figure in Indian entertainment.
His comfortable rendition of Mere Sapno Ki Rani (My dream girl) and 12 other popular Bollywood movie love ballads brought out the superior vocal range that Sonu is reputed to have over most Indian musicians, and craved for by most movie directors.
He sang every song with a different vocal quality. And with each song emerged a fresh explosive crowd reaction from Indians young and old, even those below the age of 10.
Whether the crowd conceded to it or not, they needed a recess from Sonu or else they would go out of control. And Halima was just the person to give it to them with her stormy local songs Ekimbewo, Dembe and Africa Yetu, featuring her dance troupe.
Another dose of local flavour from Chameleon’s invigorating dance hall music entangled the audience further in the Ugandan music web.
Nekolera Mali, Dolotia, Mama Mia, Kumo’bwesigwa and a Gospel dance hall hit, Yesu (a genre he was quick to acknowledge that people find very uncharacteristic of him). He did well with it nonetheless. I found the heart throbbing rhythm in Beyi Kali, my personal favourite, quite inundating.
Making his last stage appearance at midnight, Sonu Nigam performed 10 high-octane songs in the robust Punjabi classic genre. Tu Kab Ye, Tanhayi, Bale Chudiyan, Nedley Sona-Sona... Boy oh boy, excitement flared. The crowds, struggling to measure up to the brisk tempo, were like loose cannons. Innocuous fights broke out, but were soon subdued.
Indian tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia and wife Joystna, together with a host of other VIPs, picked up as well. I tried to look for the Mayor of Kampala, Ssebaana Kizito, and the Indian Ambassador among other high-profile figures whose presence I had earlier noted but they had vanished.
The climax of a monumental concert had reached fever pitch. Sonu was stormed with song requests written on pieces of paper.
For each request, he performed an acapella that sent the crowd screaming and yelling. Requests trickled in. A mob suddenly formed, which was pushed away.
The “Village Adoption†charity pilot project was officially launched and is to begin in Kamwenge.
Ends