|
07 December 2007 @ St. Andrew's Multi-purpose Hall
It was a long, cold Friday night in Nairobi, but thankfully, Class of 07 considerably turned up the heat for the few revelers who found their way to St. Andrew’s.
Image
Over two hours after it was billed to start, the show finally kicked off with a much appreciated session of praise and worship. The eager congregation was soon lost in the likes of Mfalme Wa Milele, Friend Of God and Lord You Are Good as dancing and shouts of praise ensued. The tempo slowed down with the worshipful Breathe and Draw Me Close. That much loved hymn, Falling In Love With Jesus, ended the session, with voices raised up in jubilant adoration.
It was then time for the night’s speaker, Pastor James Okumu, who delivered a refreshingly ‘street language’ sermon off of Psalms 1, urging believers to pursue a life of holiness.
That done with, the raving started off with DJ Krowbar serving hip-hop tracks from his turn-tables. It didn’t take long to realize that there were not enough hip-hop heads to really get dancing going, and a quick switch was made to local tunes. Chacha finally worked the needed charm, getting people off their seats and onto the dancing floor, and a rapid mix of local, ragga and crunk tunes kept them there.
 MCs Get It Going  Some Praise & Worship Pastor Jemoh Serves Word  Let The Rave Begin!
The day’s first performance was, well, not really a performance but a vote of thanks. DJ Riq brought the house down as he turned up dressed in an old school suit and shoes, complete with a portable radio (read boom box), and went ahead to appreciate attendees in true Luo fashion. It was quite the entertainment, before the stage was opened to various dance groups in attendance.
Sporting dazzling white track-suits, Ignitaz were up first, followed by Heart Breakers and then Citylights. With difficult-to-follow routines, the dancers kept the crowd entertained for all of half-an-hour, prompting cheers of appreciation. This segment was followed by the night’s international appearance, Sammy K, all the way from Uganda. With an amazing voice and passionate delivery, Sammy had his audience captivated with three smooth tracks. There was a minor security incident as a few fans ran on stage after his set ostensibly to get an autograph!
The increasingly versatile Squadi Sauti was up next, this time delivering a cheer song cum dance. Eric Omondi, comedian and spoken word artist, then gave a laudable performance in a skit depicting a heavy-ladden sinner leaving his baggage at the cross. Gospel hip-hop continued, this time with crunk-heads Eternal MCs. Energy was kept up with Michelle stepping up to the mic with Pump Yo Fist, doing justice to the MC’s introduction as hip-hop’s first lady.
 DJ Riq Arrives!
 Ignitaz Show Their Skills
 Sammy K
 Michelle on Pump Yo Fist
But it was Juliani’s set (and his rather unexpected suit) that stole the show in this segment. Backed by a live band, he took time to TALK to his audience, speaking his lyrics slowly and deliberately, before rapping the hooks. He had many on the dance floor with him, singing along to Jesusnosis and Mtaa Mentality. Span 1 comfortably wrapped up the hip-hop jamming.
When boy-group MOG was called on stage, it was obvious that the party was about to get to a new level. Even the die-hard glued-to-the-seat sections of the crowd had a jig for Tempted and Zing Zing, delivered with that raw energy that MOG and Verbal have come to be known for. Another K-Krew affiliate, ragga artist Kevo Yout followed them, giving an impressive account of himself. This segment vamped out into another dance inducing DJ mix, with DJs Touch, Riq and Krowbar tag-teaming.
After all the dancing, some sitting down was not a bad idea, especially in order to watch contestants battle it out in the night’s DJ battle. At the end of the two heats, the man among them emerged – DJ Allan. Lauded for his adaptability (he was using the equipment for the first time) and his rather young age (undisclosed), as much as for his skills, Allan won himself a full scholarship to a DJ school.
 Juliani Looking Hot
 MOG & Verbal Get It Going
 Zing Zing-ing Along
 DJ Allan Gets His Prize
Crystal was the last of the artists to perform, dropping Whispers, before DJ Kagz got on the wheels of steel and kept spinning till morning. Needless to say, there were many still dancing as the curtains dropped on this event.
In one important aspect, Class Of 07 was a let down – the turn-out. With just about three hundred present, the humongous hall looked depressingly empty most of the time. As a result, the energy wasn’t quite as high as it should have been, and there’s no doubt some people left the place disenfranchised. Nevertheless, credit must be given to the organizers for making the best of the situation and still laying out a fair show. Perhaps it’s about time to ask, are Nairobi’s young Christians getting wary of gigs?
 Crystal Does Her Thing
 Heart Breakers In Action
 Citylights Dance To Get Low
 Even They Tried
 The Weary Traveller...
 He Checks Out The Cross...
 ...And IS Transformed!
 Squadi Sauti Do Their Stuff
 The DJs... Touch
 Kagz
 & Krowbar
 Kevin Gathii On The Sound
 And They Danced...
 And Danced
 And Jumped
 And Danced Some More!» Post Comment
» No Comments
There are no comments up to now.
|
June 18, NPC Karen - If life is one big party, then Spafest is one big festivity. An event that captures wit, dance and incredible ingenuity, it is always a night to remember. The 2010 Finals...
May 1, KICC - It was certainly The Year of the Owen at this year’s Groove Awards with Skiza as the king of kapungala walked away with six wins, capping what has been a phenomenal year...
March 18, KICC - Finally, the Groove tour landed in Nairobi after its much hyped tours of Mombasa and Kisumu. True to expectation, the event did not disappoint, with electric live performances...