A few months ago when MTN launched the music streaming site Tidal in Uganda, they promised that it wouldn’t just end at the launch but also give Ugandans a Tidal Music Experience announcing that Nigerian Award winning DJ Spinall and Jamaican dancehall artiste Kranium will be in Uganda to perform at the concert.
The organisers didn’t just say; they did as promised. The MTN Tidal Warehouse party took place last evening at the MTN Warehouse in Industrial area. The venue was hosting an event for the first time and it might have opened its doors as one of the best place to host an event.
The spacious warehouse was not filled to the brim though the attendance was promising. Some revelers however chose to stay outside the warehouse dancing to music being played inside. The show kicked off with MC Hypeman putting the crowd into a dancing mood.
DJs Roger and Slick Stuart took to the stage to play hits that are ruling the airwaves. They played for about 40 minutes before leaving the stage for Beenie Gunter to come and work up the crowd with a few songs.
DJ Spinall from Nigeria was announced as the next performer. The crowd didn’t mind him much because they thought he was just any other DJ. But when Spinall kicked off his performance with a few Nigerian songs, the choice of his playlist and the fact that Ugandans are drunk in love with Nigerian music, he literally sent the Warehouse on fire. The ones outside ran in while singing along to the song. Spinall kept the crowd engaged and with his microphone, he didn’t need a hypeman; he hyped his own event.
Revellers having fun. All photos by Isaac Ssejjombwe
Interestingly, Spinall’s music was not made up of Western music, he did mostly West African music, playing songs from artistes like Wikzid, Tekno, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Magnom and Mr Eazi among others. What made Ugandans proud was when the DJ said, “I have been around the world but I have never met someone like this guy,” Spinall said while playing Ykee Benda’s Kyenkyebula. He made the same statement every time he played a Ugandan song. He did other songs like You and Me Lydia Jazmine among several Ugandan songs.
At a few minutes to 1pm, Kranium took to the stage, he looked excited to be on the Ugandan stage for the first time. He kicked off the performance with a song little known by Ugandans and then just after, he sang No Body has to Know. Well, because that was the song that ushered him into the music industry (even the audience knew it word for word) he performed it thrice. He called on two girls on stage and danced with them, saying it was how they dance with girls in Jamaica. He carried the girls on stage.
Kranium’s 30 minutes performance was climaxed by the song Can’t Believe which he also performed twice and before he left the stage. The show ended at around 1:30am.