The much-anticipated Sol Fest went down at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Saturday, December 17, 2022.
Revelers from different parts of the country showed up at the venue ready to have a good time and interact with their favorite celebrities who were lined up to perform.
This was one of the major concerts that were going down over the weekend, with Sauti Sol performing to their Nairobi fans for the first time since their Alone Together break
Gates opened as early as 4:00 pm on Saturday, allowing party people to secure their preferred spots that could enable them to enjoy the performance without any struggles.
Despite talks of tickets being a bit pricy, Kenyans got value for their money as the performances brought the venue to a standstill.
The first set of performances was opened by Burukyln Boyz, Brandy Maina, Charisma, Nadia Mukami, and Fena Gitu after DJ KK and Lordwin had ushered the crowd into a party mood.
Thereafter, DJ Grauchi took over playing all genres of music creating a perfect mood to unwind for the night.
Some of the DJs who played at the festival include; DJ CNG, DJ Dream, and Fully Focus.
Gengetone Group Matata
At exactly, 11:23 Gengetoe group Matata were on stage ready to entertain their fans in Nairobi.
This was Matata’s first major concert in Nairobi – They are based in Norway and they usually visit Kenya for media tours and shows.
The group performed a number of their hits song during their 30 minutes set, leaving their fans yearning for more. Some of the songs they performed include; Pombe na Kizungu mingi, and, oversize Tshirt among others. The group is also ruling the airwaves with their 2022 Album Super Morio.
Rapper Octopizzo
After Matata left the stage, Kibera Finest Henry Ohanga aka Octopizzo took over – taking care of all the Hip hop fans present at the concert.
Octo entertained the crowd with his classics like Ivo Ivo Ivo to tunes from his latest Album - Lamu Nights.
During his set, Papichulo brought musician Juliani on stage as a surprise act and the crowd loved it.
Octopizzo was on stage for roughly 45 minutes, delivering bars on bars with lovers of his music rapping along.
Nviiri the Storyteller
Octopizzo’s performance paved the way for Sol Generation signee Nviiri and his band which is made up of able and talented women in music.
Known as the ladies’ man, Nviiri did not disappoint as he sang all his love songs with the crowd responding in unison.
At some point, they overpowered the singer and he had to pause and allow them to shine with his lyrics and composition.
Harmonize
Immediately, Nviiri walked off that stage, it was time for Bongo Music by the one and only Harmonize.
The energetic Harmonize came on stage dressed in all black and started his set with his hit song Teacher Konde.
During his stage time, Harmonize had a big score when it comes to crowd control. The crowd was easy orders from the self-proclaimed ‘Jeshi’ and it was just beautiful.
Harmonize also brought on stage UK Group NSG and Kenya’s Iyanni as his surprise acts for the night. He also confessed his love for Kenyans for always supporting his craft.
Sauti Sol
At 3:04, Kenyan Boy Band Sauti Sol showed up on stage ready to entertain their fans with the live performance of their hit songs.
Fancy fingers was the first one to arrive on stage followed closely by Savara, Chimano, and Bien- Aime Baraza.
Their first song was Sura Yako, which is still a fan's favorite as they were all singing along like a choir.
The award-winning group performed songs like Melanin, Short and Sweat, Feel, My Love, Colors of Africa, Suzanna, Shake Yo Bam Bam, Mbwembwe (Bien’s song), and Still the One among others.
During their stage time, the group also performed their solo singles with Savara inviting the group that put together the song ‘Kuna Kuna’ for a special performance.
The group was on stage for roughly 40 minutes – leaving their fans yearning for more.
Costa Titch.
Apart from Brandy Maina, South Africa’s Costa Titch was in the house to take care of all the Amapiano lovers.
Costa came on stage at 4:32 am, hours after landing in the country for Sol Fest 2022. He had a good performance – maintaining his energy levels at 100 percent.
Titch staged a good show coupled with his collaborations with Tanzania’s Diamond Planumz and Mbosso.
BenSoul
Sol Generation signee Bensoul got the opportunity to wrap up the list of performers at the 2022 Sol Fest.
He showed up on stage at 5:00 am, with his signature intro - 4:20 culture being displayed on screens at the venue.
Together with his band, Bensoul did not disappoint.
Bensoul kept the crowd singing along to all his songs as he proved to his audience why he is regarded as one of the best live performers in the county.
He performed songs like; Favorite song, Medicine, Lucy, Nairobi, Peddi, and Niombee among others.
Biggest score at the Concert
The sound for the event was on point and all the artists who stepped on stage understood the assignment.
The security at Sol Fest was on point – all the stewards and police officers on the ground did a good job.
Recommendations
Scale down on the number of acts for Sol Fest and allocate more time to Sauti Sol and all the other acts who will be on the list of performers.
Time management- ensure that the show starts as early as 6 pm - Just like the first edition of Sol Fest so that fans are not kept long waiting for the headliners of the concert.
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