East and West Africa met at the Highline Ballroom on Oct. 30 for a vibrant set from singers Vanessa Mdee and Jojo Abot–from Tanzania and Ghana, respectively–and Kenyan superstars Sauti Sol. The house was overflowing with ecstatic fans and positive energy that couldn’t be dampened by the rain outside. Some of the crew from Afropop went to check out the lineup–Sebastian Bouknight brought back some photos to share.
At the top of the bill, of course, were the Kenyan megastars, Sauti Sol, who gave the crowd the magic they wanted.The quartet brought their big voices, big hearts, and excellent showmanship to the room, performing as well together as any band with four frontmen can. With Polycarp Otieno on guitar and Bien-Aimé Baraza, Willis Chimano and Savara Mudigi on vocals, the group played off of each others’ qualities, trading the spotlight for solos and joining voices for their lush, soaring harmonies
They are pop stars through and through, giving much love to their
many adoring fans and showering them with their hits: the passionate, moving “Kuliko Jana,” the sensual jam “Nishike,” and the dancefloor mover “Sura Yako.”
