KIGALI – The night began with Rwanda’s own sound and ended with thousands of voices singing along to one of Africa’s biggest music stars, as the Kwita Izina concert turned BK Arena into a pulsating celebration of music, dance and nostalgia.
Rwanda’s Kivumbi opened one of the evening’s memorable stretches, with DJ Marnaud setting the pace with a lively set that steadily pulled the crowd into the mood. The music was familiar, energetic and unmistakably designed to get Kigali moving.
Joel Ruti then took the energy a notch higher, blending traditional Rwandan sounds with dancehall influences in a performance that quickly had the audience on its feet.
His call to the crowd, “Rwanda mureba,” was met with a spirited response as fans surrendered themselves to the music.
The performance became even more explosive when Intore Masamba joined Ruti and the DJ on stage. What followed was a collision of generations and sounds, with traditional Rwandan music taking centre stage without losing the youthful energy that had filled the arena.
Rwanda’s very own Joel Ruti and DJ Marnaud on stage.
The mood shifted into a deeper celebration of Rwanda’s musical heritage as the performers moved into Gakondo songs, including “Agasaza.”
Then came a more emotional moment.
The performers paid tribute to the late music icon Bravan by singing “Oya”, turning the celebration briefly into a moment of remembrance for an artist whose music continues to resonate with Rwandan audiences.
But the anticipation for the night’s headline act was building. As Rema’s appearance drew closer, amapiano filled the arena. Songs including “Jealousy” kept fans dancing as the atmosphere became increasingly charged. Then the music stopped.
A five-minute countdown appeared and the response from the crowd made it clear that the wait was over.
When Rema finally stepped onto the stage, the Nigerian star needed little introduction. He opened with his signature line, “This is another banger,” before launching into a rapid succession of hits that sent the arena into another level of excitement.
With songs like Yayo, Holiday, Soweto, Woman and “Favourite Girl”, Rema moved effortlessly between songs and styles. At one point, he was joined by celebrity DJ Sparkz as the performance took another turn into an Afrobeat party.
By then, BK Arena was no longer simply an audience watching a concert. It had become part of the performance.
The biggest singalong came with “Calm Down”, one of Rema’s globally recognized hits, as thousands of fans sang back the words with the confidence of people who had been waiting for this moment.
He followed it with “Benin Boys”, his collaboration with Shallipopi, before moving into “Second Hand” and other songs that kept the momentum high.
Rema’s performance was the culmination of a night that had deliberately moved across Rwanda’s musical past and present before handing the stage to one of Africa’s most influential young stars.
For the fans who had packed BK Arena, the night was a headline performance fused with traditional and dancehall sounds that exploded to its peak dancing and loosing themselves to the music.
