Times Of Swaziland: Kunle’s gives awesome performance

Kunle’s gives awesome performance
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BY NOMBULELO MATSEBULA on 05/08/2013 04:37:00


MBABANE- It was a brilliant night at the Jazz Gallery as Nigerian jazz guitarist
Kunle Ayo gave a sterling performance.
Ayo did not disappoint as he gave it his best with the crowd dancing to his
music and yearning for more. It was sheer brilliancy and fun.
The event, held on Friday night, started with local acts in the likes of Itallo
and the group Spanela, who also outdid themselves on stage. They kept the
audience entertained throughout their performances.
Ayo and his band arrived at the event just after 8pm and received a very warm
welcome from the fans when they got to the stage. He did what he is best at,
playing the guitar, taking his fans to another level. He called his wife Adeola,
who is also his manager, to the stage and they sang the song titled
‘Devotion’ together.
Another song that Ayo dedicated to the ladies was, ‘When a man loves a
woman’, which was simply awesome. He rendered a number of songs, including
‘Words on my head’, ‘Let’s Celebrate’, ‘Todii’, originally done by
Oliver Mtukudzi and ‘Chop my money’. These tracks got his fans dancing and
singing along, evidently enjoying every minute of the show.
Ayo called Bholoja to the stage and they had a fun time performing together.
Local jazz artist Itallo also took to the stage and did his thing with the
saxophone, alongside Ayo and together they produced great sounds, much to the
applause of the audience.
During his performance, Ayo would get off the stage to interact with his fans
who went wild with excitement.
In an interview after the show, Ayo said he had a good time and the show was
lovely. He said it was high time Africa united like the United States of
America. “As Africans we struggle to unite, it is high time we work on that.
We are brothers and sisters and should consider being the United States of
Africa, we can make it work if we put our minds to it,” Ayo said.
He further noted that performing for the Swazi audience made him feel at home as
it was amazing and the crowd was awesome.
“It was a brilliant show for me. The crowd was very warm and receptive. It
felt like I was at home. I always enjoy the Swazi crowd, they are awesome,”
Ayo said.
The full-of -life Ayo draws his energy from the response of the crowd and his
music. He said seeing the crowd responding positively and excitedly made him
give out the best of performance each time.
The event was attended by jazz music lovers including U.S Ambassador to
Swaziland Makila James, who clearly enjoyed the show as she was seen dancing to
the music. After the show, she had a chat with Ayo and was so impressed with his
performance.
Sale
Ayo’s CDs were on sale on the night and fans got the chance to have them
signed by the man himself. Outgoing MP Patrick Gamedze and the US Ambassador to
Swaziland were part of those who had the opportunity to have Ayo’s signature
on their CDs.
Fans also grabbed the chance to pose with the artist and using their phones they
took pictures with Ayo. The artist and his wife left on Saturday for South
Africa, leaving his fans with something to cherish till he returns to Swaziland
for another performance.
Organiser of the show, Legendary Events’ Nelisa Lawton said she was ecstatic
about the artist’s performance and thanked those who attended for the support.
“It was a beautiful show and I would like to thank Smile Khumalo for
sponsoring the artists with accommodation and all those who attended the show. I
am grateful for the support by jazz music lovers,” Lawton said.
On another note, the multi-award winning artist has a new gospel jazz album
titled ‘Jazzing Up His Praise’. The album features industry heavyweights
like Nqubeko Mbatha and Sandile Cele, among others.
He said that it felt good to go back to his gospel roots. “I am grateful and I
know that apart from Him, there is nothing I can do. I am basically nothing
without my God. This is to say thank you,” Ayo said.