Nigerian Afrobeats star Divine Joshua Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, brought Kigali’s BK Arena to life on Saturday night as thousands of fans gathered for a concert held as part of activities surrounding Rwanda’s 21st Kwita Izina gorilla-naming ceremony.
The highly anticipated performance drew a large crowd of Rema fans and music lovers, with the singer receiving a thunderous welcome when he stepped onto the stage.
Rema kept the audience on their feet throughout the concert, performing some of his biggest hits, including Azaman, Bounce, Holiday, Calm Down, Dumebi, Charm, Fun and Soweto, before closing the show with Ozeba.
Among those in attendance was Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, who attended the concert with his son, Erwan.
Nduhungirehe praised Rema’s performance and stage presence, describing the young Nigerian artist in striking terms.
“BK Arena was nearly full. This young Nigerian artist performed exceptionally well on stage; he performed like a Greek god,” Nduhungirehe said in a message shared on social media.
The minister also praised the large turnout of young Rwandans, saying they joined Rema in singing and dancing from the beginning of the concert until the end.
He described the atmosphere as a positive expression of youthful energy and called on young people to maintain the same spirit beyond the concert.
“Let us continue in this positive spirit,” he said.
Nduhungirehe also commended the Rwanda National Police for ensuring security throughout the event, saying the concert proceeded smoothly without any security incidents.
Rema’s concert was part of the activities accompanying Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s annual gorilla-naming ceremony, which brought together conservationists, government officials, celebrities, tourists and other guests in Kinigi on Friday.
The concert provided a major entertainment finale to the week’s celebrations, with Rema’s performance giving thousands of fans an opportunity to experience one of Africa’s leading Afrobeats stars live in Kigali.
For the crowd at BK Arena, the night was marked by music, dancing and a strong connection between Rema and his Rwandan audience, as the singer delivered a catalogue of hits that have made him one of the most recognisable young voices in Afrobeats.
