Jamaican music star Shenseea delivered a thrilling performance that electrified Kigali on Saturday night, while dancehall heavyweight Mavado closed the show by giving fans a masterclass in authentic Jamaican sound.
The two artists headlined the Fresh Year, Fresh Riddims concert, held on Saturday, January 3, 2025, at BK Arena, in a night that blended international star power with East African talent.
The concert featured two of Jamaica’s most celebrated acts—David Constantine Brooks, popularly known as Mavado, and Chinsea Linda Lee, famously known as Shenseea—who shared the stage with Rwanda’s fast-rising rapper Kivumbi King.
Kivumbi King, currently one of Rwanda’s most popular hip-hop acts, opened the show, setting the tone for what marked the country’s first major concert of 2026. He performed several fan-favorite tracks, including “Mama,” his collaboration with Mike Kayihura, alongside other crowd-pleasing songs.
He later welcomed fellow rappers Angela Mutoni and Kenny K-Shot to the stage, as the trio performed collaborative hits such as “Izina” and “Ntaribi,” drawing loud cheers from the audience.
The atmosphere at BK Arena remained lively throughout the night, with DJ sets from DJ Contact Makeda and energetic hype performances by Rocky Try, keeping fans engaged between live acts.
Shenseea made a grand entrance backed by dancers from the Sherry Silver Foundation, opening her set with “Shake to the Max,” a collaborative track featuring Moliy, Skillibeng, and Silent Addy.
She quickly won over the crowd, powering through a string of her biggest songs, including “Die For You,” “Work Me Out” (featuring Wizkid), and “Hit and Run.” Shenseea expressed pleasant surprise at how enthusiastically Rwandan fans sang along to her music.
Maintaining the high energy, she invited Rwandan artist Diez Dora to perform “Repete,” followed by Ugandan singer Joshua Baraka, who took to the stage with his latest release, “Morocco.”
In one of the night’s most energetic moments, Shenseea invited several young women onto the stage to dance—many of them from Uganda, reflecting the strong regional turnout—further igniting excitement inside the arena.
She wrapped up her performance with “Lighter,” her collaboration with Tarrus Riley, thanked Rwandan fans for their warm reception, and promised to return for another show.
The entertainment continued as DJ Lamper, alongside Atmosphere Kigali, delivered a cultural highlight by introducing Intore dancers, whose traditional choreography added a uniquely Rwandan touch to the international showcase.
Later in the night, Mavado took over the stage, warmly greeting the audience before launching into a high-energy set featuring songs such as “Give It All to Me,” “Settle Down,” “When U Feel Lonely,” “My League,” “You Remind Me,” “So Special,” “Caribbean Girls,” and “Come Into My Room,” among others.
Despite his energetic delivery, the crowd noticeably thinned as his set progressed compared to earlier performances.
One concertgoer, a longtime fan of Jamaican music, offered a candid observation:
“Rwandans generally don’t listen much to Jamaican music. Mavado is a legend, but his songs aren’t commonly played here, so many people don’t really know them.”
True to Jamaican concert tradition, Mavado performed in a medley-heavy style—blending short excerpts of multiple songs in quick succession, almost like a musical clash. While this format is popular in Jamaica, Uganda, and Kenya, it remains relatively unfamiliar to many Rwandan audiences.
Mavado officially brought the Fresh Year, Fresh Riddims concert to a close at 1:30 a.m., sealing a night that highlighted both the excitement and learning curve of embracing Jamaican music culture in Rwanda.
