On Valentine’s Day (February 14th), songwriter and songstress Naava Grey treated lovebirds and music fans to a melodious evening of soulful music at her maiden concert, held at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
With I&M Bank Uganda as the official banking partner, Naava delivered a captivating performance filled with energy, surprises, and interactive moments, that kept the audience singing along all through her performance.
Naava’s fans showed that her concert was a long-awaited affair, as they showed up in large numbers, to make it one of the most sought-after Valentine’s Day events in the country.
It came as no surprise that the event was decanted sold out a day in advance. The event organisers quickly came up with extra provisions that saw a few tickets available on Friday, but those too were quickly bought out as well.
This has been the case with many events that I&M Bank has sponsored in the recent past.
The bank has been a partner on shows including Jose Chameleone’s Legend in Gold, A-Pass’ Live in Concert, Geoffrey Lutaaya’s The Love Memories concert, and international shows like Fally Ipupa’s.
“I&M Bank is deeply committed to sharing with customers in memorable experiences beyond banking transactions; we always strive to create meaningful experiences that enrich our clients’ lives. Whether it’s through partnerships with world-class events, or offering innovative financial solutions, we ensure that our clients are at the heart of everything we do, because their happiness is our ultimate goal,” said Annette Nakiyaga, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at I&M Bank.
Naava Grey took to the stage at 9:30pm. Clad in an all-white outfit, she started her set with Aliba Wani, the song that introduced her to the music scene, after a stint on the reality show Tusker Project Fame. The song was produced by Naava’s longtime creative partner, Steve Jean, the same man behind Fenon Productions, that was behind this very concert.
She took her fans through her catalogue, one which many consider as some of the few bankable ones in Uganda.
In one way or another, she seemed to prove this; her songs, for instance, were not radio anthems when they were released, yet, on three occasions, she could barely start the songs because the audience wanted to sing every line and note with her.
On songs like Aliba Omu and Ninga Omuloge, the artist did not need her background vocalists, as the audience assumed the duty to sing out loud.
The evening reached its peak when Naava invited some of her collaborators that included artists such as Mun*G, with whom they sang Sejjusa and Champion together.
Bruno K and Kenneth Mugabi Mugabi are some of the other artistes that performed. Mugabi had the audience singing to songs like Wamanyiza, Sanyu and Naki, before being joined by Naava to perform Owuwo.
Then she landed a surprise artist; Uganda’s solo Trace Awards nominee- Joshua Baraka joined Naava for to do her classic- Ninga Omuloge, and also joined him to sing his Dalilah hit.
With a host of dancers, she crowned the night with Nteredde, a song which many consider multifaceted, bumpy, and soulful at the same time.
This capped a night that celebrated love and music, once again reminding us that it is not always about the hits, but the way they make the audience feel when they listen to them.
