Last Friday night, I found myself at a Kidum concert, on a duty call of course. There is something amazing about a great live performer. It doesn’t matter whether you understand the language or not. Kidum is always super amazing on stage. So at this concert I was next to a certain lady called Angela, (hi girl!) I had just met her that night. She told me that she had sickle cell disease and that she was a sucker for Kidum’s music.

Three and half hours before Kidum and the Bodaboda Band light up the stage, I was at Alliance Francaise, way before the concert began. I actually got there when the production team was testing the equipment. I watched them carry cables, fix things and do the classic, “1, 2, 1, 2 mic check.” Then it hit me that I had been trying to avoid the feelings of sadness that were poking my tear glands the whole day. My father died on the 16^th November 2017 and that Friday marked his first death anniversary. You know I had been busy running up and down the whole day trying to forget that important fact. But before the water works, I had a voice,

“Hi am Angela! A certified Kidum fan, here for the concert.”

“Hi am Agnes. And I am here on duty.”

Angela wore a black trench coat over her black pair of jeans. Her eyes were secured behind a pair of brown framed spectacles. Her dread locks were held up into a neat bun and she wore a bright smile. The kind that makes you smile back even when you are about to cry. We went on to talk about the camera I was holding (office property) and our love for Kidum’s music among other things. For a minute there, Angela made me forget my pain. After the set up was done, the first group to perform was a husband and wife duo from Mali, Djeneba & Fousco together with their band. Their music was cool. One of the band members had a gigantic nyatiti like thingy which produced good melodies if the crowd’s reaction was anything to go by. As these group was performing, I was seated down on the stairs crying uncontrollably like a little girl. This began with tears gently cascading down my cheeks. Anyone who saw me at first must have thought that I was so moved by the music that I could not help myself.  If those tears had a nationality, they would be British. They had some form of dignity and decorum, gently cascading down my cheeks allowing me to wipe them off with my hands. But as time went by, the waterworks became uncontrollable and I had to sit down and let it all out. While murmuring non-stop, “Fuck you cancer!”

The most painful thing about losing my father was watching my little sisters cry over him. It became worse when I had to see my own mother (the ever tough Arosi Nyakager), weep uncontrollably. All these happened through the lens of my own tears. Seeing my father, a man who used to be the life of the party, in agony, on his death bed was painful to say the least. But we shall all die ama namna gani?  So anyway, I texted my best friend Lynn who I had been chatting with on WhatsApp. I told her that I could not stop crying and that I missed my dad. Thanks Lynn and everyone else who showed concern after seeing my messed up social media posts.

Anyway, I managed to pull myself together because after all is said and done, I was on official duty. I mean those pictures had to be taken huh? The next band was Sahad & the Nataal Patchwork from Senegal. These band took a bit longer to test the equipment but their performance was off the chain making the wait worth it. The leader who was rocking dreadlocks served the audience with an eccentric live performance alongside his band. Here is the thing though, I did not like the guitarist, the brother man resembled my worst ex a little too much for my liking. So even when he wowed the crowd with his amazing guitar skills, all I could see was my ex, sorry dude. Then there was the drummer. I noticed this guy way before he got on stage, I call him my Senegalese Bae. He was just perfect! I managed to get on stage to get a better shot of him by the way. See image below. (Forgive my amateur photography, I am working on it).

This guy was such a show off by the way. What is it with drummers? They are usually the first to remove their shirts during performances (of course to show off their abs in the pretense of sweating). This drumming thing must be some form of exercise ama? Because most of the drummers I have seen have some killer abs (focus Agnes). The first song hata haikuwangi imefika the 30^th second but no! The drummer will already be shirtless pouring on his chest water so that magaldem wanotice, cheeiii! My Senegalese Bae was no exception, he actually overdid it especially when female photographers went on stage to capture pictures of him. Even the MC announced that he was available for selfies with the ladies after the performance! What da hell? My Bae is not community Bae chokeee!!

Then finally Kidum and the Bodaboda Band graced the stage! Alilililililili! The moment we had all been waiting for! He performed his classics ‘Mpenzi Wewe’ and ‘Nitafanya’ among others. I honestly wished that he had performed ‘Kichuna’ I loooove that song! Angela and I danced along to his tunes until he was done. As a terrible dancer, I love performers who give simple dancing moves to their audiences and Kidum did exactly that. But his dance moves had weird names like, chicken, armpit and if I remember correctly there was one called Otile or Vera or something close.

As I was wrapping up the night, I got a text from the Rackster inviting me for drinks at a club nearby. God knows I really needed the drinks. But when you have the office camera, alcohol is the last thing you wanna hear about. Unakula tu kwa macho ma fren!  I got home safely anyway……..with a terrible headache, must have been caused by the crying.

On another note, did you know that Vera Sidika called Otile Brown’s ginene, a kijulubeng? I know that you are a social media in law so you already know. To be honest, nothing has ever wasted my emotions, time and data bundles like this relationship! Hata nimewacha kufollow izo upuzi zao! Lakini kijulubeng surely? Hehehe! Is just that the Kijulubeng word is just funny aki! Lakini mos ahinya Yakobo.

On another other note, a certain neighbor claims that someone took her expensive Victoria Secret underwear from the hanging lines. Sasa ploti mzima hatuoni amani! At this rate tunaweza fanyiwa random searches. She is even about to strip each one of us naked to find the thief. Kama ni wewe uliiba ngotha ya wenyewe, please return it! Hata panty za hawkers ni panty bado.

Last thing, dear Angela, sorry for making you uncomfortable with my crying at the concert. Hope we good. We should attend another Kidum concert.

The very last thing, hizi fare za matatu hazinormalize anytime soon? 

The lastest (if there is such a word) of all things, Robert Alai wachana tu na Akothee. Huyu hautaweza. 

Have a fantastic week.