Musical artiste Nyamari Ongegu, popularly known as Nyashinski.
Nyashinski, real name Nyamari Ongegu, has come out to clear the air over his failure to perform at the WalkerTown festival held at Nairobi’s Laureate Gardens in Kasarani yesterday.
Nyashinski was set to perform before American singer, songwriter and rapper Lauryn Hill on Sunday night. In an exclusive interview with Nation Lifestyle, his manager Fakii Liwali has cited time mismanagement as the key reason behind the missed performance.
“American rapper Lauryn Hill went on stage at 2.57am and finished at about 4.38am,” Mr Liwali says.
“You can imagine if Nyashinski was to go on stage, the earliest he would have performed was at quarter to 5am. That would have meant performing until beyond 6am, which was simply not practical.”
According to Mr Liwali, the original plan had both Nyashinski and Lauryn Hill performing between 9pm and 1am. Nyashinski was slotted to deliver a two-hour performance.
Mr Liwali says that Nyashinski arrived at the venue around 10pm but left by 2am after it became clear that his performance would no longer be possible.
“Time management was the issue. By the time everything was ready for the performances, there wasn’t enough room for both artistes. He was backstage the entire time so he couldn’t even interact with his fans either.”
When asked about whether Nyashinski had been paid for the event, Mr Liwali did not provide specifics, stating, “Nyashinski and EABL are partners beyond the event, so I can’t comment on that.”
The manager also expressed the artiste’s disappointment in not being able to perform.
“Nyashinski was excited about this show. He had been practising for a month, especially because this was the first time he was going to perform songs from his new EP, To Whom it May Concern. It's painful for him and the whole team. These were circumstances beyond anyone's control.”
As for what is next for Nyashinski, Mr Liwali said the artiste is already refocusing on his future.
“We are solidifying his 2025 plans, but for now, it’s back to the studio to continue with his other projects.”
Frustration from attendees
On social media, festival attendees voiced their frustration over poor sound quality and poor crowd control, following a stampede on Saturday, September 28, when a large crowd of young people forced their way through the venue gates. On that day, Afrobeats star Rema was the main act.
East African Breweries Plc (EABL). the organiser, faulted this on “the rain and other conditions.”
Kenyans’ appetite for concerts have been growing over the years. Last year’s WalkerTown concert, held at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, on September 30, which also saw a huge turnout, also had challenges as ticket tags ran out, causing a crowd surge at the entrance for some time, before the organisers sorted out the issue.
This year, Kenyans paid from Sh4,000 to Sh30,000 per ticket, depending on if it was normal tickets or if one was to sit in the VVIP section, which only accommodated about 50 people. EABL said those who paid for day two of the festival will be refunded.
[email protected]
