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Groove stirs sleepy Karatina up
Star-struck residents of Karatina came in their thousands to witness the rare spectacle. For their part, the stars did not disappoint. PHOTO | BONIFACE NDWIGA
What you need to know:
- On stage, an array of Gospel’s finest kept the crowd electrified all afternoon. Between the Safaricom giveaways and the endless jokes by MC Abel and Dr Ofweneke, the crowd got a real treat.
- Newcomers Recap had an audacious hip-hop set that actually worked on the Karatina crowd. The four-piece ensemble is one of the few groups that can actually sing and rap.
The sleepy little town of Karatina came alive last Sunday as the Groove Tour made its stop-over in Central Kenya.
Star-struck residents came in their thousands to witness the rare spectacle. For their part, the stars did not disappoint. The set up was spectacular, complete with an elaborate stage, LCD screens and state-of-the-art sound equipment.
The sound was excellent and could be heard from miles away, drawing curious onlookers.
Throughout the event, a team of hard-working cameramen delivered great shots that were projected on the screens, ensuring every person in the audience experienced the show.
Outside the venue, many industrious hawkers lined up to cash in on the consistent flow of people in and out of the Karatina Stadium. The whole town was in a festive mood.
STAR LINEUP
Size 8 and Betty Bayo with a fan as Karatina came alive last Sunday for the Groove Tour. PHOTO | BONIFACE NDWIGA
On stage, an array of Gospel’s finest kept the crowd electrified all afternoon. Between the Safaricom giveaways and the endless jokes by MC Abel and Dr Ofweneke, the crowd got a real treat.
The comedians ushered in an eclectic mix of artistes, from a few Karatina acts to hit bangers like SOC, Fidel Atondola, Simbo, Benachi, Sarah K, Alice Kamande, to betty Bayo. Hype Gudda cemented the position of hypemen on today’s concert stages.
Hype Gudda revvs up Karatina residents who attended the Groove concert . PHOTO | BONIFACE NDWIGA
His set raised the excitement in the stadium to fever pitch: he hit the stage with unmatched energy and raved the crowd up with the help of his dancers.
From his performance, it is foreseeable that hypemen might soon replace playback artistes.
If all artistes do is sing along to their songs as the DJ plays them, then why not get a hypeman who can actually animate it better they do.
Newcomers Recap had an audacious hip-hop set that actually worked on the Karatina crowd. The four-piece ensemble is one of the few groups that can actually sing and rap.
Bahati proved that he is still the reigning gospel sweetheart. Crowds just love this kid everywhere he goes.
With a growing list of hits, the gospel star pulled off a set that was truly memorable.
Size 8 and Willy Paul also had a theatrical performance with the dramatisations of their Tam Tam mega hit.
Daddy Owen brought the house down with his long list of hits. The event was the talk of town, and Karatina residents will forever remember the day Groove came to town.
