Sauti Sol, Freshlyground and Heavy K Light Up Koroga Festival XX Edition

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When the lineup for the XX edition of Koroga Festival was announced, there was a lot of debate on who the headlining act was. Any of the 3 acts scheduled to perform, Sauti Sol, Freshlyground and Heavy K could have  easily headlined. It was a pleasure to discover that Sauti Sol would be headlining, which made sense considering they are arguably the biggest act in Kenya and have been able to garner fame internationally.

Koroga is one of the best organized events in Kenya. Sure, there is a long line to get in but it’s very orderly and moves really fast. I got there about 2pm. There was traffic into Carnivore and a bit of a long line but I was inside the venue in about 15 minutes. The set up as usual was great, with lots of food and drinks vendors as well as vendors selling jewelry and other items.

As always, I headed to the Singleton tent for some of their delcious cocktails, then got a box of wine from Wines of the World. I love that there’s affordable drinking alternatives. Also, as a chicken fan, there are so many options that I basically go to where the shortest line is because they all have similar prices and are just as delicious.

The event kicked off with Njambi on the stage. She has been undergoing treatment for serious endometriosis that has been causing her lungs to collapse and was looking to raise Ksh 2M after raisng Ksh 8M out of the Ksh 10M needed for specialized treatment in the USA. She put on a really energetic reggae session that got everyone ready for Koroga. Her set was followed up by a energetic DJ set.

Freshlyground were first on stage and I lost it. I attended the first ever Koroga and they were the headlining act. The same feeling I had when I saw them the first time is the feeling I had this second time. They performed all the old music including my favourite, ‘I’d Like’ that had me screaming at the front. They also performed new music off of their new album, ” I hadn’t listened to the new album prior to the concert but I liked everything I heard.

Sauti Sol’s set was epic! Honestly, I don’t think I have enjoyed a concert like this in a long time. I sang myself hoarse and danced myself into a stitch. They performed most of their hits including their latest collaboration with Nigerian superstar Patroanking, ‘Melanin’ and their energy was electric. They absolutely proved why they are one of the biggest acts out of Kenya. I don’t think I will be forgetting that very soon.

Heavy K closed off the night with an epic set. I was already tired from all the dancing I’d done during Sauti Sol’s set but I couldn’t stay seated. It was truly the party of the year.

Koroga is getting bigger with every edition and I’m looking forward to see what they do next. 2018 looks like it’s going to be a big year as far as festivals go and I can’t wait!