Ferre Gola among top performers lined up for festivities

This Christmas holiday comes with some exciting music events. From performances of traditional carols to contemporary pop shows, there is plenty to look forward to over the festive period.

It is not too late to plan your Christmas entertainment and here are some events that music fans cannot afford to miss over the holidays.

Ferre Gola

Nairobi and Kisumu, Dec 23/24

The Congolese superstar is in Kenya for two shows over the Christmas season. Known to his fans as Le Padre (the priest), the singer, songwriter and dancer is certainly one of the two most popular of the current generation of Congolese musicians (the other is his rival Fally Ipupa).

He is widely acclaimed for his versatile style that combines contemporary high-energy dance music with a melodic rumba vocal style.

Ferre Gola started his career in the mid 1990s with Wenge Musica 4X4 BC BG where he played with his mentor Werrason. After the split of the band, he remained with Werrason and was writer and vocalist on the hit album Solola Bien in 1999.

In 2004, he joined Koffi Olomide’s Quartier Latin as a singer and composer before launching his solo career in 2007 with the highly successful album Sens Interdit.

Since then, his career has flourished with several hit albums, notably Boite Noire in 2013, which produced top songs like Pakadjuma, Litaka and Chichiwash.

In the last few years, the music scene in Kinshasa has been dominated by stories of the rivalry between Ferre Gola and Ipupa. Incidentally, both singers launched their careers as members of Quartier Latin.

During his show at the Bomas of Kenya in November 2015, the crowd sang and danced along to catchy dance songs like Tsheke le pete, his slower rumba songs like Zazou, 100 kilos and the popular Kamasutra. Many fans will be looking forward to an equally thrilling show during this weekend’s performances.

Ferre Gola’s first show takes place tonight at the Alchemist on Parklands Road with tickets selling at Sh2,500 and Sh 5,000 for VIP on www.jambolife.com 

On Christmas eve, he will be in Kisumu as the headline act during the Pacho Festival at the Jumia Grounds, with tickets at Sh1,000 and Sh2,500 VIP.

Kenyan Boys Choir, Diani Mombasa

It is the third consecutive year that this well-known group of singers will be performing at the Coast on Christmas Eve.

Once again, it has been a phenomenal year for the group with several international performances, notably at the Global Citizen Festival in New York in September.

Undoubtedly, their biggest moment was joining the R&B superstar Usher on stage for a performance of hit song Champions along with the Panamanian singer Ruben Blades.

Just last week the group sang at the Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols Festival in Nigeria alongside Don Moen from the US and other international performers.

Made up of 30 members from different high schools, colleges, and universities, the group will be performing improvised versions of Christmas carols during their concert. They flavour songs like Feliz Navidad, Jingle Bells and We Three Kings.

WIth unique harmonies and improvised lyrics in Kiswahili and other Kenyan languages. The Kenyan Boys Choir has previously recorded two albums containing songs such as My Kenyan Christmas in 2010 and Furahia in 2013.

Their Christmas shows started earlier in the month when they performed Christmas carols at the Galleria Mall In Nairobi. 

The Christmas eve concert featuring a mix of modern choral, Christmas carols and African pop songs is a free show at the Forty Thieves Beach Bar in Ukunda from 6pm.

Kabo Leburu & Ethno Jazz

Windsor Country Club, Dec 24 – Jan 1

The five-piece ensemble from Botswana will be playing at the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club during the Christmas holidays.

Leburu is a self-taught guitarist and harmonica player whose music is a fusion of indigenous rhythms like the mbira with a touch of soul and jazz.

He has performed on the same stage as Oliver Mtukudzi, Yvonne Chaka-Chaka and Louis Mhlanga and other African music icons.

Leburu has become a familiar figure on the Kenya scene since he first performed here in 2015 and in September this year was among the acts at the Cool Waters Jazz and Roots Festival. That was also his first show at Windsor and it went down so well that the band was invited back to entertain guests during these festivities.

The group, which has been performing at different venues in Nairobi since the beginning of December, will be playing a wide variety of music, including their own compositions like Kalahari Bluegrass.