Bongo Flava & live performances: Less “Twende!” more music, please

Live music is a beautiful thing—when done right. So, I decided to go on a little YouTube adventure, watching some live sessions from Bongo Flava artistes.

I’ve also attended a few shows in person, but let’s be honest, most of them were 80 percent playback and 20 percent artistes shouting random things like “Eeeh mwanangu!” while the DJ handles the rest.

So, there I was, watching performances when I stumbled upon some proper live band sessions. Ibrah? Smooth. Phina? Energy! Young Lunya? The way he flowed effortlessly—chef’s kiss! Alikiba? That man doesn’t even try; his voice is naturally live-band-approved.

And then I watched Nigerian artistes. My goodness, their performances were so clean, they sounded like a recording!.

But if we are talking about live music mastery, one name deserves a special mention—Joel Lwaga. The way he delivered Olodumare in his live session?

If we were competing as a country, that man would be our representative! He brought the vocals, the emotion, and the kind of stage presence that makes you feel like you’re in a stadium, even if you’re just watching on your screen.

But then... there were those sessions. You know, the ones that make you want to hold your head and ask, "Kwani tunapigana?" Because instead of singing, the artiste is just shouting:

"Twende!"

"Aiii!"

"Hapo sasa!"

But where are we going? Why are we hyping, and there’s no crowd? It’s just you, a microphone, and a poor cameraman wondering if he should zoom in on your face or the frustration in the sound engineer’s eyes.

A live band performance is supposed to showcase raw talent, not your lung capacity.

Yes, energy is good, but if you spend more time hyping than actually singing, we have a problem.

There’s no shame in letting the music do the talking. Instead of shouting "Aiii!" every two seconds, why not use that time to actually hit the notes?

One thing about Nigerian artists and our neighbours—they practice like their rent is due.

You can tell they’ve gone over their set multiple times before stepping in front of a camera.

Everything flows smoothly, from the way they interact with the band to how they control their breath while performing. Bongo Flava artistes need to take notes.

A good live session isn’t just about jumping around and acting excited—it’s about delivering a performance that makes people feel something.

And no, shouting “Tunapanda juu zaidi!” is not a substitute for rehearsing.

Look, if you’re in a big stadium with thousands of fans, hype all you want.

There’s no need for unnecessary theatrics.

At that point, just sing. The intimacy of a live session should work in your favour, not against you.

Give us vocals. Give us emotions. Give us something that will make people say, “Damn, this person can really sing!”

Bongo Flava has some amazing talent, and live music is the perfect way to prove that.

But if the focus remains on hyping instead of actually singing, we will continue watching live sessions while holding our heads in frustration.

So, dear artistes, next time you step in front of a microphone, ask yourself: Am I here to perform, or am I just a hype man who forgot to invite the main act?

Because the audience is watching, and trust me, we can tell the difference.