Sama Soja, Janzi Band impress at first Jinjera

During a press conference ahead of the show, the organisers of the Jinjera event promised to deliver a great experience. And indeed on Saturday they delivered vibes at Nile Nest Jinja, where the first edition of the event happened.

Themed ‘Bringing Amsterdam and Jamaica closer to home’, the event was predominantly Reggae, drawing a multitude of reggae enthusiasts to the eagerly awaited event.

 The venue was aptly curated in Jamaican colours, with the entrance designed like the new Jinja bridge while most attendees donned artificial dreadlocks.

The day started with DJs Nimrod and DJ Deno keeping the crowd engaged.

At around 9pm, the crowd had grown bigger and that is when performances kicked off with Jinja-based artistes taking to the stage first, followed by deejays and at around 10pm, the headliners kicked off their performances.

First on stage was Sama Soja, whose Akaama, Akadde, Sika Akati and Nyonyi Nyange worked the crowd.

It was, however, Janzi band that left a lasting impression on revellers. Their diversity of talent was something that most people were seeing for the first time while their choice of reggae covers was refreshing. Songs such as Stir It Up, Reggae Music Again and Gambler among others had the crowd on their feet.

The band also had a session dedicated to Peetah Morgan as tribute to the recently fallen Morgan Heritage artiste.

The bands performance inspired a wave of dancing and praise for reggae music as the ultimate genre.

Despite the smooth flow of the event, there were some setbacks. The unexpected downpour late in the night disrupted the event which was supposed to go on until Sunday morning but unfortunately, due to these adverse weather conditions it ended prematurely.

It is also because of the heavy rain that singers Cindy Sanyu, Nutty Neithan and Ziza Bafana were unable to perform as earlier advertised but despite the shortcomings, the Jinjera show left a big mark of unforgettable moments, especially those who love reggae.