Kenyan revellers were left disappointed after the Main Act of the Furaha City Festival in Nairobi, Tanzanian Artist Diamond Platnumz, Failed to Perform.
Revellers had paid Ksh. 4000 to see Bongo Star Diamond Platnumz perform at the FurahaFestival but the Tanzania artist did not show up on stage after His team disagreed with Kenyan Entertain Willy Paul's team on who should perform first.
Diamond was the main act and was expected to perform last. His team insisted that their artist should perform after Willy Paul.
According to one of the organizers Willis Raburu, they made every effort to accommodate Diamond and his team, but his team’s behaviour and demands were unnecessarily overbearing.
“While we acknowledge there was a minor security issue involving another artist, we swiftly resolved it and ensured that the event continued in a safe and professional manner.
“We believe in treating all artists equally and maintaining high-quality standards for everyone involved,” stated Raburu.
The drama began when Diamond, who was supposed to close the show as the headliner, reportedly requested to perform earlier.
However, this didn’t sit well with Willy Paul, whose time slot would have been affected.
“Why should he take my slot? That’s just disrespectful. These people want to arrest me because I refused to allow Diamond to perform before me.,” Willy Paul fumed backstage.
Things quickly escalated when Diamond’s bodyguards, Onesmo and Sallam K, confronted Willy Paul and his team as went on stage for his performance.
Eyewitnesses claim the bodyguards got physical, beating up Willy Paul, to prevent him from performing.
Diamond Platinum, who was waiting in his designated car outside, drove off without performing. According to his manager, he could not take that kind of disrespect from Willy Paul.
“I was invited to perform here by the organizer of this show, but other people around him did not seem to care much about my performance.
“My photo was even downplayed on the billboards, and I was not involved much in the campaigns. There has come a time in Kenya when you are great or do the right thing, they want to bring you down,” said Willy Paul in tears.
Willy Paul took to social media to air his grievances. “These people want to arrest me because I refused to let Diamond perform before me. Why are Kenyans being disrespected in front of Bongo musicians? This is sad.” he posted.
The festival, which had promised electrifying performances from artists like Mejja, Khaligraph Jones, Zuchu, Rayvanny, and Diamond Platnumz, didn’t exactly go as planned.
From organizational hiccups to last-minute performance changes, things spiralled out of control, and fast.
Earlier this week Jamaican Reggae Artist Etana landed in Kenya to perform in various parts of the country but her shows were allegedly sabotaged by Kenyan influencers and Media houses after Diamond landed amidst Etana's planned shows.
Shortly after the cancellation of her show, an emotional Etana expressed regret and apologized to her fans over the mishap. The songstress went on to explain that someone had spent a significant amount of money to have her Nairobi show ruined.
She also noted that the individual causing her problems pushed for another concert in the same location, but then postponed it, only for them to return it later setting the date and location on the same day as her event.
“My Nairobi fans, I sincerely apologise to all of you for the postponement of the Roots Vibes Festival tonight, my show that was scheduled for tonight, December 7, has been promoted for a long time before the Diamond Platnumz show." She said.
"At one moment I was told that the show was cancelled, and now I’m being told my event has to be cancelled because the two shows cannot be promoted in the same area for security reasons, I mostly reiterate, that my December 7 show was promoted long before this show popped up. It just popped up and all of a sudden my show cannot be kept for security reasons." Etana Stated.
"It is unfortunate, but I will continue to love and support my Kenyan fans all over the world, cowardly actions will not stop me from performing again in Kenya. The new date will be announced by tomorrow morning by my promoters,” she added.
As she clarified the situation, Etana reprimanded musician Diamond Platnumz and his promoters, claiming that their intimidation caused her event to be cancelled.
“Excluding the promoters because they have nothing to do with what I have to say further this is my own experience. In Citizen TV at 10/10 Diamond Platnumz and his crew showed up over thirty nearly fifty people for one female. It was just me and maybe just 4 people.
“In Jamaica, it is common for artistes to have hundreds of people, so I was never intimidated by their presence and never will be and it is unfortunate that so many men in a time when women are in 16 days of activism in Kenya can come up against one female, how cowardly,” she added.
She, however, expressed confidence that no amount of intimidation would deter her from performing for her fans in the country and further revealed that a new date for her concert would be announced later by her promoters.
