Burundi Congolese superstar Fally Ipupa brought Bujumbura to its feet Sunday night, headlining a concert that pulled fans from across Burundi and neighboring DR Congo for one of the region’s biggest musical nights of the year.
The Sept. 6 show, staged by S S Entreprise under organizer Sultan Suleiman, kicked off just after 8 p.m. with DJ Zenobino warming up the crowd with a genre-spanning set. Burundian acts Kellyna, Vichou Love and Monna Walda Kaneza — better known as Mow Khanzie took turns on stage before the night built toward its main event.
When Ipupa finally emerged, the crowd erupted. Fans sang along word-for-word as the Congolese icon moved through a set of his biggest hits, keeping the energy and the dancing going for the rest of the night.
The show drew crowds from across Burundi, with several fans crossing the border from DR Congo just to catch the performance. Security stayed visible throughout, though the concert wrapped without incident.
It’s the latest addition to Bujumbura’s expanding live-music scene proof that when an artist of Ipupa’s stature comes to town, the audience doesn’t stop at the border.
