Nairobi Jazz Festival: Butler thrills fans with electrifying performance

Jazz music fans were left thirsting for more as Jonathan Butler staged one of his best electrifying performances yet at the Nairobi Jazz Festival.

Screams of "Again! Again! Again!" rented the air as fans demanded a repetition of a performance from one song to another.

The Jazz festival took place on Saturday night at the Bomas of Kenya and was headlined by South African singer, songwriter and guitarist, Butler.

The International Jazz Festival was punctuated by high-end fashion, elegance and delicacies that were accompanied by a variety of cocktails. 

Butler who is famous for his jazz fusions and worship songs took the crowd away with his worship song Holding On. 

 "I'm holding on since you've been gone. I keep holding on. Holding on. Ooh baby... " the crowd sang along with Butler even as emotions took the better part of the fans.

The 62-year-old brought the crowd to their feet and some even moved closer to the stage to dance to his music. 

A white lady stole the show when Butler was on stage.

She took the stage dancing, enjoying the music though not aligning with the rhythm of the songs. 

At one point, she even took off her shoes seeking more comfort on the dance floor.

In between as Butler finished one song before bridging to the next, those who were dancing close to the podium had a scramble of a lifetime seeking to shake his hands.

Butler played along and quenched the thirst of many fans who dearly wanted to have a feel of his hands.

One lady emerged luckiest after she got an opportunity to share a stage with Butler during which she seized the moment and hugged her music idol.

By the time Butler finished his two hours on stage, many fans were relieved that the Sh4,500 they paid to be part of the event had finally paid off.

"This is my first time at a Jazz concert and I enjoyed it. I had never really listened to jazz, or given it a chance, but now I get it. The instrumentals were amazing," one Mary Anne Wamboi said after the show 

Elijah Simiyu who was in the company of her daughter said he was delighted to enjoy the music with his eldest. 

"Attending these jazz concerts is something we do often and we will come to the next one," he said. 

This was not the first time Butler was the headliner of a jazz festival in Kenya.

In 2015, Butler headlined the Safaricom International Jazz Festival. 

Another electric performance came from a quartet of horn players called Hornsphere based in Nairobi. 

Hornsphere took the crowd away when they played a jazz version of Skanking Sweet, originally sung by Jamaican musician Chronixx.

They also played a jazz version of Rhumba originally sung by Kenyan song group Wanavokali and part of their recently released album called Formation.

At the end of the event, Hornsphere took to x (Twitter) to thank all their fans who gave them the pleasure of their time by attending the Jazz festival. 

"A dream turned into reality! Hornsphere and The Unit band took the stage at the Auditorium of the Bomas of Kenya for the unforgettable Nairobi International Jazz Festival. Thank you to everyone who came out to support us and made this moment truly special," Hornsphere said. 

There were also performances by DJ Andre. The first acts of the events came from Jacob Asiyo, Kaima and friends.

A lady's group called Beathogs closed the curtains for the day at around midnight when the festival came to an end. 

Nairobi International Jazz Festival was organised by Radio Africa Events in partnership with Twakutuza Trust, DonJulio and Safaricom.