The
Sisqo in Uganda Concert was poorly attended with about 1000 people in
attendance at a venue that can accommodate up to 20,000 revelers. The
low turn up undermined both the weight of the show and the popularity of
Sisqo.
This came exactly one week after the Demarco concert at Lugogo Cricket oval also recorded low numbers.
On
a good note, both Sisqo and Ghanaian musician Azonto put up great
performances at Kyadondo Rugby Grounds, supported by state of the art
music systems and stage from Silk Events.
HiPipo.com’s Levin Maurice was there and here is what transpired.
By
7:00pm, Kyadondo was already set to host a concert. The sound system
and stage were perfect for the hype of the show. However, partygoers
were coming in at a rather very slow pace.
At
about 9:00am, the concert finally got started with curtain raise
performances from Leone Island’s Young Mulo. Leila Kayondo, Bobi Wine,
Jackie Chandiru AK47 and Jose Chameleone were the other musicians that
prepared the way for the performances of the two foreign artists.
After
the Ugandan performances, Azonto from Ghana stepped on stage, performed
two songs plus taking time off to showcase his dance stokes. He
performed together with the fans and many seemed to enjoy his moves.
After this, the ground was finally set for the American RnB star Sisqo real names Mark Althavean Andrews.
When
he stepped on stage, he never disappointed, putting up an energetic
performance till the end. He performed many of his popular hits
including Thong song, Got to get it, Dance for me and the fans favorite;
Unleash the dragon. Sisqo’s performance was interrupted by
drizzles but this did not stop the party as the fans endured the
condition. And that was it for the night; low turn up but great
performances.
Kats and Salvador; the MCs of the night did a good job, engaging with the audience at different intervals.
Why the Poor Attendance?
Different
people we talked to attributed the low turn up to mainly the current
hard economic times that have left many with barely any money to spend
on partying.
“You
know what is going on. People do not have money. Very few can pay Shs
25,000 to attend a show these days. When a show is at 25,000, you need a
minimum of Shs 40,000 and that is if you are alone. Remember at the
concert, you have to drink and eat something,” a fan highlighted.
In the same token, poor marketing strategy and the choice of musicians brought can also explain the poor turn up trends.
Lately,
promoters are failing to do intensive marketing for their shows. This
is partly related to lack of sufficient funds to spend on the whole
marketing process. But for any show to sale out, more funds need to be
spent on marketing. Take for example the UB40 show, R Kelly in Uganda
and Sean Kingston Live in Kampala. In all these concerts, the organizers
spent much on marketing than anything.
Far
still, the choice of media used still leaves a lot to be desired. While
majority of the party-lovers currently depend on online channels for
what is happening in town, event organizers are still stuck to
traditional advertising platforms. It is important to know that of late,
social media is the trend and thus event organizers need to embrace the
new opportunity.
Others also related the low turns to the poor promotion and marketing models that events’ organizers and promoters use.
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