Azawi, Irene Ntale light up Rotary dinner

Mbarara City came alive this weekend starting on Thursday as Rotarians from across Uganda and Tanzania gathered for the 98th Rotary District Conference, a three-day event packed with insightful sessions, keynote speakers, fun and engaging activities.

As the conference came to a close on Saturday evening, Rotarians were treated to a black-tie Governors Johnnie Walker Banquet Dinner, which marked the end of the conference and an opportunity for guests to enjoy an evening of fine dining, networking, and entertainment that came from songbird Irene Ntale and Azawi, who performed alongside the Double Black Band.

The banquet was a grand affair, with Rotary members, community leaders, and other guests dressed in their finest outfits, complimenting the elegantly decorated Las Vegas Hotel gardens. 

As attendees took their seats, they were treated to a sumptuous meal featuring traditional Ugandan cuisine, prepared by some of the region’s top chefs.

The dinner was accompanied by a selection of signature Johnnie Walker cocktails and a performance from a rotary band before Irene Ntale was announced as next performer.

For a long time, Ntale had not perform with a band. Her brief performance was on CD and that is probably because the sound did not do her justice. Not to disappoint the hundreds in the tent, she decided to perform with the audience and never at any point did she step on stage. Among the songs she did included Go Down, Stamina Daddy and Sembera.

The Double Black Band came on next, taking the audience down memory lane with a number of covers, warming up the stage for Azawi, who took to the stage a few minutes past 10pm.
Clad in a pink suit, she wowed the audience with her powerful vocals and electrifying stage presence. Her performance included a catalogue of hit songs, which had guests dancing and singing along to songs such as Crazy Lover and Ache For You before a power interruption.

When it was restored, the Swangz Avenue artiste upped her game with Quinamino, Bamutute, Lo fit, Repeat It and Slow Dancing, inviting male Rotarians to join her on stage and do the dance routine as it appears in the video.

Not to be outdone, female Rotarians joined Azawi during her follow up song and pulled several strokes on her Party Mood song. Craving You Heavy and Majje were the last songs she performed to crown the night.